The Best Casual Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

Known for its legendary clam noodle soup, Lai Foong Lala Noodles offers a flavorful broth packed with shaoxing wine and local clams. The broth is slightly spicy and heavily spiked with Chinese wine, providing a warming effect to the body. Despite being associated with the shop name "Lai Foong", the stall has recently expanded to have its own shop.

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Johnson Wong

Chef – Penang , Malaysia

Flavourful broth packed with shaoxing wine and local clams. Legendary clam noodle in Kuala Lumpur. Flavourful broth packed with shaoxing wine and local clams (Lala) that easily heat up and warm your body.

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ALTA Café Bangsar takes pride in serving a diverse range of dishes, from stracciatella with parsley oil and honey to Indian-inspired butter chicken sliders, complemented by an eclectic wine list. The café draws inspiration from European dining culture, offering simple, unfussy plates made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients where possible. Their menu rotates regularly, offering a variety of small plates, snacks, and larger sharing dishes, promising a unique dining experience every time.

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Darren Teoh

Chef – Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia

Alta is Kuala Lumpur's counter culture restaurant brazenly famous for serving whatever they want. Christian and Jen who own Alta serve delicious plates with European sensibilities. Sometimes a plate of stracciatella with parsley oil and honey or an Indian inspired butter chicken slider that will go well with their eclectic wine list.

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Bref by Darren Chin offers a casual-fine dining experience with an emphasis on simplicity and joy. The restaurant is known for its pasta dishes, including the DC Signature with cold somen, uni, roasted celeriac, and aged ponzu, as well as the truffle pasta. The restaurant also boasts a selection of wines, aiming to provide an elevated yet comforting dining experience.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia’s good food goes beyond the streets. One of my favourite casual-fine dining restaurants is Bref by Darren Chin, after his fine-dining establishment DC Restaurant, which is also my firm favourite. For their pasta, I like the DC Signature (Cold somen, uni, roasted celeriac, aged ponzu) and truffle pasta. Elevated comfort food; simple but sophisticated. They’ve got a wonderful selection of wines too!

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With a focus on comfort food, Cafe-Bistrot David offers a diverse menu featuring pies, pasta, and both eastern and western main dishes. The restaurant also serves gin cocktails, making it a suitable spot for those who enjoy a daytime tipple. The team at Cafe-Bistrot David is continuously growing and evolving to provide a warm and welcoming dining experience.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Lovely comfort foods done well! A good mix of pies, pasta, eastern and western mains. And gin cocktails even during the day!

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The signature dish at 等记鱼头米粉 is the Fish Head Rice Vermicelli Soup, known for its exceptional taste. Customers appreciate the clear and sweet stock, enhanced by a dash of Shaoxing wine. The restaurant's menu revolves around this standout dish, making it a must-try for all visitors.

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Johnson Wong

Chef – Penang , Malaysia

Fish Head Rice Vermicelli Soup which is exceptionally tasty. Love the Fish Head Rice Vermicelli Soup which is exceptionally tasty with a dash of Shaoxing wine.The stock is awesome, clear and sweet.

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Known for its quality Malay cuisine, De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan is a premier restaurant and event venue. The menu features a variety of dishes, with the beef rendang with blue pea flower rice and prawn mee rebus being particularly recommended. The restaurant is also noted for its modern yet inviting setting, blending traditional Malay elements with a casual fine dining experience.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

COVID lockdown takeaway that still tasted as good as eating in the restaurant. De.Wan by Malaysian celebrity Chef Wan serves Malay food at a higher price but justified by its quality ingredients and deliciousness. Featured here are beef rendang with blue pea flower rice, and my favourite prawn mee rebus.

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Offering a laid-back and welcoming ambiance, Ember is a spot where you can enjoy comfort food with a unique twist. The menu features dishes that balance complexity and familiarity, with a particular focus on smoky flavours and local Asian influences. Highlights include the tender wagyu beef and rice, dry-aged duck breast, and the distinctive Ember's kampung fried chicken.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I’ve liked Ember and Chef Gary since my first visit, both share similar traits: laid-back, slightly edgy, a little dark yet welcoming and inviting. The food also channels Gary’s personality: familiar comfort food with underlying complexity and thoughtfulness in creating a balanced dish, punchy smoky flavours, with local Asian twists. For example, one of my favourites - wagyu beef and rice. MB4 but MB7 tenderness at non-wagyu price (a mere USD13+-), sweet-savoury tare, creamy yolk, balanced off with crunchy tangy pickled radish to cut through the richness. Other favourites are 4 days dry-aged duck breast, Ember’s kampung fried chicken, and not featured here: kampung chicken with Yuzu kosho, as well as grilled fish. Ember and Gary definitely has great great great potential to gain awards.

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Specializing in Chilli Pan Mee, Kin Kin Restaurant offers a unique noodle dish that's simple yet addictive. The dish is composed of minced meat, springy noodles, poached eggs, and a vital dry chilli mix. Although the website content is not in English, the restaurant's reputation for its originality and flavor is well-known.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The original Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee. I haven’t come across variations of this noodle dish other than in Kuala Lumpur. So simple but so addictive: just minced meat, springy noodles, poached eggs and the oh-so-vital dry chilli mix.

