Welcome to fusion-food paradise. Framed by a cityscape of monolithic skyscrapers that yields to reveal neon-hued streets punctuated by raucous markets, historic temples and colonial mansions, the streets of Malaysia’s kinetic capital are a crossroads of urbanism and ancient history. A city of contrast, KL wears its trade route past proudly on the sleeve of its chef’s whites. Its gastronomic identity – one of boundless variety – is defined by its Malay, Indian and Chinese communities who migrated here back in the 1800s, bringing with them their taste buds and tradition.
Each neighbourhood offers a confluence of culture and cuisine and it sits within striking distance of rainforests and mangroves, with the multicultural city acting as a gastronomic gateway to the rest of Malaysia. Markets form the bedrock of Asian food culture where a slew of superlative hawker stalls sizzle and slice heritage dishes from day to night. Then, you’ve got hot-ticket chef’s tables, refined modern restaurants, slick hotel bars, craft cocktail joints and everything in between. It makes for the perfect balance of authentic culture and modern luxury. With so much to offer, it’s hard to know where to start: a whistle-stop tour is just the ticket, ensuring a bite of it all. Here are the essentials for 50 Hours in KL…
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DAY ONE: Nature walks, noodles and late night food trucks
08:30 KL Forest Eco Park – Bukit Nanas Reserve
Lot 240, Jalan Raja Chulan, Bukit Kewangan, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2020 1606
Take a walk through the jungle in one of KL's many leafy reserves
Kickstart your morning and salve jetlag with a bracing jaunt in an urban jungle. As one of the country’s oldest protected rainforests, listed in 1906, it comes loaded with history. In the 1800s, during the city’s foundation, a fort sat on the hillside, with the heritage name ‘nanas’ referring to the pineapples planted around it as part of the defences. Today, the verdant thicket branches out over nine hectares, featuring trails amid ancient camphor trees that provide a home for native monkeys and abundant birdlife. Take an opportunity to calibrate your sense of direction on the new canopy walk – the KL Tower and Petronas Towers act as excellent signposts.
09:30 ICC Pudu – Hawker Center
Jalan Kijang, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2111 1111
This one-stop shop is the ideal introduction to the epicurean delights on offer across a KL food scene laden with so many faces even the locals can’t keep track. And it’s a great way to get to grips with the Chinese character of KL, a culinary landscape littered with inflections from Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese, Hakka and Fujian cuisine that interplays and criss-crosses with fluidity. Comprising some 260 humble hawker stands, many of which have been around for generations, it’s as authentic as they come. Pick up a Hainan coffee and keep your eyes peeled on where the lines are forming – usually a reliable indicator of what’s good. From ginger wine noodles (mee halia) and char sui curry to chicken buns, yong tau foo (tofu stuff with minced meats and vegetables), and popaih spring rolls, they’ve got you covered. For something sweet look for nyonya kueh cakes and the charcoal egg tarts at Bunn Choon – made the same way for 120 years.
11:00 Merdeka Square
Jalan Raja, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur 
Take a walk around Merdeka Square's grounds, including the former cricket green of the Royal Selangor club
You wouldn’t know it on first glance, but cricket matches used to be played on the green of this sweeping square. Flanked by heritage buildings, the large gathering point west of the river is an essential stop that offers a moment’s reflection. Merdeka translates as ‘independence’, and it was here, in August 1957, that the country emerged from colonial rule. Splicing what was once called the Padang (literally: field), a 95m flagpole – one of the world’s tallest – takes pride of place. Added bonus: a visit puts you a stone’s throw from the likes of Kuala Lumpur City Gallery – complete with its oh-so Instagrammable “I love KL” sculpture.
12:00 Masjid Jamek Mosque
Jalan Tun Perak, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2691 2829
Sitting at the confluence of the two rivers that shaped the city of Kuala Lumpur – the Gombak and the Klang – this airy architectural marvel is one of the city’s oldest mosques. Poised on the site of an old Malay burial ground, the Moorish-meets-Mughal design – all intricate archways, elaborate carvings and pinpoint minarets – by Arthur Benison Hubback, the man responsible for KL’s old railway station – is reason enough to visit. Add to that the bazaar that pitches up outside and you’ve got a real snapshot of local colour.
