I’m a relatively new member of the SoyaCincau staff, and I was pleased to find out that almost everyone in the team are foodies, like me. Killing two birds with one stone, I decided to ask each staff member for recommendations of their favourite food joints around the Klang Valley, while also getting to know them a little better.
Then, I thought, why not compile them all into a handy-dandy list that everyone can also use if they can’t decide on what to eat. After all, the hardest question to answer is always “what’s for lunch?”. On top of that, I thought that it would be a cool way to also get the word out on local food businesses who have been hit hard during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
With that in mind, here’s a list of some of our favourite local restaurants and/or food recommendations we think you should check out. I’ve also included all the relevant links to help you get the food from the menu into your belly, and support these businesses too!
I recommend For Goodness Cakes in Bangsar. Locally run and owned by two friendly aunties who’ve created lots of fusion western/asian food like smoked duck pasta. Like the name suggests, they also bake great cakes where you can buy pieces at a time but you can also order in advance. The best part is that they will give you the friendliest service that will make you feel right at home.
Best food to order: Their smoked duck pasta or any of their cakes
Despite how amusing I found a shawarma restaurant literally calling themselves ‘Shawarma Restaurant’, I have to say it’s actually genius. I only discovered them in the list of GrabFood options available around my rather secluded Cheras location, and I was glad to know what the restaurant specialised right off the bat.
Even though I think they make most of their money selling affordable kebab sandwiches to students in UCSI, their food is nothing but legit and hassle-free. They also give you plenty of bread when you order hummus that you won’t even need to order that much. But don’t get me started on how good the hummus is. I’ll never buy store-brand hummus again.
Best food to order: Definitely get their hummus, but they surprisingly have their own version of a Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich—which isn’t bad at all.
I’d say that the first locally-run place that springs to mind is Mom’s Place, which is located in Damansara Perdana. They serve authentic Nyonya cuisine, but be warned: indulge yourself too much on the incredibly spicy food, and you’ll be spending the entire next morning regretting your overconfidence. The place is run by a Malaysian family, and they’ve been around for ages. Pricing can be on the high side, but honestly, I haven’t found better, or spicier Nyonya food IMO (I’m a quarter Nyonya, so I am clearly very qualified to make this judgement).
Best food to order: Cencaru Fish with Petai, Portuguese Devil Curry Chicken
Ooi Noodle House is a… noodle house in SS15, Subang Jaya. It’s run by a middle-aged couple, and there’s only a single dish on the menu: Pork Noodles. Before the MCO, the restaurant was famous for the long waits—and the Pork Noodles too, of course. The chef cooks each bowl of noodles individually, which is probably why it’s the best pork noodles around the Klang Valley to me—the broth is the best part! And please, ask for an egg to be dropped into your noodles.
Best food to order: Well, there’s only one dish. Pork Noodles!
Located in TTDI Jaya, it is value for money and the place has fast service because they only serve only one type of food. Some even say that the owner of the place is an apprentice of the legendary Kak Wok from Kelantan.
Best food to order: It’s pretty obvious.
The peanut sauce is super good, and the portion size is big. They also have cendol, which contains less instant coconut milk so the taste is better. The service is also pretty fast.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of a residential neighbourhood, DeCanter offers a good mix of western and asian food. It is a family friendly restaurant with ample room and seating even during a busy period like lunch or dinner. There is also a nice patio on the second floor if you want to enjoy a private dinner under the evening sky. The menu doesn’t change very often but if you can’t decide whether you want a beef stroganoff or nasi lemak, you can have both right here.
Best food to order: Shepard’s pie
If you are craving for wood-fired pizza then Pizza Mansion is the place to go to. The dough is made fresh every day and the moment you enter the shop you can smell the fresh aroma of pizzas baking in the oven.Their classic pizzas include Say Cheese (a four cheese vegetarian friendly pizza), Holy Pepperoni, Pineapple Express and Carbonara. Add on a classic mac & cheese along with some garlic to top off a truly satisfying meal. There is also a selection of craft beef that goes well with pizza after a long day.
