Vegan Guide to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and home to some of the tastiest vegan food in the country. We traveled through Malaysia for a month and felt Kuala Lumpur saved us from fried noodles for a few days. In Kuala Lumpur, you’ll find vegan food for every budget. From local street food to western fusion dishes, you’re bound to enjoy the tasty vegan food the city has to offer.
The capital of Malaysia is a unique blend of everything from culture to architecture. You can walk the streets for hours and always be looking at something completely different from Chinatown shophouses to grand skyscrapers like the Petronas Twin Towers.
Planning a visit to Kuala Lumpur? Here are some of our favorite things to do in the city!
Vegan Eating in Malaysia
As a whole, we did not find Malaysia to be extremely vegan-friendly because of the use of fish sauce and a variety of meats in most dishes. However, don’t lose hope! When in the city, Malaysia can seem very vegan-friendly. Kuala Lumpur is definitely a top destination for vegan eating as it is home to a mix of traditional and western vegan eateries. In Malaysia, most of the dishes include meat and fish sauce. Because of this, it can be hard to find vegan food without going to a vegan-specific place.
However, you will still get to enjoy many of the traditional Malaysian foods in Kuala Lumpur, without hurting your belly or bank account. Kuala Lumpur offers a range of restaurants both in cuisine and in price. We had a wonderful time eating our way around the city and trying new foods. We hope this guide helps relieve some stress when it comes to eating in Kuala Lumpur!
Is Kuala Lumpur Vegan Friendly?
Yes! There is a variety of vegan and vegan-friendly places to eat in the city.
What kind of food will you find in Kuala Lumpur?
Like many Asian cuisines, Malaysia is heavy on noodle and rice dishes. As you will see from our pictures, the majority of the dishes we ate were noodle based. Noodle soups, fried noodles, noodle curries. It’s a lot of noodles but the food in Kuala Lumpur is delicious *insert chef kiss here*. Below we’ve listed the best vegan food options in Kuala Lumpur and I promise there’s more than noodles!
The Best Vegan Food in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
As we mentioned above, Kuala Lumpur offers some delicious vegan meals throughout the city. Whether you’re looking to stick to local cuisine or are up for something new, there’s something on this list for you.
We are traveling through SE Asia on a budget and found that Malaysia was the most expensive country (besides Singapore). Because of this, we have rated the restaurants below from $-$$$ based on their budget-friendliness in case anyone is hoping to stick to a smaller budget like us!
Happy Sambodi
Local cuisine and vegetarian buffet – $
Location: Between Chinatown and Little India
What to order: Lunch Buffet
Whether you’re eating a meal off the menu or enjoying the buffet, this one has to be on your list. Not only is it extremely budget-friendly, but the staff is also so kind, and every meal we ate here (I think 4 times) was delicious. They are only open until the early afternoon so make sure to get here for a late breakfast or lunch.
If you visit Georgetown, this restaurant reminds us a lot of the many vegetarian restaurants in the north. There’s often a buffet with tofu, veggies, and faux meat dishes, along with a menu to order from.
Hungry Tapir
Western fusion – $$$
Location: Chinatown
What to order: The Vegan Platter
Okay, this one is considered a splurge for us (traveling on roughly a $50 a day budget) but SO worth it. Not going to lie, we couldn’t decide what to eat so we ordered the sample platter and it did not disappoint. On the platter, we got to taste their mac and cheese, sliders, and a few other dishes. We left stuffed with happy bellies! Highly recommend eating here BUT make a reservation. We were seated luckily but they were super busy so reservations are recommended.
Minf Vegan Cafe
Local and asian fusion cuisine – $
Location: City Center
What to order: Wonton Soup
Another delicious eatery. Minf Vegan Cafe is perfect if you’re near KLCC Park or the twin towers. This restaurant offers vegan versions of popular Malaysian dishes, as well as other Asian and Western courses. We ate here twice and highly recommend the Wonton Soup and Curry Ramen.