14:00 Park Grill
Ground Floor, Naza Tower, Platinum Park, Persiaran KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur
+60 18-288 0060
Park Grill's dishes, such as the grilled octopus with peri-peri aioli, give diners a taste of Europe in KL
Time to fuel up. Close to the lush KLCC Park this upmarket, moody-hued steakhouse sits on the ground level of the Naza Tower, marked out by a rotating European-style entrance. Centred around a Josper grill, the menu sees many a flame-licked dish. It’s an elegant space that sees service follow the traditional fine-dining route – formal yet friendly, plenty of attention to detail – and steaks come in more cuts than can be counted. For something truly decadent, order the gold-leaf Tomahawk, basted in Wagyu fat and topped with caviar and white truffle.
15:00 Brickfields – Little India
Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
Had it not been for the migrant workers who flocked here for the country’s booming tin mines in the mid 1800s, this vibrant enclave would look very different. Sitting southwest of the city centre, Brickfields is a thriving district – and the oldest Little India in Malaysia – marked by a candy-hued fountain that manifests in a warren of equally colourful streets laced with textile stalls, jewellers, sari shops, spice stands and food vendors galore. And while the name comes from the style of building material used in the area, rest assured, there’s plenty more charm on show including Hindu temples replete with symbolic sculptures in pastel colourways that look plucked straight from a box of art supplies. Follow your nose to the Jalan Tun Sambanthan flower stalls, where you’ll find vendors weaving fragrant jasmine and bright chrysanthemums into garlands.
15:30 Brickfields Pisang Goreng – Fried Banana
21-19, Jalan Thambipillay, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
+60 12-617 2511
Starting to feel peckish? You’re well-served in these parts with plenty of low-key eating houses rolling out the likes of dhals, punchy veg medleys and curries – biryani is the favourite – along with flavourful Sri Lankan hoppers. But for a truly iconic pitstop to help see you through to supper, make a move to this umbrella-shaded snack stall serving pisang goreng: fried banana.
16:00 Ah Keong’s ABC & Cendol Stall
21A, Jalan Padang Belia, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
+60 12-319 6656
Ais kacang is a shaved ice treat that's popular across Malaysia, and comes in a wide range of colours and topping variations
If there’s one thing Asian hawker culture has taught us, when you see a vendor concentrating on a flagship dish, you know you’re onto good thing. On the scene for 60 years, make like the locals and meet the husband-and-wife team behind this Brickfields favourite to learn the art of ABC: air batu campur – literally, mixed ice. Don’t be put off by its green tinge, it’s all courtesy of the heady pandan leaf used to flavour it.
17:00 Thean Hou Temple
65, Persiaran Endah, Taman Persiaran Desa, 50460 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2274 7088
A relatively young Chinese temple featuring bold, architecture and vibrant designways developed from the traditional cornerstones of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Sitting proud on Robson Heights, every inch offers something of note, and the tallest levels come with great city vistas, the temple rooftop acting as a frame for the city below. Look out for regulars practicing tai chi within the compound grounds.
18:00 Dewakan
Level 48, Skyviews, Naza Tower, Platinum Park, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, 50088
+60 12-789 6720
Dining at Dewakan comes with a spectacular view of KL's glowing skyline
In Kuala Lumpur’s ever-competitive restaurant scene, you need to go some to stand out from the crowd. Enter Dewakan. Perched on the 48th floor of the Naza Tower – with a panorama of the Petronas Towers to boot – a bang on-trend approach to native ingredients leads at this fine-diner par excellence. The name translates as ‘food from god’, and on the pass progressive chef Darren Teoh treats produce with due reverence and on-the-pulse technique across dishes influenced by his childhood and the family of cooks he was born into. Expect an accessible celebration of the country’s bounty from the mountains to the sea. Across 13-or-so courses, that might include salted mackerel broth with bamboo shoots, dumplings filled with duck tongue and ubi kemili (an indigenous potato) or bambangan sorbet (a type of wild mango endemic to Borneo) with chocolate crémeux. A pared-back aesthetic – minimalist wooden tables, clean lines – allows Teoh’s pretty presentation to shine. It’s a winning formula that saw it place No.50 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022.
