The best local snacks in KL

Chunburi Seafood
If you aren’t already stuffed from Chunburi Seafood’s nasi campur with its ample choices of lauk, head to the kuih stand at the entrance of the restaurant for some dessert. A wondrous display of colours and flavours, the spread of traditional kuih here offers plenty of options. How it works: You get as many empty packets as you want and fill them up with items such cik mek molek, kuih lapis, agar agar, buah Melaka and a lot more. Because the desserts here are so popular, don’t be surprised if you see someone buying an entire tray’s worth of kuih to take away. Come early to avoid the crowd.
Prices depend on type of kuih.

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A'Han Nyonya Kuih
This family-run business offers many varieties of authentic Nyonya kuih. All items here are hand-made daily so you can be sure of fresh kuih every time you drop by. You can expect to find several options such as pulut tai-tai, kuih seri muka, ang ku kuih, kuih talam and more, which sell out fast.
From RM1.30 per piece.

Kueh Café
Come here if you like Malay and Nyonya kuih served in a café setting with a side of artisanal coffee, instead of a cup of kopi o like we’re all used to. Your options here include kuih lapis, kuih talam, kuih seri ayu and more.
Five pieces, RM4.

Bunn Choon Egg Tarts
This humble store might be hard to find for the uninitiated, but one way to find Bunn Choon is to follow the hypnotising aroma of freshly baked tarts. Owner Wong Kok Tong and his wife make around 800 egg tarts daily to feed the horde of customers that flock here – and for good reason too. Encased in flaky pastry made with pork lard is the creamy egg custard filling made of water, sugar and eggs. To keep with the trend, there are two other variants of egg tarts as well – charcoal sesame and green tea. Although the store is open by 9.30am, the egg tarts aren’t ready until 10am but it never hurts to be there early.
From RM1.90 per piece.

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Tai Zi Ta
The egg tarts here are smaller than your usual egg tarts, resulting in a perfect ratio of pastry to custard in every bite you take. The anatomy of each tart is a flaky but sturdy pastry base below that holds up well to the soft and sweet custard filling inside.
RM10 for ten pieces.

TK Bakery
What started in the ’70s as Tong Kee Brothers Confectionery is now called TK Bakery, with multiple outlets across Klang Valley. There are two types of egg tarts here – one with a regular pastry for the base and one with butter pastry.
Regular egg tarts, RM2; butter egg tarts, RM2.20.

SS2 Chow Yang Yau Char Kuey
This long-standing fried fritter stall has stood at the same spot for 43 years and the person running it all this time is Leslie Chin. Folks frequently flock to this tiny roadside stall for his limited but dependably good selection of fritters which includes yao char kuey, kap chung and two varieties of ham chin peng – one with red bean paste filling and one without filling. By noon, you’ll usually find a sizable queue forming; if you don’t, it’s likely that customers have already placed their orders and will return to collect them later. Leslie regularly makes fresh batches several times a day so you’re guaranteed crispy and piping hot fritters.
From RM1 per piece.

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Meng Kee You Tiao
Located along the Happy Garden wai sek kai, this stall offers a wide selection of fried foods that range from yao char kuey and ham chin peng to fried fish balls and fried nian gao (glutinous rice cake with yam and sweet potato). Be prepared for a crowd that’s gearing up for tea break.
Prices depend on food.

Jalan Alor Yao Char Kuey
Although this joint is frequently called the ‘Jalan Alor Yao Char Kuey stall’, it’s actually situated along Changkat Bukit Bintang in front of Restoran Dragon View. The elderly couple who run the stall have been frying fritters at this very spot since the mid-’80s. Besides their signature yao char kuey, there’s also the classic ngao lei soh (ox tongue pastry), an oval-shaped fried doughnut that’s hard to find these days.
RM1 per piece.

Jalan Hang Lekir stall
Whether it’s soft and fluffy or crunchy and crispy, apam balik is a quick and easy teatime treat. On Jalan Hang Lekir, look out for the apam balik stall parked in front of Koon Kee Wantan Mee. Here, the no-frills apam balik is sweet and crunchy, with a soft spongy inside and crispy edges. The 69-year-old uncle Ah Loh has been selling apam balik for almost 30 years, and has a loyal following. So you know you’ll get good apam balik here. To make things more efficient, Ah Loh makes his apam balik in a large pan before swiftly slicing everything into individual pieces.
RM1.20.

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Ding Heong Golden Apam Balik
Ding Heong Golden Apam Balik have expanded their operations from a single truck to several across KL. Apart from the traditional crispy apam balik, they also offer various fillings and toppings to go with your snack. You could go savoury and have it filled with ham, or you could go sweet and have it with Nutella and marshmallows.
From RM3.30.

