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Malaysia has a reputation for amazing cheap tasty food. If you are looking for cheap and nice food in KL. in 2026 – this is the guide you. We have tried to recommend a variety of different food places to reflect the diversity of food available in KL.
All of the places that we recommend in this article offer cheap and nice food in KL. We have listed the places in order of roughly increasing prices. We have also tried to keep our recommendations relatively close to the centre of KL for your convenience.
And to help you navigate the cheap and nice food in KL we have also included a map with each of these places.
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Map of the BEST places for cheap and nice food in KL
Here are some of the best places for cheap and nice food in KL
1 Petaling street market food
Petaling walking street is sometimes referred to as Chinatown in KL. This is a great area for cheap and nice food in KL. Our first recommendation is a street food market just off Petaling walking Street. We have marked the exact location on the map to help you find it. The street food stalls tend to be open in the morning so this is your best breakfast spot.
We would particularly recommend the Chinese sweet soup stall here (desserts). They sell a range of interesting flavour soups. For example, you can get black sesame soup, peanut soup, ginkgo biloba soup and much more. The staff up the street food stalls are super friendly and the prices are delightfully cheap. Expect to pay around 4 or 5 ringgit for a bowl of delicious soup.
Nearby you can also find famous dishes such as Chee Cheong Fun (with famous KL red sauce), Peanut Waffles and Chicken Rice. Don’t miss the famous Petaling Street Muah Chee.
This is a sweet chewy treat made from steamed glutinous rice dough shaped into balls and coated with a dry mix of crushed peanuts, sugar and sesame. The rice is also flavoured with different fruits. This is genuinely one of the best areas for cheap and nice food in KL.
You can find some street food stalls here in the evening too, however the options are slightly more limited.
Price range: 3 -10 ringgits
Opening hours: 7am -11am
2 Yusoof Dan Zakhir (Central Market Indian)
If you are looking for cheap and nice food in KL don’t miss the amazing Indian food available at Yusoof Dan Zakhir. This nasi kandar place is located in front of Central Market. This wonderful cheap restaurant serves a range of different foods throughout the day. They start early in the morning and close late in the evening. In the morning you can buy different types of roti. This is fried bread served with curries like dahl. Later in the day they serve a range of different curries and rice. In the afternoon you can also get Tandoori and naan breads here. This is some of the most affordable food in KL.
Expect to pay around 5 or 6 ringgit for a chicken dish. Expect to pay between 5 and 10 ringgit for a portion of curry. Roti Chennai normally costs around 2 or 3 ringgits. Drinks also cost around 2 or 3 ringgit. It is easy to have a very filling and satisfying meal here, including drinks, for under 15 ringgits (approximately £3 or $4). This really is one of the best places for cheap and nice food in KL. Don’t miss the roti tissue available here. Roti Tissue is a very large thin bread which is rolled into a giant cone. They normally serve it with sweet condensed milk poured over it. The bread is thin, crispy and brittle. To eat it, you break small pieces off or just shove the whole thing in your mouth.
Price range: 2-10 ringgits per dish
Opening hours: 6am -9pm
3 Bala’s banana leaf
Balla’s banana leaf is not located in Central KL but due to the unique and interesting food available here we thought it would be worth a mention.
Banana leaf is a traditional South Indian dish. Rice and a range of curries and pickles are served on the large piece of banana leaf. They will normally throw in a poppadom or two. A banana leaf set does not normally include any fish or meat dishes. You normally order additional curries with your choice of meat or fish to add to your banana leaf set. Traditionally banana leaf is eaten using your hands rather than using cutlery. However this can be messy especially if you have never tried to do this before. They will always offer to give you cutlery if you need it.
Bala’s banana leaf serves some very unique and interesting dishes. Don’t miss the Thosai flavored and coloured with rose petals. This gives the Thosai a striking and beautiful pink colour and a distinct rose flavor. It also makes for a great Insta shot too!
Price range: 5 – 10 ringgits per dish
Opening hours: 8am – 8pm
4 Ho Kow Hainam Kopitam
This is one of the more famous and popular places to eat in KL. As a result it can be pretty busy here. The Ho Kow Hainam Kopitam is a cafe serving traditional Chinese breakfast. The menu includes things like toast, eggs, chee cheong fun and noodles.
They also serve a range of drinks including the classic Malaysian Kopi (coffee) and tea. It is really interesting to see how traditional East Asian breakfast has many resemblances to Western breakfasts. The preparation of toast and eggs seems to be very similar to the traditional Continental style breakfast.
However, you will notice a range of differences as well. We actually love the popularity of this cafe, it gives it a great buzz and vibe. So we really wanted to include this in a list of the best places for cheap and nice food in KL.
Price range: 2 – 10 ringgits per dish
Opening hours: 7am – 3pm (closed on mondays)
5 Old China Cafe
If you are looking for cheap and nice food in KL for a real cultural and historical experience try the old China cafe located near Petaling Street. This is not the cheapest food in KL but it is well worth a visit if you get the chance. The old China cafe serves traditional Chinese and Nonya cuisine. The cafe is very beautifully decorated with traditional art work, antique ornaments and a pair of Feng Shui mirrors – on opposite walls to symbolize perpetual good luck.
On the menu they have dishes such as Pie Tee, Beef Rendang, Nasi Lemak and Nonya Laksa. The old China cafe is one of the oldest cafes in Kuala Lumpur. For such a beautiful and prestigious venue, this place is surprisingly cheap. The old China cafe may not be as cheap as street food in KL but they could also charge a lot more here.
Price range: 10 – 30 ringgits per dish
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm
6 Bunn Choon Dim Sum
Bunn Choon is a bakery and dim sum restaurant. The bakery is located downstairs. It is possible to buy traditional Chinese Malaysian baked goods such as egg custard tarts and pork buns. They also serve a range of interesting herbal teas to takeaway. It is also possible to dine-in at Bunn Choon. This restaurant has a beautiful seating area upstairs.
However, be aware but the restaurant at Bunn Choon is not cheap. However it is very tasty. They serve a range of traditional dim sum dishes prepared to perfection. We really enjoyed eating at Bunn Choon. If you are only looking for cheap and nice food in KL then we recommend that you stick with the bakery downstairs. If you would like to experience traditional Chinese Dim Sum in KL then we recommend that you take a table upstairs. Dim Sum are small steamed snacks, normally containing shrimp, pork and chicken. They also serve steamed buns (Pau) filled with pork or salted egg yolk custard.
The upstairs seating area is beautifully furnished with ornate decor, art and antique ornaments. We love the way that the Dim Sum is served in a traditional bamboo steaming basket.
Price range: 5 – 15 ringgits per dish
Opening hours: 7.30am – 3.30pm
7 Grab an ice cream
Finally don’t forget to stop for a coconut and Pandan Ice cream at Pandan Republic
If you’re planning to visit Penang don’t miss our IN DEPTH guide on THE BEST places to eat in Penang