19:30 Nadodi
Lot 183, 1st Floor, Jalan Mayang, Kampung Baru, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2181 4334
In a nutshell: high-end Indian fare reimagining forgotten ingredients across a vibrant degustation menu. It’s a coming together of modern technique and heritage foodways united under the banner of ‘engaging nomadic cuisine’. Rooted in Kerala’s tribal movements across the one-time land bridge that unified southern India and northern Sri Lanka, creative flair and painstaking attention to detail is at the fore as age-old dishes are brought bang up to date. Undulating from authentic snacks – see, corn fritters pie tee and chicken sunty – to fresh water prawns with sweet and sour ambarelle espuma and ginger flower gel or Malabar duck mappas with tapioca mash to murukku mousse and chai ice cream, you’re in for a tasty ride.
21:30 Coley
6-G, Jalan Abdullah, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur
+60 19-270 9179
KL’s bar scene is ever on the up. Planting it firmly on the global cocktail map are the likes of Coley, which has graced Asia’s 50 Best Bars list for a number of years. It’s situated west of Brickfields, just outside of the city centre in Bangsar, a neighbourhood known for its array of watering holes. Craft spirits, cool collabs and exciting guest shifts are the lifeblood here. Innovative founder CK Kho named the bar after Ada Coleman, who, in the early 1900s came up with the iconic Hanky Panky at London’s The Savoy. Irreverent tipples on his list look at the classics through a modern lens (see the Saffron Sour) and Malaysian palate (the ‘Koktel’ section plays on kopitiam culture).
23:00 Junglebird
15 Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2011 5715
Sip on a lauded tropical libation inside Junglebird's bamboo clad bar
This regular on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list has been a key player in lifting Kuala Lumpur to libation nation status since its launch in 2017. Named after a cocktail crafted at the city’s Aviary Bar, it was the KL’s first bar dedicated to all things rum. Today, there’s a rolling list of over 100 globetrotting varieties lining the back bar, from small-batch Haitian agricoles to Jamaica’s high-ester long ferments. Plump for the stellar rum flight, pick from a list of twisted mainstays and modern craft pours, or perhaps try their home-brewed grog blend.
00:00 Brader John Burger Stall
Jalan SS 21/58, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur
+60 12-694 4154
For a midnight snack on the move, Brader John is the ultimate savoury stop gap. The eponymous John has been manning the grill for a decade, selling out some 200 burgers a day at his stall before moving to a bona fide food truck that gives the movie Chef a run for its money. The flagship burger sees two thin patties smashed together with mustard and chilli powder and enveloped by a crêpe-thin omelette-like fried egg and topped with cheese before being stuffed into a crisp bun and drenched in mayo and homemade barbecue sauce.
DAY TWO: Spicy sambal, superb sushi and sustainable sips
08:30 Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur
145 Jalan Ampang, Golden Triangle, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2382 8888
Wake up to the appeal of this contemporary city pad, perched adjacent to the KLCC Park. As is the Four Seasons way, no detail has been spared and nothing is too much trouble. Treading a finely-balanced line between home comfort and modern sophistication, wake up swaddled in a blanket of calm luxury – sleek, neutral-tone rooms come bathed in natural light, with textural wallpaper, chaise lounges and leather accents. Elsewhere, inviting communal areas flow from serene and elegant to vibrant and buzzy – head to the seventh floor for a refreshing dip in an infinity pool that comes with staggering skyscraper views. Located in the Golden Triangle area, it’s an ideal jumping off point.
