12 Best Street Food You Must Try in Petaling Street KL - From The Best Muah Chee To Mouth-Watering Hokkien Mee - Klook Travel Blog (2024)

Indulge In KL's Best Local Street Food

A truly Malaysian experience is never complete without food and if you’ve been holed up at home eating home-cooked or delivered meals, it’s time to switch it up. Nothing screams food haven better than one of the best hubs for street food - Petaling Street. Our Malaysian Chinatown is the perfect place to find some of the best local street treats in KL, so here we are sharing some of our favourites!

1. Madam Tang Muah Chee

First on our list is undeniably our all-time favourite snack - muah chee made by Muah Chee Queen herself, Madam Tang. These glutinous rice balls coated with peanuts are a fun treat to chew on as you walk around Petaling Street. You can easily find Madam Tang’s pushcart stall by simply following the repeated chants, “Yat Lau! Yat Lau! Wat Luet Luet!” played loudly over loudspeaker.

Feeling a little adventurous? You can even order your muah chee in unique flavours! Besides the original, Madam Tang prepares at least two other different flavours each day - try your luck and you may be able to sample flavours such as pandan, Ribena, green tea, mango and many more.

• Address: 42, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 7.30am - 6pm, daily

2. Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee & Chee Cheong Fun

Fill up your tummies with a plate of the staple KL Hokkien mee. Established in the 1920s, Kim Lian Kee has been referred to as the birthplace of the Hokkien mee in KL and locals claim it remains till today as one of the best joints in town. For RM10, you get to enjoy the delicious Hokkien mee noodles stir-fried in thick soy sauce gravy and a generous helping of pork, prawns, squid, and lard fritters.

The mouthwatering experience doesn’t just end there. Kim Lian Kee is also known for its chee cheong fun. The stall serves it the traditional way - doused in sweet bean sauce and chilli sauce, with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. It’s a simple meal, but undeniably delicious.

Kim Lian Kee’s original stall still remains right in the centre of Petaling Street, humbly tucked in between stalls selling fake goods, but if you prefer dining in comfort, they have also expanded to a two-storey building just round the corner.

• Address: 49, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 11am - 11pm, closed on Wednesdays

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3. Lai Foong Lala Noodles

Located an easy 5-minute walk from Petaling Street, Lai Foong Coffee Shop is a decades-old kopitiam where you can get a variety of delicious local eats, including a bowl of nourishing (and super addictive) lala soup noodles.

The signature xiong tong lala is cooked bowl by bowl and topped with a generous portion of lala! The flavourful soup is perfect comfort food for rainy days, coupled with a strong taste of rice wine, sweetness from the clams, and a tinge of spiciness from the ginger. You'll just need one sip and you'll be sold. Pop by during non-peak hours or expect a long wait! The kopitiam is pretty small and can only seat a few tables of patrons at once.

• Address: 138, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur

• Opening Hours: 6.30am - 8.30pm

4. Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles

If you're a fan of beef noodles, you'll love the ones you can get at Shin Kee Beef Noodles! Located just across the street from Lai Foong Coffee Shop, Shin Kee Beef Noodles always has a long queue during lunch time. Currently operated by third-generation owners, this humble store serves up arguably the best Hakka beef noodles in Kuala Lumpur.

Opt for a dry bowl (with springy noodles topped with minced meat) or a soup version (expect a flavoursome soup and tender beef) - we definitely have a soft spot for the dry version, it's just too good to be true! You'll know why Shin Kee Beef Noodles weathered the years and remains a longstanding local favourite when you take your first bite. It's a fuss-free, cheap, and satisfying meal, with a taste of nostalgia for those who've been eating here for years.

• Address: 7A, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur

• Opening Hours: 10.30am - 7pm (closed on Wednesdays)

5. Petaling Street Air Mata Kucing

Take a break from the heat with a cheap cup of cold Air Mata Kucing. This humble drink stall in Petaling Street has been serving its one and only signature drink for the past couple of decades. The Air Mata Kucing is basically a refreshing drink made with the luohanguo fruit, dried longan, winter melon and sweetened with rock sugar.

Each drink comes at RM1.50 to RM2, depending on your choice of either the hot or iced version. We definitely suggest going for a cold cup of the sweet yet refreshing drink to beat the hot weather.

• Address: 36, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 10.30am - 10.30pm, daily

6. Kim’s Soya Bean

If the Air Mata Kucing isn’t up your alley, another drinks stall you should definitely give a try is the equally popular Kim’s Soya Bean. Right across Madam Tang Muah Chee and the Air Mata Kucing stall, this stall is a family business that started half a century ago and is now run by the second generation.

