This blog is a quick guide to the best street food in Kuala Lumpur. We have listed some of the must-try dishes and food streets for tourists.
About Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia. It is well known for its grazing skyscrapers and diverse culture. For a traveler, the city of Kuala Lumpur has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to good food.
Street Food in Kuala Lumpur is a riot of flavors. You can sample the best of Chinese, Malay, Thai, Arabic, and Indian flavors on the food streets of Kuala Lumpur.
Is Malaysian food spicy?
Malaysian food is a melting pot of – Chinese, Malay, and Indian Cuisine. Hence, there are some dishes that are highly spicy, whereas some are low to moderately spicy. Be cautious while trying curries, chili paste, and sambal sauce in Malaysia; some are below-the-belt spicy.
Nasi Goreng in Kuala Lumpur
Must Try Malay Dishes
When it comes to good food, there is a lot to try in Malaysia. If you are a first-time traveler like us, then you must taste these popular foods in Malaysia:
Nasi Lemak – A coconut flavored steamed rice served with sambal, boiled or fried egg, fried fish, and a basic Malay style curry.
Ikan Bakar – Ikan Bakar is a grilled fish marinated in Malay-style spice paste.
Hokkien Mee – Stir-fried egg or Hakka noodles served with a thick sauce and meat/seafood of your choice.
Assam Laksa – Rice noodles served in a soupy, curry-based broth with seafood and local greens.
Beef Rendang – Rice and tender coconut flavored traditional Malay style beef stew.
Hainanese Chicken Rice – A Chinese Style braised chicken, served with steamed rice and a sauce.
Roti Canai – Indian style flaky flatbread served with half fried egg and curry.
Rojak – Malay-style fruit or veggie fritters flavored with shrimp paste.
Ice Kacang – Mountain of colorful shaved ice flavored with jelly, syrup, and red bean paste.
Tropical Fruits – From durian, sweet mangoes to mangosteen, you can try all kind of fresh tropical fruits in Malaysia.
Hawker Centre Culture
Hawker Centre is a common term in the South East Asia region for an open-air street food joint that sells a variety of inexpensive street food or fast food.
Similar to other Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia is also known for its fabulous hawker center culture. That is the reason; there are so many incredible food streets and complexes in Kuala Lumpur selling delicious, fresh local, and Asian dishes at pocket-friendly prices.
We ditched the expensive restaurants during our trip to Malaysia and previously to Singapore . Instead, we explored the best local flavors at the renowned hawker centers and food streets.
Hawker Centre
Kuala Lumpur Street Food
Here are a few of the best and must-visit food streets in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, if you are a food lover:
- Jalan Alor
Jalan Alor is a landmark name in KL for its offerings in the genre of street food. This is a well-established hawker center street that caters to food lovers from all over the World. It is always best to visit Jalan Alor empty stomach. There is so much to eat and taste, that one visit is definitely not enough.
In Jalan Alor, you can get the best Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Malay dishes sold by different hawker centers. This street in Kuala Lumpur is only and only about celebrating good food.
Traveler’s Note:
- Timing: 5:00 pm until midnight. It is best to visit the place after sunset.
- Location: Jalan Alor is located in Bukit Bintang, making it easily accessible via cab or metro.
- What We Ate: Vietnamese Chicken Pho, Dim Sums (seafood and chicken), Nasi Goreng, Fresh Tropical Fruits, and Durian Ice Cream. Try small sampling portions at different hawker centers.
- Carry your water bottle and wet wipes, and try to wear comfortable gear for the evening. It is a crowded area; hence, not everyone’s cup of tea to handle, particularly if you have a company of kids and senior citizens.
Jalan Alor
Dim Sum at Jalan Alor
Chicken Pho at Jalan Alor
Durian Ice Cream at Jalan Alor
Jalan Alor Food Street
- Tapak Urban Street Dining
Tapak Urban is a food truck park relatively new to the Kuala Lumpur street food scene. In a short period, the place has gained immense popularity among food lovers for its great food.
Tapak Urban Street is at the heart of the city and mainly focussed on the modern-day, fusion Asian dishes. The open-air sitting area is surrounded by food trucks, and there is Live music for guests’ entertainment.
Traveler’s Note:
- Timing: 6:00 pm until midnight. It is best to go early and grab a table.
- Location: Tapak Urban Street is located in Jalan Ampang. It is easily accessible via cab, metro and is at a walking distance from Petronas Twin Towers.
- What We Ate: Chicken Falafel With Pita, Fresh Mango Juice, Churros With Chocolate Dipping Sauce.
Tapak Urban Street Dining
Tapak Urban Street Dining
Churros at Tapak Urban Street Dining
Churros at Tapak Urban Street Dining
- Petaling Street Market, Chinatown
Petaling Street in Chinatown is your destination if you want to enjoy street food and shopping simultaneously. One can see the significant influence of Chinese Cuisine on local Malaysian flavors. Hence, what could be better than exploring the authentic Chinese flavors at Chinatown itself.
Like many other Asian cities, Kuala Lumpur also has a big Chinatown. Here you can shop for souvenirs, handbags, accessories, and all different kinds of Chinese goods. It is one of the most popular, bustling shopping districts of Kuala Lumpur. From street food to shopping for goods, you find it all in Chinatown.