09:00 Nasi Lemak Wanjo
8, Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Baru, 50300 Kuala Lumpur
+60 11-6336 1963
Grab a teh tarik (Malaysian pulled milk tea) hot or cold to eat with your breakfast
Start the day as you mean to go on: this long-standing cafeteria is a true insider’s spot, where rice is king and deft attention is given to every grain. Of Malay origins, the bedrock of the namesake dish comprises aromatic coconut-milk rice tickled with pandan, served alongside a boiled egg, cucumber, ikan bilis (crispy fried anchovies), crunchy peanuts and a generous slick of emblematic sambal. While it’s considered the national dish, each restaurant has own signature approach – but to try it at Wanjo is a rite of passage.
10:00 A Little Farm On The Hill
Lot 161 Tanarimba, Persiaran Enderong, Kampung Janda Baik, 28750 Bentong, Pahang
+60 9-233 0194
A short hop to the edge of the city brings you to Janda Baik, which clings to the hillside in a swathe of forested greenery. It’s here you’ll discover this special little organic farm. The produce-rich smallholding was set up a decade ago by a husband-and-wife team, filmmaker Pete Teo and architect Lisa Ngan, as a hobby farm and refuge from the stresses of urban life. But things soon took off. Today, alongside supplying fruit, veg and herbs from their 30-plus crops to some of KL’s key kitchens (including Dewakan), it’s host to a superlative farm-to-table restaurant serving gourmet lunches. What’s on offer depends on the season, but dishes take an international spin – think curry leaf tzatziki and not-to-be-misssed home-smoked beef short ribs. Cooking classes, gardening courses and yoga retreats are also on the cards as the team’s quest to enrich people’s lives and support the local community pushes on.e
14:00 Sambal Hijau Restaurant
2990, Jalan Sungai Penchala, Kampung Sungai Penchala, 60000 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-7731 2045
Hijau's grilled fish is served with rice and sambal, a fiery chilli paste frequently used in Malaysian cuisine
Jostle the local lunchtime throng at Sambal Hijau to paw over the buffet-style litany of over 60 traditional Malay dishes lined up like mahjong tiles at the counter. The main attraction is the myriad grilled and barbecued fish, along with beef soup, rendang curries and spicy asam edas (fish stews).
18:00 Hide KL
Concourse, Ritz-Carlton Residences, 105 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
+60 13-203 3627
It’ll come as little surprise to discover that this concise chef’s table is tucked away deceivingly down a non-descript hallway puckered with just a few pieces of art in the Ritz-Carlton Residences. The speakeasy-approach is perhaps best – push the painting to gain access – as there are only a handful of seats to lay claim to. They’re set around a curving marble counter with all eyes pointing to the open kitchen. Rolling with the seasons, chef Shaun Ng’s 13-course menu speaks the vernacular of modern fine dining. Global influence; exemplary service; artistic plating; experiential and quirky elements; high design. Malaysian influence is of course in evidence, as is Ng’s attraction to seafood. Surprising dishes like ‘T-Rex’ – a dino-shaped sandwich of sorts with wafer-thin pastry and cured trout – prove that style and substance can live in harmony. Elsewhere you might find air-dried duck with sunchoke purée or a hot pot of mud crab chawanmushi with truffle, before a sweet note of kueh kapit – a thin crêpey biscuit – with hits of lime, banana and mint. A hip-hop soundtrack solidifies Hide’s ultra-cool status.
19:00 River of Life
Jalan Benteng, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
Part historic waterway, part regeneration project, part aquatic art installation, this fascinating spot stretches out like the top of the letter ‘Y’ to shroud Masjid Jamek Mosque. By day, its fountains and jets emit a misty cloud, but you’ll find it at its best after dusk, when the water sparkles with an ocean-blue neon light show backed to music. Koi swim beneath the waterline and along the café-rich banks the riverside buildings are daubed in murals. The location makes it a good pick for those keen to dip in to the nearby Perdana Botanical Garden, Chow Kit and Art Market.
