The 13 Best Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, Ranked

Kuala Lumpur (KL) has thousands of places to eat, and every list online seems to name the same few with no sense of which is actually worth your time. When you've only got a handful of meals in the city, picking the wrong one hurts.

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In this guide 4 sections

Cream and I had the opposite problem. We spent three months living in KL as digital nomads, and ate out almost every day. We filmed the places people kept recommending, then gave every one a score out of 10.

These are the 13 that made the cut, ranked by that score. Each one comes with what we ordered, what we paid, a video of our visit, and a link to the full review.

What Are the Best Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur? Our Quick Answer

The best restaurant we ate at in Kuala Lumpur was Line Clear in Kampung Baru, a nasi kandar shop we'd call our favorite food in the world. Anuar's Fish Head Curry in Bangsar, Kin Kin in Chow Kit, home of the best noodles we've ever had, and Boss Burger, a Ramly burger stall on Jalan Alor, also scored a perfect 10. If you only have one morning, go to Line Clear. If you have a week, work your way down this list. And if you're wondering where to eat in KL without leaving your hotel area, the best restaurants in Bukit Bintang on this list are Boss Burger on Jalan Alor, Mon Chinese Beef Roti, and Madam Kwan's and Oriental Kopi in Pavilion.

#	Restaurant	Area	Order	What we paid (two people)	Our score
1	Line Clear	Kampung Baru	Onion fried chicken, nasi kandar	$11.92	10/10
2	Anuar's Fish Head Curry	Bangsar	Fish head curry	$25.73	10/10
3	Kin Kin	Chow Kit	Dry chili pan mee	RM57 (about $13)	10/10
4	Boss Burger	Jalan Alor	Ramly Special	RM11 (about $2.60), one burger	10/10
5	Village Park	Petaling Jaya	Nasi lemak ayam goreng	$11.06	9/10
6	Saddam Nasi Kandar	Chow Kit	Fried chicken and squid	$24	9/10
7	Fatty Crab	Petaling Jaya	Sweet and sour chilli crab	$74.10	9/10
8	Grumpy Bagels	Near TRX	Garlic cream cheese bagel	$23.25	9/10
9	Nasi Lemak Wanjo	Kampung Baru	Nasi lemak with beef rendang	$10.40	8/10
10	Oriental Kopi	Pavilion KL	Egg tarts and kaya toast	$19.66–$23.16	8/10
11	168 Claypot Chicken Rice	Pudu	Salted fish claypot rice	About $15	8/10
12	Mon Chinese Beef Roti	Bukit Bintang	Beef roti	$2.99	8/10
13	Madam Kwan's	Pavilion KL	Nasi lemak with rendang	RM85–90 (about $20)	7/10

The 13 Best Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, Ranked

1. Line Clear // Our Favorite Food in the World

⭐ Watch our Line Clear taste test

Nasi kandar is rice with a choice of curries, meat, and seafood, served at Mamak (Indian-Muslim) restaurants, and it became our favorite Malaysian food. Line Clear is the one we measure every other plate against. It was our most-ordered meal on Grab, so when we finally went in person, we asked for the same plate and added everything we'd never tried.

Order the ayam goreng bawang, fried chicken under a pile of caramelized onions, and ask for your rice banjir (flooded) with mixed curry. Cream's first word was "Wa!", and his verdict on the curry was simple: "The mix of these curries is perfect." It's packed with flavor, but it isn't heavy or greasy, which is why it's the plate I could eat every day.

Line Clear started in Penang, and several KL shops borrow the name.¹ The one we love is on Jalan Raja Abdullah in Kampung Baru, which renamed itself LC in 2016 to stand apart from the copies.²

Order: ayam goreng bawang, rice banjir, and the beef if you're hungry. What we paid: $11.92 for two. Go: around 9:00 a.m., when there was no wait. Read our full Line Clear review.

2. Anuar's Fish Head Curry // The Scariest Plate, and One of the Best

⭐ Watch us try fish head curry for the first time

A whole fish head, eye and all, in a pool of red curry looks intimidating. Cream's words before the first bite: "I don't actually know how to eat this, but I'm not going to be scared." Then the first bite stopped him mid-sentence. The skin is buttery, the meat is flaky, and the curry hits hard without making you sweat.