Hijau Kuala Lumpur
A twist on traditional and western dishes – $$
Location: Chinatown
What to order: Indomee Kari
Hijau is a delicious place to eat near Chinatown. Located inside the REXKL building, the fun atmosphere of the place adds to the meal. The staff is super friendly and happy to give recommendations depending on what you are looking for.
Blue Boy Vegetarian
Local street food style cuisine – $
Location: Bukit Bintang
What to order: Keoy Teow (also spelt Kuey, Kway)
Looking to try some traditional Malaysian street foods but want to escape the meat? Head to Blue Boy Vegetarian for the veg-friendly version of all the street food favorites. This is the perfect place to try some popular Malaysian dishes without worrying about the ingredients. You will have to ask for your meal to be egg-free though but the staff understands.
KUSA
Japanese cuisine – $$
Location: Bukit Bintang
What to order: EVERYTHING
Try your best not to eat the whole menu, but it will be hard. We ordered something from almost every page on the menu at Kusa and enjoyed every bite. This restaurant has a simple design but the food quality is next level. The portions are on the smaller side but it’s worth a stop if you’re looking for a tasty vegan meal. We visited shortly after opening, however, if you plan to dine later you may want to make a reservation.
Sangeetha Veg Restaurant + Other Indian Restaurants
Indian cuisine – $$
Location: Little India
What to order: Masala Dosa
Authentic Indian food is easy to find in Kuala Lumpur and many are specifically vegetarian already. There are a few vegetarian Indian restaurants found near the street named Leboh Ampang, including Sangeetha Veg Restaurant. Here the staff is happy to help find you a meal based on your preference for spice and dietary needs!
Vegan Cafes in Kuala Lumpur
ZUS Coffee
Don’t expect to sit down and enjoy your coffee here because seating is LIMITED. But we really enjoyed our coffee from ZUS and loved that they had eco-friendly straws! I know what your thinking, and no it wasn’t a paper straw but a biodegradable “plastic”. How cool! They are pretty busy but you can order ahead of time online too!
We recommend grabbing a coffee from ZUS and then strolling around the colorful streets, admiring the amazing murals in Kuala Lumpur. If you need some recommendations, we have mapped out some of our favorites in this post.
Jamboo
Offering a mix of coffees, matcha lattes, and local or western meals, this cafe is great for a light meal or workspace. Note that everything is NOT vegan but they have some delicious options. We did some online work at this cafe and the wifi was great. Another perk is it is right next to some amazing street and sustainable art. Look how precious this alley is!
Vegan and Vegetarian Street Foods to look for
The street food scene in Malaysia is famous in Georgetown but Kuala Lumpur is a close second. Luckily, there are plenty of vegetarian options on the street and some vegan-friendly dishes too! We wrote an entire post about all of the options you should try in Malaysia, however, our favorites include:
Steamed Buns
Especially in Chinatown, steamed buns are a delicious street food snack for vegans and meat eaters alike. There are a few vegan-friendly options easy to find in Malaysia including Pandan, Yam, and Red Bean. You will want to double-check with your shop but these should all be meat, egg, and dairy free. The Pandan are our favorites!
Fried Noodles
If you’re traveling to Malaysia as a vegan or vegetarian, expect to eat your fair share of Fried Noodles. This, along with fried rice, are easy to find when you’re not at a veg-specific restaurant. Make sure to mention no egg or fish sauce of you are vegan though!
Be sure to check out our full list here which includes recommendations on where to find some of the best street food in KL and Georgetown!
Visiting Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur surprised us with the number of vegan options offered both in vegan restaurants and those with options just for us veggies! We really enjoyed eating our way around the city and would happily go back even if it’s just for another meal or two. Not only did we enjoy the meals we had in the restaurants but also on the street.
We hope you enjoy your meals at these delicious restaurants and enjoy their vegan options!
If you’re in need of some more information for visiting Kuala Lumpur, check out this post for our favorite things to do!