20:00 Sushi Masa by Ishibashi
Lot 1-03, First Floor, Menara Hap Seng, 3, Jalan P. Ramlee, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
+60 11-1466 9374
Watch world-class sushi prepared right in front of you by chef Ishibashi
Following on from chef Masakazu Ishibashi’s lauded Edomae-style restaurant in Toyko, Sushi Masa brings the intricate 200-year tradition to Kuala Lumpur’s bustling centre. Close to the KL Tower, this unique treatment of sushi is revealed over an intimate multi-course extravaganza allowing guests to watch the master at work, with dishes skilfully prepared right before your eyes. A calming wood-clad dining room provides the setting. This is somewhere where precision knives are part of the decoration and the baskets on the counter play a role of function as much as form. Only the highest-quality ingredients are used, with the omakase approach seeing the chef pick and choose dishes as at their best each day. Examples? Fresh nigiri and tuna belly; hairy crab with ikaura risotto; botan ebi (sweet soy-marinated shrimp) with caviar and egg yolk; seared umami-rich kinmedai; abalone in a liver sauce; cold corn soup – the list is endless. Ever-changing and ever-exciting.
21:00 Saloma Bridge
Saloma Link, Lorong Raja Muda Musa 3, Kampung Baru, 50300 Kuala Lumpur
Saloma Bridge is unmissable at night, often illuminated in the colours of the Malaysian flag
In the shadow of the imposing Petronas Towers, this modern pedestrian link bridge furls like fish scales over the River Klang, connecting the old-world charm of Kampang Baru – with its old stilted wooden houses and rural edge – to the hyper-modern city centre and its gleaming skyscapers. Its presence speaks volumes of the city’s hybrid identity. Passing through is like walking under stained glass – though at night, it’s illuminated to kaleidoscopic standards, acting as a photogenetic drawer to travellers from near and far.
21:30 Bar Trigona
Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur, 145 Jalan Ampang, Golden Triangle, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2382 8670
A regular on the Asia's 50 Best Bars annual ranking, Bar Trigona's cocktails are not to be missed
Proof that KL’s drinks culture is the gift that keeps on giving, Bar Trigona sits in a league of its own. The cognoscenti come for its locally inspired, ingredient-forward cocktails. Resplendent on the sixth floor of the Four Seasons hotel, the opulent, gilded atmosphere is mere bonus. A high-flyer on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, pours have sustainability in their DNA. Head bartender Shadrach ‘Shawn’ Shan’s menu champions indigenous produce driven by its namesake – the Trigona bee, whose coveted honey is produced at the bar’s very own farm. You’ll find it flitting evergreen on the list, alongside the likes of wild turmeric, kedondong (a unique sort of green plum) and locally grown farm-to-glass chocolate and figs. Ethical producers and up-to-date techniques like vertical farming are the bedrock. But there’s also an interesting play on the ancient method of clay-pot aging at work – something used for the signature Red Bird, which sees a trio of rums (butter-washed, dark and infused) muddled with homemade oolong wine and Trigona honey. A concise bar menu backs it all – think Malaysian caviar, brisket sliders and regional cheeseboards.
22:30 Dragonfly Kuala Lumpur
Level 50, Naza Tower, Platinum Park, Persiaran KLCC, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
From flashy rooftop bars and smart lounges to thumping underground clubs, KL’s nightlife runs the full gamut. The city centre may play corporate by day, but after hours it’s a whole different story, so get ready to get down. Dragonfly majors in catering to every musical leaning, serving up everything from fun-filled nights of Nineties R&B, to platforming local DJs and booming out new-wave hip hop and world-renowned EDM like it’s going out of fashion. Bringing it in hot from the decks is a cutting-edge sound system, while the design – gallery-like ceiling light show, abundant wood, marble tables – feels more swanky bar than den of iniquity. Poised 50 storeys up on the top of the slick Naza Tower, knockout views provide a backdrop to the good-time vibes as the neon sign gracing the walls invites you to ‘lose yourself to dance’. On the drinks front, a surprisingly good wine list and chill lounge are added extras.
