Last month we were lucky enough to spend a night in Kuala Lumpur on our way home from a quick trip to Thailand. We had our plan worked out in advance, we wanted to use our time wisely and this trip was all about eating in Malaysia. So, this is exactly what we did.
We know that eating in Malaysia is like tasting a melting pot of cultures. This is also an affordable city to eat out in, especially when it comes to street food.
The question was how many different foods we could cram into this time and into our bellies! Food is a huge motivation for us when we explore different cities. So it was all about eating in Malaysia like a local!
A few weeks ago, we’d organised to join this very popular food tour in Kuala Lumpur. We love to get away from the tourist track and experience life as the locals do, and this is exactly what we did on this perfect evening.
Eating in Malaysia – Bring it on!
We met our guide at the nominated meeting point, a train station about 7 stops away from the City Centre. Instantly upon meeting our guide Su-Ann as well as the other two guys who had booked this food tour too, we were excited to take our taste buds on a journey.
Su-Ann explained the intended itinerary for the evening. We were going to explore 3 Malay cuisines including Chinese, Indian and Malaysian food tonight. She explained that she would be taking us to local eateries and places that her friends would eat, places that were known for serving authentic food at the right price.
She also asked if we wanted to really try a particular dish of Malaysia to let her know which one and she’d do her best to take us somewhere that served it. I loved this concept, so personal, and options to kind of freestyle the food tour if we liked.
The four of us piled into her car and we drove for about 10 minutes to our first local eating spot. We ate an array of deliciously fresh and steaming hot Malaysian foods in between sipping on ice tea and listening to Su-Ann explain each dish and snack.
You could not take the smile off my face if you tried, I was loving every minute. I especially loved being surrounded by local Malaysians enjoying a night out with friends and families too.
We continued on to a different area of KL and stopped in at an obviously popular outdoor Chinese restaurant that was buzzing with locals. This place was fast-paced and full of character.
The dishes began to come out and we got to taste and try some of the best and most well-known Chinese food available. I loved learning about the small details of adding one secret ingredient or sauce that lifts the whole dish.
Leaving here with a stomach full of goodness, I was determined not to be defeated by slowing down yet. I had been planning a trip here for quite some time and eating in Malaysia was high on my bucket list.
I was here for one night only and my mission was to try as much as I could.
Street food is so exciting to watch being cooked
I commented to Su-Ann that I’d really like to find a good ‘murtabak’ (stuffed pancake) and she suggested to the group as a whole that we could do a little side-trip to the local night markets to find my murtabak and more hawker style foods if we’d like. We were all super keen, so away we went.
The markets were fantastic, and we did find my murtabak. It was delicious.
I was snap happy with my camera asking the local men if I could take pictures of them folding delicious meat-filled pancakes and turning perfectly caramelised chicken satay skewers over coal fires, they were more than happy to smile proudly for the camera.
The smell of spicy pastes and sweet sauces filled the air and I was still in my happy place, although my body was slowly starting to fall into a food coma. C’mon Rach, you’ve been planning on eating in Malaysia for ages, don’t slow down now!
Back into the car and another 15 minutes drive across town, we pulled up at our final foodie stop, Indian! Oh my goodness, this place was delicious.
We ate dahl among other spicy curries with perfectly puffy roti bread to dip it in. A crispy dosa was served to dunk into our curries too. Then came the sweet hoppers, which are delicately wafer thin bowls made from a batter of rice flour, coconut milk, and a few other ingredients.
The filling on the inside is totally up to the chef. Tonight we had sweet hoppers with a lovely rice pudding inside, topped with some caramelised sugar on top.
Our small group with BIG Smiles!
The whole tour was perfectly timed and coordinated with the different food stops and the amount of food we consumed. I finished off the Indian food and seriously couldn’t fit anything else in. We saw so much more of KL tonight and tried some delicious foods that I never even knew about.
Is this what I imagined my trip of eating in Malaysia to be like? Yes, it was. I want to do it all again tomorrow night!
The best part was that Su-Ann dropped us at the front door of our fantastic hotel and it felt like I had just spent an incredible evening with close friends in a city I had previously only scratched the surface of.
Want to eat your way around Kuala Lumpur too? This food tour of Kuala Lumpur is highly recommended if you want a good experience of eating in Malaysia. Happy Eating!
You may also be interested in joining other delicious food experiences in Malaysia below.
TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES
✈️ Flights: Aviasales & CheapOair are the best websites to book cheap flights.
🏨 Accommodation: Booking.com, and Agoda are the top platforms to search for fantastic hotels and accommodation options at the best price.
🏥 Travel Insurance: Don’t forget travel insurance! We recommend SafetyWing and