Traveler’s Note:
- Timing: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. It is best to visit the place in the late evening and stay there till dinner.
- Location: Jalan Petaling. Well connected via cab, metro, and bus. It is a 15-minute walk away from Bukit Bintang.
- What We Ate: Chicken Satay, Lemon Ice Tea, Chinese Chicken Bao, Curry Puff, and Claypot Chicken Rice (must-try).
- If you plan to shop, hone your bargaining skills and check prices at different shops before buying. You can visit the Buddhist and the Taoist Temple in Chinatown.
Petaling Street, Chinatown
Petaling Street, Chinatown
Claypot Chicken Rice at Petaling Street
- Taman Cannought Night Market
Food stories are often as much about the experience as they are about the food. The night market at Taman Cannought in Kuala Lumpur is all about the experience. Every Wednesday, the tourists flock here to buy a selection of the items on stock – from food to crafts and books.
The food at Taman Cannought is fresh and bursting with local flavors. One can also shop for cutlery, handicrafts, and collectibles for gifting at Taman Cannought.
Traveler’s Note:
- Timing: 5:00 pm until midnight. It is best to visit the place after sunset.
- Location: Every Wednesday at Jalan Cedras. Parking is a big challenge; hence, best to go via public transport.
- What We Ate: Grilled Corn, Fried Mee Hoon, Ice Kacang, Iced Milo
- There are 700+ food and goods stall. Hence, plan your visit accordingly.
Fried Mee Hoon
Ice Kacang
Satay at Taman Cannought
Food Expert’s Tips For Kuala Lumpur
Always stick to busy or crowded hawker centers. The food will be guaranteed fresh. Try to explore the menu of the hawker center before ordering. Read the brief English description of each dish on the menu.
Start with popular Malaysian foods and eventually explore more local and authentic dishes.
In the street food markets, malls, and food courts, you can easily find all kind of other Asian and Middle Eastern Cuisines along with popular food chain joints. Feel free to explore.
At most of the hawker centers, you can ask the vendors to make the dish less or spicier as per personal liking.
Speak to your hotel staff, local friends, or cab drivers to know about the highly recommended must-try places to eat.
When in a hurry, you can always grab a fresh salad, sandwich, curry bowl, coffee from the Family Mart, 7-Eleven, and other departmental stores.
Hawker Centre Food at Kuala Lumpur
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Planning a pizza night? Oyalo Pizza crafted for you a range of delicious 100% vegetarian pizza. They are a perfect takeaway or home delivery choice for your next Friday night party or family get together.
About Oyalo:
Oyalo Pizza is launched by HAP (Hatsun Agro Product Ltd.) which is one of the leading dairy brands in India. HAP has many renowned food and dairy brands under the umbrella – Hatsun, Arun Ice Creams, and ibaco, to name a few.
Oyalo is an initiative by the brand to explore the category of ready-to-eat foods. Within a few months of the launch, Oyalo garnered overwhelming feedback from the customers – a result of which is 200 outlets were opened across 23 cities in India.
Based on the demand, the ready-to-eat pizza is supplied to the outlets from the factory. When a customer orders, the pizza is baked to perfection at the outlet and served hot right away.
Veg Supremo Oyalo Pizza
What is so special about Oyalo Pizza?
The best part of Oyalo Pizza is they come in slices as well. Yes, if you are not in a mood for a full-size pizza, grab a slice of your choice. This makes the brand favorite among the students and youngsters.
The brand delivers your favorite pizza at the doorstep. Or you can use popular delivery services such as Zomato, Swiggy, Ubereats to relish the Oyalo Pizza at home.
The cheese and the sauce are prepared by the brand from scratch whereas the other ingredients are chef-picked to guarantee freshness and flavor. The taste of the pizza range from subtle to spicy hot flavors.
The menu of Oyalo does have not only pizza but also a good selection of pasta, garlic bread, milkshakes, and some yummy desserts. A true food lover like me can have her three-course meal.
Oyalo Pizza comes in three customer-friendly sizes – Personal (serves one), Medium Pizza (serves two), and Large Pizza. All the sizes are very well priced (the personal pizza comes at Rs 60 only) and has a lot of variety to offer when it comes to toppings.
What did we order?
It was hard to pick as the menu is full of exciting topping choices. We order – Thai Veggie Magic Personal Pizza , Piri Piri Corn Medium Pizza , Veg Supremo Large Pizza , Penne Pasta with Spicy Red Sauce , and Chocolate Milkshake . Each item was nicely packed in food-friendly cardboard boxes.
By the time I reached home after picking the takeaway, the dishes were warm and fresh (considering my travel time of 20 minutes). My family’s favorite was the Veg Supremo Pizza and the Spicy Red Sauce Pasta, too good!
Hina Gujral Oyalo Pizza
Personal Pizza, Medium Pizza, Large Pizza
Piri Piri Corn Oyalo Pizza
Note:
Website: https://oyalo.in//
Opening Hours: 12:00 pm – 23:00 pm
How To Order: Home Delivery and Store Pick Up
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