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Located in a tucked-away village, Kit Kee Beef Noodle Stall is a humble shop with a rustic charm that is worth the search. Known for its beef noodles, the restaurant offers a robust and hearty broth, with flavorful beef cuts that have been braised for hours. For those who like variety, the "mixed meats" option includes tripe among other meats.

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Darren Teoh

Chef – Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia

Rustic and hearty beef noodles tucked away in a village. Looking for this almost signless shop can be daunting. Trust the process and Waze to bring you close. You will know it when you see pictures of its menu hanging on a banner in the front of the store. All the staff are amicable and are happy to recommend their favourites. There is a small assortment of noodles available, with the beef noodles being my favourite. The broth is robust and hearty and while the beef cuts are not fork tender they are flavourful from the hours of braising. Tripe is also available when you order the “mixed meats”.

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Ming Kee Restaurant takes you on a nostalgic journey with its old-school charm. The interior exudes a vintage vibe, complemented by the skilled chef preparing noodles in a traditional manner. This spot is known for its regular customers who have been visiting for many years, engaging in lively conversations with the owner.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Everything about this shop is truly ‘tale as old as time’ - from the shabby interior, old man skilfully cooking the noodles, to the equally old patrons who have been frequenting the shop for tens of years chatting loudly with the owner. The noodles as well, is prepared in the old school way.

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Offering an authentic Naples-style pizza experience, Pizzeria Dihyang is known for its chewy crust with a slight char. The pizza is made with DOP mozzarella and tomatoes, adding to its unique and traditional flavor. Unfortunately, the website is currently inaccessible due to technical issues.

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Chi Ng

Food Writer & Traveler – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

One of the most authentic Naples-style pizzeria in KL! Chewy crust with a slight char, using DOP mozzarella and tomatoes!

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Specializing in Hong Kong style Cantonese cooking, The Regent Chinese Cuisine offers a range of dishes that are perfect for sharing among family and friends. Their menu includes classics such as typhoon shelter deep fried fish skin, sweet and sour pork, and tofu braised in pumpkin sauce. Using only the freshest ingredients flown in from Hong Kong, the restaurant is committed to faithfully adhering to old traditions while providing an atmospheric environment for its guests.

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Darren Teoh

Chef – Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia

Delicious Hong Kong style Cantonese cooking, great for sharing with family or friends. Excellent Cantonese cooking served in family sharing portions. We started with typhoon shelter deep fried fish skin and then moved on to a simple but elegantly executed fried rice, sweet and sour pork, braised glass noodles and mushrooms, tofu braised in a pumpkin sauce and a simple but exceptionally delicious plate of stir fried cabbage shoots. There are a few of the restaurant’s classics available for pre order for the full range of the chefs repertoire.

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Known for its Malay style padang cooking, Sambal Hijau Restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, with around 80 to 90 different preparations on display for you to choose from. It operates on a unique dining concept where you start with a plate of rice and then pick your preferred dishes. Despite the temptation to try everything, the usual approach is to select two or three dishes to accompany your rice.

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Darren Teoh

Chef – Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia

This is a restaurant that I love to go to. Sambal Hijau directly translates to green sambal. In this restaurant there will be about 80 to 90 different types of preparations of Malay style padang cooking on display that you can choose from. It's not a buffet, but what you do is you get a plate and they put some rice on that plate and then you pick what you like among the dishes. I often bring some of my guest chefs that are visiting Kuala Lumpur there and they eat with their eyes and they will have some 15 things on their plate and usually they can't finish it. But the idea is just to have about two or three dishes.

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Offering a selection of sushi, Sushi ORI is located inside a business tower. The restaurant is known for its "cholesterol bowl", a unique dish that has made a name for itself. Additionally, it also boasts a comprehensive sake list to complement the sushi.

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Joeri Timmermans

Chef – Antwerp, Belgium

The best no nonsense sushi in Kuala Lumpur. Good sale selection. Located inside a business tower lies Ori sushi serving up great nigiri and he is known as the founder of the “cholesterol bowl” great sake list too!

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Specializing in Siew Yoke (crispy roast pork), Restoran Wong Mei Kee offers a traditional roast pork dish that is said to melt in your mouth. The pork, carefully selected and prepared by Uncle Wong, boasts a balance of lean meat and thick fat, taking the crispy skin to another level. This careful preparation ensures that every piece served is near perfect, making it a must-try for roast pork lovers.

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Johnson Wong

Chef – Penang , Malaysia

Best Siew Yoke (crispy roast pork) in the world. A melt in your mouth roast pork. The pork is roasted traditionally with thick fat between a good balance of lean meat that makes the meat and crispy skin to another level. Uncle Wong carefully selects the meat, trimming off excess fat over burnt meat making sure every piece that goes into your mouth is near perfect. Best Siew Yoke (crispy roast pork) in the world.

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