Photo by Mw12310. A'poor but beautiful' cuisine, a few basic ingredients, a tried and tested street food system. Gastronomy in Kuala Lumpur consists of elements and flavours that may be 'elementary' taken individually but which, when combined, create delicious mixtures that will be impossible to resist.
Here are 10 typical specialities you absolutely must eat!
1 - Nasi Lemak
Photo by Mw12310. Theunusual breakfast of the people of Kuala Lumpur is nasi lemak, a dish made with chicken meat, curry and rice.
SEE ALSO: WHAT DO PEOPLE EAT FOR BREAKFAST IN THE WORLD?
A 'bomb' dish, ideal for a super day!
Recommended for: breakfast
Average cost: between €4.00 and €8.00
Main ingredients: chicken, rice, curry, banana leaf
2 - Ikan Bakar
Photo by Gunawan Kartapranata. Ikan bakar, grilled fish enriched with a spicy marinade, often accompanied by steamed rice and a sweet variant of soy sauce, could only be included in the top ten of typical Kuala Lumpur dishes.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €2.00 to €10.00
Main ingredients: fish (or seafood), sweet soy sauce, rice, chilli, coriander
3 - Satay
A trend in the typical cuisine of this magical place, repeated in many dishes in Kuala Lumpur, is the grilling or barbecuing of meat and fish, often served with accompanying spicy sauces (another must in Malaysian gastronomy). This highly successful combination of grill and spicy sauce finds its ultimate expression in the satay, a meat dish served as a skewer.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €4.00
Main ingredients: meat (chicken or beef), hot sauce
4 - Sago Melaka
One of the most popular sweet dishes in Kuala Lumpur is sago melaka. It takes just a few simple ingredients to make this distinctive and very tasty dessert, made with tapioca and brown sugar.
Recommended: as a dessert at the end of a meal or snack
Average cost: €2.00
Main ingredients: tapioca, brown sugar, coconut milk
5 - Nasi Goreng
Photo by Midori. One of the main ingredients of Kuala Lumpur cuisine is rice, and one of the main dishes of Malaysian culinary tradition is nasi goreng, fried rice accompanied by prawns, egg or chicken and topped with a super sauce, composed of chilli sauce, shallots, sweet soy sauce and other ingredients that add character to the dish.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €2.80
Main ingredients: rice, shrimps, egg, chilli sauce
6 - Mie Goreng
Photo by Gunawan Kartapranata. A suggestive variation to fried rice are fried noodles, as always flavoured with the main ingredients of Kuala Lumpur's culinary tradition. If you love pasta in all its derivations and expressions, then don't miss the exquisite mie goreng.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €2.80
Main ingredients: noodles, garlic, onion, prawns
7 - Cendol
Photo by Orderinchaos. An unusual dessert, combining textures and flavours that are absolutely unthinkable to combine in Italy. You will not be able to resist the exotic cendol ice creama very special dessert that wins everyone over from the first bite.
Recommended: as a dessert
Average cost: €1.20 to €1.80
Main ingredients: fresh fruit, coconut milk, green bean paste
8 - Sandwich with rotoi canai
Photo by http://www.indrani.net. An emblem of world street food, Kuala Lumpur sandwiches are characterised not so much by the filling - cheese, rocket, bacon are among the main ingredients of the city's sandwiches - as by the bread, the rotoi canai, unleavened and flattened.
Recommended: as a snack
Average cost: about €2.00
Main ingredients: rotoi canai (flour, water, salt), cheese, bacon
9 - Bakso
Photo by christian r. Another main dish of Kuala Lumpur street food is bakso, a dish consisting of chewy chicken meatballs often accompanied by hot broth.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: about €2.40
Main ingredients: chicken, cornflour, water, pepper, chicken broth
10 - Appam
Photo by Jomesh. Similar to a pancake,appam is made with rice batter, coconut milk and numerous variations, the most popular being one with brown sugar. It is often served for breakfast to ensure a sweet awakening.
Recommended for: breakfast
Average cost: about €3.60
Main ingredients: rice batter, coconut milk, brown sugar
Where to eat: best restaurants, typical places and street food
Malaysian cuisine is unparalleled in the world and its special character stems from a mixture of Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and even Portuguese traditions. Kuala Lumpur is the perfect city for street food, food courts (eating in covered markets or inside shopping malls) and food markets.
Some of the most notable districts for discovering gourmet delights include Jalan Alor, Jalan Pudu and parts of Chinatown. Whether you are passing through or staying for a while, try Nasi Goreng, rotoi canai sandwiches, basko and much more.
1 - Lot 10 Hutong
Description: the ideal place for a food court in Kuala Lumpur is this one, characterised by warm, soft lighting and a slightly retro décor where you can sample Chinese, Malay or Thai dishes
Speciality: pork choc bun
Average price: from MYR 18.41 (about €4.00) per person
Address: Bukit Bintang - Get directions / Website
2 - Old China Cafe
Description: one of the oldest restaurants in Chinatown, specially decorated, it is the perfect place to enjoy nonya style dishes.
Specialities: beef and rice cooked in coconut, mie goreng
Average price: from MYR 40.00 (about €8.00) per person
Address: 11 Jalan Balai Polis - Get directions / FB page
3 - Dolly Dim Sum
Description: a place to eat well prepared Chinese food in a clean, nice and comfortable environment decorated with simplicity.
Speciality: springs roll, dumpling and spicy chicken
Average price: from MYR 30.00 (about €6.50) per person
Address: Avenue K Lot G9 Ground Floor, 156 Jalan Ampang - Get directions
4 - Kim Lian Kee
Description: One of the best restaurants in Chinatown to eat Chinese cuisine with Malaysian influences. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the colourful walls are adorned with language writings.
Speciality: hokkien mee (noodles with prawns, octopus and pork fat)
Average price: from MYR 30.00 (about €6.00) per person
Address: No. 49 Jalan Petaling - Get directions / Fb page
5 - Brasserie 25
Description: An elegant French restaurant ideal if you are tired of local, spicy cuisine, this place is romantic and serves great food with acceptable prices.
Specialities: Onion Soup (delicate onion soup), meatballs in gravy, roast duck leg
Average price: from 92.00 MYR (about €20.00) per person
Address: c/o Hotel Stripes, 25 Jalan Kamunting, The Row area - Get directions