Apam Balik Nusantara
At Apam Balik Nusantara, the filling is the focus. This roadside stall offers a variety of fillings to stuff your apam balik with, including durian, cheese and chocolate. If you’re feeling particularly experimental, try all three of them in one.
From RM3.50.

Yeong’s curry puff stall
The curry puff has been a staple grab-and-go snack food for as long as any of us can remember. There’s a variety to choose from and the city has hundreds of stalls that feature this Malaysian classic pastry. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense yet equally good curry puff, Yeong’s curry puff stall offers up some of the best. Having been around for nearly 44 years, Yeong serves simple curry puffs with and without egg, filled with potato and chicken. The puffs are fat, crunchy, and have a crust that’s just the right level of flakiness. The stall is a bit tricky to locate (find the Segi KL campus and it’ll be in the second alleyway on your left), but it will be worth it.
From RM1.20.

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Homi Curry Puff
Homi’s puffs are much larger than your average puffs because they’re packed to the brim with generous portions of curry potatoes and chicken slices, all encased in a thick buttery and slightly salty puff pastry that was made to hold up to the weight of its contents.
RM2.50 per piece.

Kedai Makan Goreng
Sisters Adeline and Fong Yong have been running this humble stall since the ’70s. The bite-sized puffs with flavourful dried potato curry fillings are the main draw. Since each puff can be devoured in one mouthful, they can be quite addictive; you’ve been warned.
From RM1 per piece.

Uncle Chiam Pisang Goreng
In the midst of a busy intersection surrounded by honking cars and people chasing after busses lies Uncle Chiam’s pisang goreng stall – the perfect excuse to head into the chaotic Brickfields. After selling pisang goreng for more than 30 years, Uncle Chiam is basically an institution here. And with good reason too, as the natural sweetness of the whole pisang raja (he fries the whole banana, not just halves or thin slices) combined with the crunchiness makes it the perfect evening snack. The term ‘king of the bananas’ is very fitting indeed.
From RM1.40 per piece.

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SS2 Goreng Pisang
Mr Wong and Ms Wong’s truck in SS2 is more than just a neighbourhood pisang goreng spot. After being in business for over 30 years, they’re practically family to loyal customers who’ve been frequenting them for teatime snacks. People from all over KL make the pilgrimage to SS2 to get a taste of their sweet fried bananas.
From RM1, depending on size.

Azmi Goreng Pisang
The keyword at this stall in Shah Alam is ‘variety’. Here, customers can choose from various types of bananas such as pisang tanduk, pisang awak and pisang nangka. Ask for leftover fried batter too if you want extra crunch with your pisang goreng.
From RM1 per four pieces, depending on type of banana.

Suri Nasi Lemak Panas 223
When it comes to having nasi lemak for supper in PJ, the name ‘Selera Jaya 223’ usually comes up. People might tell you that there are two nasi lemak options here – Nasi Lemak Yati with the red stamp on the packaging, or Nasi Lemak Suri with the blue stamp. We’re here to save you the time and effort in choosing which and insist you go with the blue one. Nasi Lemak Suri’s rice is generally softer and fluffier while the sambal perfectly toes the line between sweet and spicy. If you find the small packets of nasi lemak insufficient, help yourself to some fresh otak-otak sold from any of the three food stalls in the area.
RM1.60 per packet.

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Warung Kak Long
While prices of stall food keep going up, it’s refreshing to see Warong Kak Long maintaining the price of their 50 sen nasi lemak bungkus. Be quick to grab one though, as they usually run out by 11am.
From RM0.50.

Nasi Lemak Chun One
Located in Ampang Jaya, Nasi Lemak Chun One lives up to its name – it really is ‘chun one’. The packets of nasi lemak are kept on a steamer so you’ll always get a hot packet no matter what time you come. They’re a bit small though, so be ready to have a few of these when you’re here.
RM1.20 per packet.

Located behind Hong Leong Bank at Petaling Street, this stall has been in business for more than four decades. Pick up a bag of sweet potato balls, each sphere sporting a crunchy exterior and fluffy, slightly chewy filling. Fun fact: the sweet potato balls are fried with pandan leaves which lend a fragrant aroma.

RM4 for ten

Known for its excellent northern Indian fare (try the palak paneer and naan), this no-frills eatery in the heart of Masjid India (just a few steps away from the Masjid Jamek LRT station) also stocks an assortment of rustic Indian sweets (burfi, gulab jamun, kalakand and more) from its sweet shop next door. Get a bit of everything, but don’t miss the peda, made from saffron-infused milk.

From RM0.80