Choices range from the most exclusive restaurants and hotel dining to the myriad of superb hawker centres, where prices are rock bottom, and coffee shops and fast food outlets.

Local cuisine

Malay, Indian and Chinese is the most popular food in Kuala Lumpur and there are some fantastic dishes to choose from and experience from the top restaurants to the cheapest of hawker stalls. Satay (meat barbecued on skewers) is the most popular Malay speciality, followed by nasi padang (rice and side-dishes), nasi lemak (fish with coconut milk rice), and mee siam (spicy noodles).

Extra charges in restaurants are generally 10 per cent service charge and 5 per cent service tax. Don’t worry about tipping if you are charged these extras.

Jalan Alor is a popular hawker centre, especially in the evenings, where the street is packed with Malaysian-style hawker stalls and there is also a huge range of Chinese eateries. The sit-down restaurants are generally much pricier than the standard hawker stalls.