Best food to order: Big Brunch
This is a small stall that sells Kampua mee, a dish from Sibu and it’s operated by two senior couples. As a person from Sibu, Sarawak, personally I think they make the best Kampua mee and Pien Nyuk (soft skin dumplings with pork fillings) and they also serve Sarawak Laksa which is similar to what I get at home. With the MCO, they can’t accept dine-in and they are strictly for takeaways only. Unfortunately, they are not on any delivery platform.
Best food to order: Kampua mee
I think this is the most efficient BLR (banana leaf rice) restaurant ever. On normal days there are huge lines but once it’s your turn, they move like clockwork with its efficient staff. The food is great and it is the service that sets them apart. Unfortunately, it seems that they are not on any delivery platform and I think it would be tough for them to sustain their workforce.
Best food to order: You can’t go wrong with BLR
I like spicy food, and here, they serve fusion Indonesian cuisine which includes various choices of sambal with rice and instant noodles. Portion wise, you won’t be disappointed. They will serve so much food, it may make your stomach extra full.
Best food to order: If you crave spicy food, try their signature ayam geprek—the spice level is insane. It is really superb. I’ll also recommend to try their nasi sambal ijo petai, which is suitable for those who want spicy food, but not too spicy. For those who don’t eat spicy food at all, try their salted egg chicken.
If you want local food that is served like fast food, you can give this a try. They serve food in sets, and there are four set listed in their menu. Most of them are spicy but it will satisfied you once you try it.
Best food to order: Nasi Ayam Goyang Bali, Nasi Sup Kambing and Nasi Daging Salai Masak Lemak.
They are best known for their cakes and pastries, and the best part is that they are resonantly priced. They also serve a bunch of asian and western dishes such as chicken cordon bleu and nasi lemak. One of my favourite dishes to order is their mushroom soup. It’s served in a bowl made of bread and it is super filling.
Best food to order: Lemon meringue pie, mushroom soup
The Merchant’s Lane is located around Petaling Street. They serve hand-crafted teas and coffees as well as fusion-style meals and desserts. The food is good, but the main reason why I love this place its because of its ambiance. The tables and chairs are mostly made out from rattan and you can see pots of plants everywhere. Overall, its a really cozy and nice environment to have your meals.
Best food to order: Italian chow mien, The Mistress
I usually would eat a lot of fast food, but I wanted to change my eating habits so I ordered a lot of pokebowls. Raywen introduced me to this place, and I prefer this over the other pokebowl places because but this one has the biggest portion. It has a nice sauce to rice ration.
Best food to order: I would usually get the basic fuel bowl, but I’d ask for no almonds and corn (that’s just a personal preference).
I’m more of a rice and curry guy. Their dishes are very nice.
Best food to order: Onion curry and fish head curry
For me, I dont really like the other banana leaf rice places around the same area because of the price. It’s quite a different when you compare them. I only go here for my BLR.
Best food to order: Crab curry
I’m a sucker for ramen and Tomo, well Tomo’s pretty special. The small shop sits in a corner in Damansara Utama (same row as The Good Batch) and it serves some of the best ramen I’ve had in KL. Cozy aesthetic aside, the restaurant doesn’t have the most extensive menu, and that’s actually something I consider a strength.
There are two main broth options—Miso Soymilk and Tonkotsu—with a few topping variations each, plus a couple of “specialty” bowls. My personal favourite is the Tonkotsu X which has springy noodles in a 20-hour pork bone broth, chashu, nori and a few other ramen topping staples. The broth packs a punch when it comes to flavour, but it isn’t too heavy on the palate so it’s not cloying in the way some tonkotsus can be.
The Miso Soymilk on the other hand is not a broth base you’d find in many ramen shops, and it’s delicious. The broth is rich with a little bit of sweetness that gives you a very different experience to that of the tonkotsu. Expect to pay ~RM30 for a bowl of ramen.