Fish head curry was created in Singapore in 1949 by a cook from Kerala,³ and Anuar's makes a deep red, Indian-style version with plenty of okra. It's a stall in an open-air food court in Lucky Garden, Bangsar, and the man handing over the plates was Anuar himself. The bones are big and easy to pull out, so it's a friendly first try.

Order: a fish head with rice, fried chicken (ayam goreng) and fried squid (sotong goreng) to dunk in the curry. What we paid: $25.73 for two with drinks, cash only. Go: at opening; it was packed by the time we left. Read our full Anuar's Fish Head Curry review, with a step-by-step on how to eat it.

3. Kin Kin // The Best Noodles We've Ever Had

⭐ Watch us try dry and soup chili pan mee at Kin Kin

Chili pan mee is fresh, chewy noodles topped with minced pork, crispy anchovies, fried onions, and a poached egg, and you add dried chili flakes yourself. Kin Kin, in Chow Kit, has been making it since 1985.⁴ It's an old-school shop under a yellow sign, and we were the only customers that morning.

Order the dry version and mix it hard. The runny egg coats the noodles and turns into a glossy sauce, which is why I compare it to an Asian carbonara. Cream's first bite: "Whoa. These noodles are just incredible." The bowl isn't spicy until you add the chili, so you control the heat.

Order: the dry chili pan mee, fried dumplings, and a teh tarik (frothy pulled milk tea). What we paid: RM57 (about $13) for two, with three sides and two drinks. Good to know: not halal; bring cash. Read our full Kin Kin chili pan mee review.

4. Boss Burger // The Ramly Burger Stall on Jalan Alor

⭐ Watch us try the egg-wrapped Ramly burger at Boss Burger

Our commenters wouldn't stop telling us to try a Ramly burger, Malaysia's street burger, and Boss Burger kept coming up as the stall doing it best. It's a cart on Jalan Alor, KL's best-known night food street, a short walk from Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Order the Special: the patty is soaked in a gravy-like sauce, wrapped in a thin fried egg with cheese, and grilled into the bun. It gets better as you go, because the egg holds the sauce against the heavily seasoned patty, so the middle is the best bite. Get fries and dip them in the sauce that drips out.

Order: a Special Double Beef Cheese and fries. What we paid: RM11 (about $2.60) for the burger. Go: at 6:00 p.m., when it opens; a line formed behind us within minutes. Our score: 10/10. Read our guide to the Ramly burger.

5. Village Park // The Best Nasi Lemak and Fried Chicken in KL

⭐ Watch us try the nasi lemak ayam goreng at Village Park

Nasi lemak, rice cooked in coconut milk with sambal (chili paste), anchovies, peanuts, and egg, is Malaysia's national dish, and Village Park served the best one we had. The reason is the fried chicken: a tender thigh with a clear lemongrass flavor, buried under crispy fried bits that fall into the rice. Cream called it "the most flavorful chicken we've had with nasi lemak."

The sambal was the spiciest we had in KL, thick and lingering. The only point it loses is for the drive: Village Park is in Damansara Uptown, part of Petaling Jaya, so it's a Grab ride out of the city.

Order: nasi lemak ayam goreng, plus kaya butter toast if you're hungry. What we paid: $11.06 for two, with toast, eggs, and coffee, on card. Go: early; at 7:30 a.m. on a weekday we walked straight in. Read our full Village Park nasi lemak review, and see how it stacks up in our ranking of the best nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur.

6. Saddam Nasi Kandar // The Most Recommended Nasi Kandar in KL

⭐ Watch our Saddam Nasi Kandar taste test

Whenever we asked where to get nasi kandar, Saddam topped the list. We went to the branch on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Jalan TAR) for an early lunch, and the server built our plates at the counter, recommended a mix of curries, and cut Cream's squid with scissors.

The fried chicken with onions (ayam bawang) is the reason to go. "This is absolutely incredible," Cream said. "I see why everyone recommends this one." What surprised us was that every curry on the plate tasted different. Add the egg-filled squid (sotong telur) and, if you're splurging, a big prawn, which got Cream's best line: "This may have just changed my life."