Cleanse your palate with a bowl of their bestselling Tau Fu Fah or a cup of their soya bean milk, both of which are made fresh daily. Their Tau Fu Fah is a bean curd pudding drizzled with sweet ginger sugar syrup, known for its smooth melt-in-your-mouth texture. Each bowl only costs RM1.80, while a cup of their soya bean milk is at RM1.60.

• Address: 49, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 11am - 10pm, daily

7. Hon Kee Porridge

Looking for a healthy and belly-warming breakfast? Head over to Hon Kee Porridge and enjoy a warm bowl of their famous porridge. This stall has been in operation since the 1940s and their bowls of congee have been a staple comfort food to many Malaysians.

Order a bowl of their bestseller fresh raw fish porridge at RM6.50 and you will be served with piping hot porridge along with sliced pieces of raw snakehead fish. All you have to do is mix the fish slices thoroughly in the bowl and the freshness of the fish would be fully absorbed by the porridge, resulting in a flavourful, aromatic bowl of goodness.

• Address: 93, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 4am - 2.30pm, daily

8. Kong Har Siu Hou Jou

A food excursion would not be complete without a sweet treat and local Chinese pastries are a must to add onto your list. Kong Har Siu Hou Jou is a pastry stall selling all kinds of fried Chinese pastries and you can find their small stall along the streets of Chinatown.

Undoubtedly, their signature pastry is none other than their Siu Hou Jou (hence, their name). The name was given to it due to the ‘smiling’ appearance of the bun and locals recommend eating it soaked with hot coffee. Another must-try pastry from their stall is their Yau Char Kueh, freshly made and deep-fried daily.

• Address: 85, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 6am - 9pm, daily

9. Bunn Choon Egg Tarts

Up next is another must try baked treat - egg tarts. Bunn Choon in Petaling Street has become a go-to kopitiam, making their name for selling one of the best egg tarts you can get in the city. Entering their store, you would be greeted with the lovely smell of baked pastries and your mouth would be watering in no time.

Made using their traditional recipe, their egg tarts are baked with many flaky layers that hold together so well. They are available in two flavours - original and charcoal - but Bunn Choon serves many other pastries as well, such as kaya puffs, mooncakes and pineapple tarts. Make sure to buy some home for wholesome snacking!

• Address: 8, Lorong Panggung, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 7.30am - 4.30pm, closed on Mondays

10. Sze Ngan Chye Roast Duck

Get ready for a flavourful gastronomic experience when you head to Sze Ngan Chye in Petaling Street for a serving of their famous roast duck. For the past few decades, this humble little stall has become known all across KL for its delicious salted roast duck and their stock always quickly runs out!

The ducks served here are roasted in different batches throughout the day and their popularity is unquestionable once you bite into the meat. The thin, crispy skin of the roasted duck breaks apart into fresh, succulent meat, making every single bite truly a flavourful adventure. The meat also comes with Sze Ngan Chye’s special dipping sauce, adding an extra kick to their already-delicious duck.

• Address: 46, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 6am - 1pm, closed on Mondays

11. Sweet Potato Balls Petaling Street

Right outside Tang City Food Court, you would come across this little gem selling sweet potato balls. The stall has been preparing sweet potato balls for locals and tourists alike for the past 40 years already, and they are freshly fried on the spot every day.

The sweet potato balls are made with sweet potatoes (obviously), sugar and flour, then fried until a beautiful golden brown. These hot treats that only cost RM3 for 10 pieces are crispy on the outside and have warm, soft insides. We would recommend enjoying them with a cup of hot coffee.

• Address: Outside Tang City Foodcourt, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 8am - 4pm, daily

12. Madras Lane Hawker Yong Tau Foo

Although last on our list, Madras Lane Hawker definitely deserves top recommendation too because of their many delicious selections. Our favourite is the yong tau foo, a stall that has been running for the past 70 years and is probably the busiest one among the stretch of hawkers.

You will be spoilt for choice with their decent selection of boiled and fried yong tau foo, each piece priced at RM1.50. Crowd favourites are their fried bean curd rolls and fried sui kow (dumplings). Pile up your plates and get ready to dig into the delicious pieces of yong tau foo with their smooth, bouncy fish paste filling.

• Address: Madras Lane, Jalan Tun H S Lee, Off Petaling Street, City Centre, 50000 KL

• Opening hours: 8am - 2pm, closed Mondays

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