Anuar's Fish Head Curry Review

A whole fish head, eye and all, sitting in a pool of red curry is one of the most intimidating plates you'll see in Kuala Lumpur. Locals love it, and food lists tell you to try it. But when it lands in front of you, you have no idea where the meat is, what to do with the bones, or whether you're supposed to eat the eye.

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In this guide 11 sections

That was us. Fish head curry was highly recommended to us in KL, so we did our homework, took a Grab to Bangsar, and walked up to the stall we'd read about: Anuar's. Cream had never had anything like it. His words on camera before the first bite: "I don't actually know how to eat this, but I'm not going to be scared."

So this is two things in one: our Anuar's Fish Head Curry review, and the guide we wish we'd had on how to eat fish head curry without fear.

Watch Us Try Fish Head Curry for the First Time

Cream does the tasting on camera, from the first spoonful of cheek to the eye and the lips:

Is Anuar's Fish Head Curry Worth It? My Quick Answer

Yes. Anuar's Fish Head Curry in Bangsar gets a 10 out of 10 from us. The fish skin is buttery, the meat is flaky, and the curry is packed with flavor without being too spicy. If you're looking for the best fish head curry in KL, this is where we'd send you. Two of us ate a whole fish head with fried chicken, fried squid, rice, and drinks for $25.73. Get there when it opens and there's no line.

What Is Fish Head Curry?

Fish head curry is exactly what it sounds like: a whole fish head, usually red snapper, simmered in curry with vegetables like okra and eggplant. You eat it with rice, and it's meant for sharing.

It isn't a dish from India, even though the curry is Indian. It was created in Singapore in 1949 by M.J. Gomez, a cook from Kerala, who added fish heads to his curry because his Chinese customers prized them as a delicacy.¹ From there it crossed into Malaysia, where Indian, Malay, and Chinese cooks all make their own versions. Anuar's makes an Indian-style curry, deep red, with plenty of okra.

If you're new to Malaysian food, it sits alongside dishes like nasi kandar and nasi lemak in our guide to the 10 must-eat foods in Kuala Lumpur, where we filed it under "for the brave eater".

Arriving at Anuar's

Anuar's isn't a restaurant with walls. It's stall 18 in a small open-air food court in Lucky Garden, Bangsar, with a few other stalls under one roof, ceiling fans overhead, and colorful tables out front. Look for the orange-and-yellow sign that reads Anuar Curry Fish Head.

The stall has been around for more than 30 years.² Its original spot was demolished during redevelopment of the area in 2020, and it carried on from a food truck for a while.³ Today it's back at a stall with tables.

We got there right when it opened, and there was no line and no crowd. By the time we finished eating, it was busy and packed. If you want a table without waiting, go early.

How Ordering Works

You walk up to the counter and point. Everything is laid out in front of you, so it's easy to tell what's what, even if you don't speak Malay. We'd done our research before coming, so we knew we wanted a fish head, fried chicken, and fried squid. It's cash only.

The man handing over the plates was Anuar himself, and he was clearly proud of that fish head. You'll see why when you get yours.

How to Eat Fish Head Curry

This is the part that scares people, and it turned out to be the easiest part of the meal. Here's how we did it:

1. Start with the cheek. Spoon off a piece of the cheek and put it on your rice. Then take your first bite with a little curry.
2. Flip it and go underneath. There's a lot more meat on the underside than you'd expect. Cream's reaction when he found it: "Wah! Look how much meat there is."
3. Pull the bones as you go. The bones are big and easy to spot, so you just lift them off and set them aside. It's honestly easier than a fillet full of tiny pin bones.
4. Get some okra in every few bites. It soaks up the curry.
5. Scoop with papadum. We also got a little bag of papadum, thin and light lentil crackers. Use them to scoop up curry, okra, and fish together.
6. Try the eye and the lips, if you're curious. We'd read online that you can eat them, so Cream did. The eye: "It's good." The lip: "a little chewy, a little fatty. Tastes really good."

Spoon, hands, or papadum, there's no wrong way. As Cream put it, "It's so versatile."