Order: fried chicken, squid or egg-filled squid, rice flooded with mixed curry. What we paid: $24 for two loaded plates and two drinks. Good to know: it's heavy, so plan a slow afternoon. Read our full Saddam Nasi Kandar review.

7. Fatty Crab // The Splurge Worth Making

⭐ Watch our Fatty Crab taste test

Fatty Crab's sweet and sour chilli crab was one of the best meals we had in Malaysia, and the sauce is unlike anything we've had anywhere else: thick, vinegary, full of garlic and onion, with an even heat. Cream tried it on its own first. "I don't know if I've ever had anything like that."

You crack the crab with a mallet, drag the meat through the sauce, and finish with plain toast to mop up the rest. The staff told us one crab was enough for two, and they were right. It's messy, so wear something you don't mind ruining.

Order: one chilli crab per two people, fried rice, toast, and the crispy chicken wings to dip. What we paid: $74.10 for two, our most expensive meal in Malaysia. Good to know: it's in Petaling Jaya, opens at 4:00 p.m. and is pork-free but serves alcohol.⁷ Read our full Fatty Crab review.

8. Grumpy Bagels // A Real Bagel in KL

⭐ Watch our Grumpy Bagels taste test

I'm an American who knows a good bagel, so I went in skeptical of a viral cafe in KL. The bagels passed: real weight, and the classic chew we look for back home. The garlic cream cheese bagel was the surprise, a cross between a bagel and a garlic knot, and the triple chocolate bagel with almonds tasted like a French pastry without being too sweet.

It's the one place on this list that isn't Malaysian food, and it earned its spot by passing an American's bagel test. The scallion cream cheese was a little thinner and sweeter than a New York deli's.

Order: the garlic cream cheese bagel, an everything bagel, and a dirty matcha latte. What we paid: $23.25 (about RM100) for three bagels and two lattes. Good to know: we waited 20 to 40 minutes near opening; you join the line by QR code and wait outside under fans. Read our full Grumpy Bagels review.

9. Nasi Lemak Wanjo // The Nasi Lemak Closest to Everything

⭐ Watch us try the nasi lemak at Wanjo

Wanjo is in Kampung Baru, one of KL's oldest Malay neighborhoods,⁸ and it's where we'd send you for nasi lemak in the city itself. You queue at the counter and watch the plate come together in front of you, piece by piece. The dark sambal is sweet rather than fiery, and the beef rendang, slow-cooked and tender, was the clear winner.

When they ask if you want a potato, say yes. It's begedil, a fried patty of seasoned mashed potato, and it was the surprise of the plate. The fried chicken was a little dry.

Order: nasi lemak with beef rendang, a begedil, and an iced sirap bandung. What we paid: $10.40 (about RM45) for two plates, a begedil, a kuih (a small Malay cake) and two drinks. Good to know: card accepted, and it's listed as open until midnight. Read our full Nasi Lemak Wanjo review.

10. Oriental Kopi // The Best Egg Tarts in KL

⭐ Watch our second visit to Oriental Kopi

Oriental Kopi is a modern take on the kopitiam, the traditional Malaysian coffee shop (kopi means coffee). We went to the branch in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the best mall in the city, twice, and the second visit was even better than the first.

The egg tarts are the reason to go. You can watch them filled and baked, and they come out hot, flaky, and creamy. The double butter kaya toast (kaya is a sweet coconut and egg jam) is the other must, and the nasi lemak was the biggest surprise, with the mildest sambal we had. If you're nervous about street food, this is the easiest first taste of Malaysian food on the list.

Order: egg tarts, double butter kaya toast, and an iced Oriental Kopi. What we paid: $19.66 and $23.16 for two, on card. Go: at the 10:00 a.m. mall opening; there was a queue by 11. Read our full Oriental Kopi review.

11. 168 Claypot Chicken Rice // The Most Fun Dinner

⭐ Watch our 168 Claypot Chicken Rice taste test

At 168 in Pudu, every pot of rice is cooked to order on its own charcoal stove, on a row of more than 20 run by the man everyone calls Mr Wong.⁵ Watching them is half the fun. The pot comes out with chicken, Chinese sausage, and salted fish on top, and you stir it yourself, pulling up the crispy, toasty rice from the bottom.