01:00 Wong Ah Wah
No 1-9, Jalan Alor, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2144 2463
You’re in nighthawk territory now and this streetside Chinese joint in the buzzy Jalan Alor night market is a key waypoint. Beloved by regulars, it’s grown from a low-key stall to a dining hall that runs the length of five shops on what’s locally known as ‘Glutton Road’. Expect no-frills, all-flavour pleasures. The barbecue chicken wings – cooked in their hundreds over flames fanned by hand – are famous: super smoky, charred and cloaked in a sticky chilli sauce that’ll have you licking your fingers with abandon, but it would be amiss to ignore the rest of the menu. Grab your friends, order up a few plates and get picking. Umami-rich battered salted egg squid. Fleshy, fragrant kam heong lala. Hokkien mee bursting with wok hei – that emblematic patina of the wok that infuses everything it touches. They’re all accounted for. Inside, it’s old-school all the way: opt for the open-air section for the best vibe.
DAY THREE: Street markets, kopitiams and ultra-modern food halls
08:00 Petaling Street Market
Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
No visit to KL would be complete without immersing yourself in the brouhaha of this Chinatown stalwart. Inaugurated in the mid-19th century and originally centred on a tapioca mill, early morning sees the bustle of the wet market in full swing. Hanging lanterns and a gold-scripted archway mark your arrival, along with the intoxicating scent and smoke of bak kut teh (pork bone tea), yong tau foo and ikan bakar (barbecued fish) that hangs thickly in the sultry Malaysian air. Popular with locals and visitors alike, along the labyrinthine backstreets, tea shops prepare their signature brews with deference to tradition, while vendors selling flowers, flea-market staples and all manner of edible culture are poised ready to haggle. There’s something for every palate – listen for the call of Jemputlah rasa (come and taste), and follow your nose as you pad the red-tiled sidewalks, sampling as you go. A visit to the Kim Soya Bean stall for sweet tau fu fa (soy bean pudding with ginger or black sugar) and people watching is mandatory.
09:00 Lai Foong Kopitiam
138, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
+60 3-2072 8123
Lai Foong's lala beehoon (clam noodle soup) is just one of the vendor's many lauded dishes
Don’t let the monikier ‘kopitiam’ (a Malay-Chinese ‘coffee shop’), deceive you, you’re here for the steaming-hot bowls of cooked-to-order noodles. Look for the sorbet-shade facade and line slinking from this long-standing bricks and mortar hawker-style joint – a five-minute saunter from both Petaling and Central Market – and you’ll know you’re in the right place. Founded in 1956 and run by the same family for three generations, it’s lauded for its fine line in beef noodles. Pick your meat – from tender, lean slivers and meatballs, to the more divisive tendon, intestines and tripe – then sit back and watch as the maestros tend to the stoves – an expert toss here, a shake there – with the satisfying click clack of utensils your soundtrack. It’s served up in a heady soy-laced broth with chunky noodles providing bite, and pickled vegetables cleansing along the way. Elsewhere, lala (clams) noodles are a welcome ode to the ocean – nourishing, brackish and rich with ginger and moreish beehoon noodles. Creeping across two dinning spaces, aim for the corner room for ultimate atmosphere. Go early, arrive hungry, leave happy.
10:00 REXKL – Creative Hub
80, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
+60 11-2600 4808
Coming full circle, round off an epicurean adventure at this plugged-in community hub whose modus operandi is to nurture the city’s culinary up-and-comers. Housed in what was the landmark Rex Theatre, the tree-framed heritage building is now home to stores, workshops, and most importantly, a lively food hall – The Back Ground. Expect a modern array of dining options that globe-trot their way from Japan to Mexico, the US to Italy. Whether it’s a coffee hit, snack or three-courser you’re after, the cool space – all raw brick and clean, industrial lines – has you covered, with plenty of chef collabs in the diary to keep your eye on, too. Our order? The spicy sambal ribs and lard rice from purveyors of pork, Ticklish will live on long in the memory.
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