Street food in Kuala Lumpur has to be one of the best there is! The variety, the flavours, you get everything from the traditional satay to Thai, Chinese, and Malay favourites. And it goes up until the wee hours too. I have never seen streets more alive than at 3 AM in Bukit Bintang!
And however few cities I have visited, have all been rich in street food and I have never had a dull moment. Be it getting hotdogs and bagels in NYC or chomping on Satay street and munching on carrot cake at Lau Pa Sat in Singapore!
Street food in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is an absolutely bustling city with some of the best restaurants – Chinese and Lebanese fare, and of course some delicious Malay delicacies. But the charm of street food in Kuala Lumpur isn’t confined to food courts and the one-off hawkers. It is all about the street food night markets and streets that just come alive post-midnight adding to the relatively rich nightlife of the city! And rightly so, because all we used to crave after hopping from speakeasy to speakeasy was just some juicy chicken wings or a Ramly burger!
You can also find some vegetarian options and plenty of chicken ones. And in case you are craving something closer to home, there are some South Indian delicacies you can indulge in at Madras Lane. But the closest to Indian food is Roti Canai. And it is one you will find anywhere and everywhere! It is almost like a Malabar Parotta and is served with a curry that tastes pretty much like sambar.
Malaysian Satay
The sight of chargrilled meat on bamboo skewers with peanut sauce on the side is one you can’t miss on the streets of Kuala Lumpur. With different cuts of chicken, lamb, and pork including crazy things like chicken ass, these skewers are the perfect bite to chomp on as you walk in Jalan Alor and look for a good option to settle for dinner. Available at almost all open restaurants and hawkers – don’t miss one (or ten) portions of these!
Nasi Lemak
Fried chicken tossed with spicy sambal, served with coconut milk steamed rice, egg, fried anchovies, fresh salad, peanuts, and some more sambal. It is considered to be the national dish of Malaysia and this platter is so wholesome and balanced. The anchovies are pretty addictive and the rice steamed in pandan leaves offers a nice contrast to the spicy, crispy chicken.
Nasi goreng
Malaysian stir fried rice sits just as high as Nasi Lemak when it comes to Malay cuisine. The caramelized flavour in addition to the savoury tones is what makes it stand apart from all the other kinds of fried rice you are likely to find in South East Asian countries. Topped with a fried egg and commonly served with prawn crackers, peanuts, and fresh salad.
Dumplings
It is impossible to visit a South East Asian country and not hog on dumplings. These colourful skin dumplings are widely available in the night markets. The pork and prawn ones had to be my favourite. The dumplings themselves are slightly bland so load up on the sambal.
Roti Canai
Crispy, flaky Malaysian version of the Malabar Parotta. You will find a lot of influences of South Indian food and dishes in Malay cuisine. Roti Canai is basically Malabar Parotta, served with a dal that resembles sambar and of course sambal.
And there are many versions of it – the special one is Roti Canai which comes dunked in Dal, with soft poached eggs. Add more sambal, and ugh, what simple luxuries!
mei goreng/ maggi goreng
Stir-fried noodles or stir-fried Maggi topped with a half-fried egg (or without if you are vegetarian) is another dish that is not just closest to home thanks to all the flavours it packs. Stir-fried with prawn paste, shallots, and Chinese cabbage and served with sambal, this is just so darn delicious. Try them on the streets of the many curry houses that are open till the wee hours.
Ramly burger
Another stellar find of the streets of Kuala Lumpur – this burger is for true gluttons. Ramly is a burger patty brand that is widely available in Malaysia. But the street hawkers that turn it into the greatest burger of all time are no less than critically acclaimed chefs. Your patty – chicken or beef – it sliced in half and grilled. A soft bun, egg, lettuce, and lots of sauces make this into something you wouldn’t have ever tried before. Perfect after hitting multiple bars. Again, you will spot them anywhere and everywhere but the stall in Bukit Bintang next to Halab Gate Shawarma is bananas.
Chicken wings
Wong ah Wah chicken wings might not seem like much or even worth a table, but believe me, they are. These bbq, chargrilled wings are known to be the absolute best in the city. Slightly burnt, and sticky, these wings are fuss-free and oh-so juicy as you dig in. They come by the wing, and you must order a minimum of 2 wings. Must have!!
Cendol
The weirdest dessert that our food truck hawker suggested to us as a must-have. Kidney beans, coconut milk, palm sugar, rice noodles, and green rice flour jelly. It is quite a weird combination and rajma in a dessert is quite an abomination for Indians. But mix it well and it actually tastes refreshingly good. And well, interesting. Would I highly recommend it, sure you must try a few crazy things on a Holiday!
Shawarma
Our first meal in Kuala Lumpur was a Shawarma but a Shawarma like no other we have tried back home. For starters, we had a choice between chicken and lamb, and then it was so huge and juicy and well made. You will be surprised to find the Middle Eastern influences on the food of Malaysia. But it is so worth a try. There are many shops in Bukit Bintang, almost all of them buzzing, but I highly recommend Reto Sandwich, it is next to the Western Union and unmissable.
Murtabak
Another Arabian influence is that of Murtabak. This stuffed pancake is famous not just a famous street food in Kuala Lumpur but in many South East Asian and Middle Eastern countries. With a choice of chicken, lamb, or beef – choose your preferred protein, and dip this robustly stuffed pancake with some curry and fresh salad.
Baklawa
These tiny, crispy, sugary morels are filled with pistachios, rose petals, almonds and more – the variety is plentiful and you will most certainly find a shop next to a Shawarma stall. And not just baklava, you can also indulge in some kunafeh – fresh mozzarella wrapped with a spun kataifi and dunked in sugary goodness.
pork buns
Best and cheapest breakfast buns that we picked up in Chinatown. These pork charsui baos are sweet, sticky, pillowy, and soft all at once.
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