Seven Kuala Lumpur Breakfast Spots that Locals Love

Seven Kuala Lumpur Breakfast Spots that Locals Love

Like the country itself, traditional Malaysian breakfasts are nothing if not diverse. This is where to find some of the best morning dishes in KL



Be
it a plate of silky chee cheong fun, a few sweet rounds of
kaya toast, or flaky roti dipped in fragrant curry, breakfast in
Kuala Lumpur is an unmissable event. To taste the best of the
Malaysian capital, skip the hotel buffet, abandon the air-con and
head outside into the heaving, humid streets. There won’t be
avocado toast or oat milk cortados, but pull up a plastic pew
alongside the locals at any of these breakfast hotspots and you’re
guaranteed a classic KL breakfast worth writing home about.

Seven of KL’s best places for a classic Malaysian
breakfast

A member of kitchen staff makes coffee
Diners at Kuala Lumpar dining spot Ho Kow

Win Heng Seng, left, and diners at How Kow.

Nasi Kandar Pelita

This outpost of one of Malaysia’s best-known mamak chains is
open around the clock, and conveniently located right in the heart
of the city, near many of the big hotels. Roti canai (bread and
curry) and thosai (rice and lentil pancakes) are served all day
long, not just at breakfast. Other meals include nasi kandar (rice
with a choice of different South Indian sides and curries), fried
noodles and more.

149 Jalan Ampang, 50450
pelita.com.my

Ho Kow

Modern branding meets the traditional kopitiam at this
fourth-generation incarnation of a Hainanese coffee shop. Go early
on a weekday for your best chance of avoiding the queues of KLites,
who come for kaya toast (coconut jam on toast), chee cheong fun
(rice noodle rolls) and traditional Malaysian roasted coffee.

1 Jalan Balai Polis, 50000
hokowkopitiam.online

Diners outside WIn Heng Sung in Kuala Lumpar

Al-fresco breakfasting at Win Heng Seng.

Win Heng Seng

This basic kopitiam with myriad hawker stalls, some of which
have been in business for decades, sits on the edge of KL’s luxury
shopping and hotel district. Forget the imported chain cafés of
nearby Pavilion shopping mall and head here instead for authentic
pork noodles, egg tarts, chicken rice and more.

183 Jalan Imbi, 55100

Nasi Lemak Tanglin

This famed nasi lemak stall has spawned several branches, but
the original shop still draws long lines of hungry people for its
beloved take on the familiar dish of coconut milk rice with sambal,
fried anchovies, peanuts and egg.

Kompleks Makan Tanglin, Gerai, 6 Jalan Cenderasari,
50480

Madras Lane

This narrow alley in the middle of Chinatown is popular for its
handful of stalls selling curry mee (noodles in curry broth with
cockles) and yong tau foo (deep-fried vegetables stuffed with fish
paste).

Penjaja Gallery, 170 Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, 50000


Freshly steamed breakfast buns in Kuala Kumpar

A morning diner, left, and freshly steamed breakfast
buns.

Lai Foong

Another Chinatown institution, Lai Foong dates back to the 1950s
and retains the look and feel of an old-school kopitiam. It’s
especially popular for the beef noodles, clam noodles and wantan
mee (Cantonese-style noodles with soy sauce).

138 Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, 50050
instagram.com/laifoonglalanoodles

Jaipur

This laid-back local curry house about a 20-minute drive from
the Petronas Towers (on a good traffic day, or by train) has seen
plenty of hipsterish neighbours arrive in recent years, but remains
staunchly old-school. It’s worth visiting for the roti canai and
banana leaf rice – a meal of rice served on a banana leaf alongside
multiple curries, sauces and sides.

32 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Petaling
Jaya, 60000

Read the full story in Vol. 39: Ritual

The colourful, busy bar counter at Jikoni, Mayfair

Discover More
Sunny Side Up: 13 Brilliant London Breakfast Spots