I’d credit this place, and Vernon Chan, for getting me into pour-over coffee—specifically, the V60 drip. Before that point, I never understood it when “coffee people” say that a particular cup/bean was “fruity”, or something ridiculous like that. I mean, it was coffee right? And we all know that coffee doesn’t taste like an apple.
Until I had my first sip of one of OneHalf’s V60 pour-overs and it was…well, fruity. Suddenly, I stopped pouring milk into my coffee. I stopped ordering flat whites and lattes. I just could not stomach milk in my coffee anymore because every cup since that first cup I’ve been trying to find that flavour again. And yeah, I’ve had a bunch of amazing coffees since but I’ll always remember that first cup. Because without it, I wouldn’t have had all the others and that’s not something you can experience every day.
However, it’s expensive. Expect to pay ~RM20 per cup, but I think it’s worth every sen.
This is my go-to restaurant for my Malay food fix. Co-founded and run by two friends—Siti and Shareen, Siti Li dishes out Malay favourites like Laksa Johor, Mee Siam, Nasi Tomato, and Ayam Masak Merah. They also serve an assortment of local kuih. Their cekodok is to die for. They’re on the premium size of the spectrum but, expect top-quality ingredients and servings. Their family sets are actually exceptional value.
Best food to order: Laksa Johor and cekodok
Run by the dynamic duo of Pete & Jo, this outlet is one of my favourites in the Taman Desa/Old Klang Road area. Part cafe, part private dining restaurant, this joint serves an assortment of handmade cakes and bread, and a good repertoire of brunch/lunch offerings including big breakfast, pastas, sandwiches, bagels, salads, and pizzas.
Best food to order: My all-time favourite is the grilled cheese sandwich (if you’re nice to Jo, she’ll slip in some bacon) and Jalapeno bread (do buy a loaf home). Not to be missed is also the Pandan Gula Melaka cake.
Among the best nasi lemak in the Klang Valley. My favourite lauk is paru goreng. Their rice is always fluffy and their sambal is not too watery—it has the right amount of spice and sweetness. The price is a bit more expensive compared to roadside nasi lemak, but not like in a restaurant.
Best food to order: Nasi Lemak Paru, Sambal Lebih
The best place to eat cendol for me is always by a food truck stopped on roadside. Cendol Wahab started as a lorry beside Sri Rampai Lake and now they have a shop in a building across the same lake.
They have a lot of different cendol to choose like with ice cream, jackfruit and even durian. But I always have the redbean one because it’s sweeter. Sometimes I ask to add glutonous rice. If I’m really hungry, I will get mee rojak as well.
Best food to order: Cendol Pulut Kacang Merah + Mee Rojak
If you have a hankering for simple and authentic Malay dishes, give Lubuk Bangku a try. Nestled in an unassuming house lot in Bangsar, Lubuk Bangku serves up some of the best home-cooked Malay dishes I’ve ever had. It’s nothing fancy but it’s comfy, hearty home-cooked food, served fresh.
Best food to order: Sambal terung, telur masak kicap and daging salad masak lemak cili api
This is another unexpected find. Located along Jalan Sungai Tua in Batu Caves, come here if your looking for puffy Malay-style roti canai cooked over a charcoal fire. They have a variety of Malay kuih and other dishes too, like nasi lemak and mihun goreng which are good too but I always come for the roti canai.
Best food to order: Roti canai
This restaurant is located out of town so you might want to try it if you’re up for a road trip. Located along Jalan Mat Kilau in Pekan Kuala Kubu Bharu, this rustic kopitiam serves all the regular kopitiam fares but the reason why I come here is the Hainanese chicken chop.
It’s a simple dish served up with eggs, pan-friend onions and the restaurant’s special. Just the right fix after a long drive.
Must try: Hainanese chicken chop. Ask for extra onions!
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