Those crispy bits are the reason to come. Cream called them "just insane" and was on his third or fourth bowl by the end. It ranks below the top of this list only because nasi kandar and fish head curry were even better.

Order: a large salted fish claypot chicken rice for two, and break the salted fish up well. What we paid: about $15 for two, with bok choy, chicken feet soup, and a barley lime. Go: at 4:00 p.m., when the pots start; we waited about 15 minutes, and later diners report up to an hour. Not halal; bring cash. Read our full 168 Claypot Chicken Rice review.

12. Mon Chinese Beef Roti // The Viral Snack That Lives Up to It

⭐ Watch us try Mon Chinese Beef Roti

Mon makes a crispy, pan-fried flatbread rolled around minced beef or chicken, inspired by the cooking of China's Hui Muslims. It's not the roti canai you'd get at a mamak. The shell shatters, there's a soft layer of dough inside, and the beef is strong and savory. "Wow. You have to try this," was Cream's reaction.

The street stall on Jalan Bukit Bintang had a 20-minute line at 9:00 a.m., and the beef sold out twice while we waited. Our tip is to go to one of the mall branches instead, where they make it fresh with little or no line.

Order: one beef and one chicken; the chicken was just as good. What we paid: $2.99 for both, cash at the street stall. Good to know: Mon isn't halal certified.⁶ Read our full Mon Chinese Beef Roti review, and for the mamak kind of roti, see Roti Canai 101.

13. Madam Kwan's // Nasi Lemak in Air Conditioning

⭐ Watch our Madam Kwan's taste test

Madam Kwan's is a sit-down Malaysian restaurant chain, and its Pavilion Kuala Lumpur branch is the most comfortable way to try nasi lemak: air conditioning, table service, and a QR-code menu you order from on your phone. In a city that's hot all year (see when KL is hottest and wettest), that counts for a lot.

The plate comes on a banana leaf with a chunky onion-and-anchovy sambal and a shrimp floss topping we didn't see anywhere else. The curry chicken and beef rendang plates tasted almost like two different meals, and we cleaned both. It's last on this list because it cost about double the local spots, and we liked those more.

Order: nasi lemak with beef rendang or curry chicken, and a sirap bandung. What we paid: RM85–90 (about $20) for two plates and two drinks. Go: at 10:00 a.m.; we were the first table in. Read our full Madam Kwan's review.

The Best Restaurants in KL by Neighborhood

If you're planning your days around one area, here's where each of the 13 sits. Most are a short Grab from Bukit Bintang, where we lived in our apartment at Ceylonz Suites. Our guide to getting around Kuala Lumpur covers Grab, the monorail, and walking.

Area	Restaurants	Good to know
Bukit Bintang	Mon Chinese Beef Roti, Boss Burger (Jalan Alor), Oriental Kopi, and Madam Kwan's (both in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur)	Walkable, and the easiest base for first-timers
Near TRX	Grumpy Bagels	A short ride from Bukit Bintang
Kampung Baru	Line Clear, Nasi Lemak Wanjo	Breakfast; both are close to the Petronas Twin Towers
Chow Kit	Kin Kin, Saddam Nasi Kandar	Noodles for breakfast, nasi kandar for lunch
Pudu	168 Claypot Chicken Rice	Dinner from 4:00 p.m.
Bangsar	Anuar's Fish Head Curry	Grab ride; go at opening
Petaling Jaya	Village Park, Fatty Crab	A trip out: breakfast at one, dinner at the other

Where Should You Eat First?

Start with Line Clear. If you only have one more meal, make it the fish head at Anuar's or a dry chili pan mee at Kin Kin, and if you can spare a morning outside the city, go to Village Park for breakfast. For the dishes themselves, from nasi kandar to roti canai, our list of the must-eat foods in Kuala Lumpur explains what to order and how.

Next Steps for Your Kuala Lumpur Trip

• The must-eat foods in Kuala Lumpur: the dishes behind this list
• The 5 best nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur, ranked
• Roti Canai 101: how to order at a mamak
• Places to stay in Bukit Bintang: where we lived, a short walk from Jalan Alor
• Is Kuala Lumpur worth visiting? Our honest verdict after three months
• The best time to visit Kuala Lumpur, month by month