What We Ordered at Anuar's

1. Fish Head Curry // The Reason to Go

The first bite stopped Cream mid-sentence: "Whoa. I was not expecting that. The skin from the fish is really buttery and you've got a nice spice from the curry. It hits harder than you think."

The meat is flaky and light, and it slides off in big pieces once you find where it is. The curry is the star. It's packed with flavor and hits you, but it isn't hot in a way that makes you sweat. Cream came away convinced that the head is one of the best ways to eat a fish: "There's a lot of meat. The bones seem kind of big and easy to remove."

2. Ayam Goreng // Dunk It in the Curry

Ayam goreng is fried chicken, and this one is crispy with a spiced coating. The first bite literally squirted Cream: "That's a juicy piece of chicken." It's good on its own, but it's even better dragged through the fish head curry. In Cream's words: "You have to get a piece of chicken with this. You have to."

3. Sotong Goreng // The Surprise

Sotong goreng is fried squid. It was tender, not rubbery, and like the chicken it soaks up the curry beautifully. "There's so much flavor in the curry. It's really good with squid."

4. Sirap Bandung // Our Favorite Drink in Malaysia

Sirap bandung is rose syrup with milk, bright pink and cold. It's our favorite drink in Malaysia, and the sweet, cold milk is a classic match for curry. We also had it at Madam Kwan's, where it came out unmixed.

What We Didn't Love

Not much, which is why it's a 10. A few things to know before you go:

• It fills up fast. We had no line at opening, but by the time we left it was packed. Come late and you'll wait for a table.
• It's outdoors. You sit at tables by the stall with fans, not air conditioning. It was fine for us in the morning, but KL gets hot by midday (our best time to visit Kuala Lumpur guide explains just how hot).
• It's cash only. Bring ringgit. Our guide to cash or card in Kuala Lumpur covers when you'll need it.
• It's a trip from the center. Bangsar isn't walkable from Bukit Bintang, so you'll want a Grab.

Who Anuar's Is For

Anuar's is for anyone who has never tried fish head and wants to. It's a friendly first time: the bones are big, the meat comes off easily, and the curry is flavorful rather than fiery. As Cream said at the end of the video: "If you've never tried fish head before, I definitely would come by and try it. And if you've had it before, I'd come back and get it again."

If you love curry and fried chicken, you'll be happy here even if you leave the fish head to someone else at the table. If you can't sit outside in the heat or don't eat fish at all, you're better off with a plate of nasi kandar somewhere air-conditioned.

Prices, Hours, and Getting There

• What we paid: $25.73 for two, for a whole fish head in curry, rice, fried chicken, fried squid, papadum, and two sirap bandung, in April 2026. Cash only.
• Where: stall 18, Lorong Ara Kiri 3, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. The sign reads Anuar Curry Fish Head; you may also see it listed as Anuar's Fish Head Curry or Bangsar Fish Head Corner.
• Hours: listings give about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and some say it's closed on Sundays.² Check Google Maps before you go, and arrive at opening to skip the crowd.
• Getting there: we took a Grab. Ours cost $4.69 there and $2.35 back. Our guide to getting around Kuala Lumpur covers Grab, the monorail, and walking.
• Where to stay: Bangsar is a calmer base than Bukit Bintang, with a cafe scene of its own. See places to stay in Bangsar.

Lorong Ara Kiri 3, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

This map comes from Google Maps.

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Our Verdict on Anuar's Fish Head Curry

It looks intimidating, and it's one of the easiest, most rewarding meals we had in Kuala Lumpur. Go at opening, order the fish head with fried chicken and squid, and don't be scared of the bones. Then see what else we thought of the city in our honest verdict on Kuala Lumpur.

Next Steps for Your Kuala Lumpur Trip

• The 13 best restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, ranked by our scores.
• The 10 must-eat foods in Kuala Lumpur, from nasi lemak to fish head curry.
• Madam Kwan's KL review: nasi lemak and sirap bandung in Pavilion.
• The best time to visit Kuala Lumpur, month by month.
• Is Kuala Lumpur worth visiting? Our honest verdict after three months.