My Top 5 Must Try Cheap Eats in Malaysia (Part 1: Exploring Ampang, Kuala Lumpur)

Hello again friends! As promised, I will be sharing tips on where to go, what to eat, and in my new series I'll be sharing about great cheap eats in Malaysia simply because, good food is amazing, but CHEAP good food is beyond amazing. Just in case if you are wondering, cheap is defined as 15 MYR or 4 USD (3.55 to be precise) and below.

Malaysia is considerably a small country, but when it comes to food, the country is HUGE, and there are loads of ground to cover. Firstly, I would like to introduce you to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur (or known as KL)! This would highly likely be the first place of visit upon your touch down in Malaysia, hence it would make perfect sense to begin our food exploration from here.

For part one of conquering Malaysia's cheap eats, let me take you to Ampang, a town within KL, which is also the place I lived in for the most of my life. Just a heads up, most if not all of the photos are not taken by myself, as I grew up eating all these food and never bothered taking photos (hehe), but be rest assured that this list came from 20 years of eating experience :p.

With that I bring to you my top 5 choices of delicious, super Malaysian, and CHEAP Ampang food from the lens (I mean taste buds) of yours truly!

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No. 1: Fong Fong Yong Tau Foo

First stop - one of my family's favorite Sunday lunch places, Fong Fong Yong Tau Foo brings the freshness in their vegetables together with tasteful and juicy pork meat, which is absolutely perfect. Whenever you come to Ampang, the first thing your friend may mention to you is 'Ampang is famous for Ampang Yong Tau Foo!' Kudos to your friend because whoever he or she is, he or she is absolutely right. There are many restaurants who claim to be the best Ampang Yong Tau Foo, but trust me when I say that Fong Fong is THE most legit one, so please head on there!

Yong Tau Foo is basically stuffed vegetables e.g. eggplants, ladies fingers, bitter gourd, tofu, chili etc. stuffed with either fish or pork meat, and deep fried to perfection. At all Yong Tau Foo places such as Fong Fong, you get to select the stuffed vegetable of your choice, which is charged at only RM1.10 per piece! My boyfriend and I would usually order about 25 pieces and go crazy on them heh. Other than the stuffed vegetables, please please order the deep fried wantans (Meat stuffing wrapped in pastry and fried till golden and crispy) because they are the best I've ever had.

Photo courtesy of hungrygowhere.my: It is really, really good and I can finish all of that!!

Photo courtesy of hungrygowhere.my: The place looks a bit old and run down but that usually comes with hidden gems like this

Est cost per person: 15 MYR (4 USD)
Address: 621, Jalan Merdeka, Kampung Baru Ampang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday (Closed on Tuesday), 9:00am to 4:30pm
Best way to get there: For the adventurous, take the star line LRT to Ampang station, and walk 2km to your destination. Just kidding, take Uber or Grab :D

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No. 2: Loke Yun Chicken Rice

After Yong Tau Foo, what next? Well you're in luck because the next best thing is just a couple of shops away. Ampang is also well known for great chicken rice, and for me, there are two places in particular that I frequent, that are Kim Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice and Loke Yun Chicken Rice. Kim Kee is good, and provides more convenient in terms of distance and parking, but I would definitely recommend Loke Yun as a must try due to the softness in the steamed chicken, which is what makes steamed chicken really good. Additionally the simplicity in its taste coupled with soy sauce and sesame oil makes it perfect. For the more adventurous, I highly recommend their best selling chicken intestine dish. I know, I know it sounds exotic but trust me, I dislike the idea of eating internal organs but when I tried this, it was really good and tasted like jelly fish (ones you eat in Japanese restaurants). They prepare it well and fresh so don't worry about strong meat flavors. Go go go!

Photo courtesy of j2kfm.com: Just look at that steamed chicken in its perfect golden color..

Photo courtesy of takemetofoodieheaven.com: For the adventurous, you must give this chicken intestines a try!

Photo courtesy of motormouthfromipoh: Here's how the shop looks like, traditionally looking, which is an indication of great food (most of the time hehe).

Est cost per person: 15 MYR (4 USD)
Address: 158, Jalan Besar Ampang, Pekan Ampang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Everyday, 10:30am to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Best way to get there: Uber. Unrealistic to walk that far, and finding a parking space is painful if you're planning to rent a car.

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No. 3: Uncle Aru's Tandoori & Naan

Done with awesome chicken rice, why not drive towards the direction of the city center, and stop by the road side for what I call the best tandoori and naan in KL (many Malaysians don't even know this hehe). At Uncle Aru's Tandoori & Naan, you get authenticity, taste, texture, and other unique dishes I have yet to find at other Indian food places. For those who have no idea what language I'm speaking in right now, naan refers to bread made of flour, seasonings and yeast while tandoori chicken refers to chicken marinated in a mixture of herbs and red spices. Both naan and tandoori chicken are cooked using a special huge-vase-oven-chamber-thingy called a tandoor, hence, the name tandoori chicken.

Photo courtesy of Indiamarks: This, my friend is a gigantic tandoor which is very, VERY hot. This method of cooking bread and meat is a hugely popular method used by the Indians.

Photo courtesy of theyumlist.net: LOOK AT THE CHEAPNESS OF THE PRICE. I strongly recommend the butter naan because the buttery-ness is so good and sinful, and the cheese naan because everyone loves cheese. For sides, please order the mixed vegetables and spinach because they are sides I cannot find elsewhere and They. Are. Good.

Photo courtesy of hungrygowhere: Why is Uncle Aru's tandoori chicken so different? Because it's perfectly charred on the outside and the meat is soft and tender! SOFT and TENDER! Plus the crispiness of the naan..oh heaven.

Est cost per person: 12 MYR (USD 3)
Address: (Roadside opposite Ampang Point Shopping Complex), Taman Dato Ahmad Razali, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, closed on Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 12:00am
Best way to get there: Just continue taking Uber since it's on the way lol.

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No. 4: The Mooi Restaurant (Yang Mooi's Beef Noodles)

Alright friends, tell your Uber drivers to get ready, cause we are heading towards more awesome yum-yums. First stop, authentic Beef Noodles that has been around for more than a decade (or maybe 2?). What I love about Mooi's beef noodles is the quality and taste in the meat and clear beef soup. The tenderness in the meat, the chewiness (chewy in a good way) in the home made beef balls, and the richness in the broth comes together so well, making you wanting for more (I always want more).

Photo courtesy of voneats.com: The noodles is served with their own made dried minced beef and black sauce topping and Chinese green vegetables, with a bowl of 'mixed beef' in tasty beef soup. Homely.

Photo courtesy of voneats.com: If you have 4 stomachs like a cow while eating cow meat (er..), order another bowl of beef stew, it is just as good!

Est cost per person: RM12 (USD 3)
Address: 5G, Jalan Perubatan 4, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, closed on Fridays, 8:00am to 6:00pm
Best way to get there: I assume by now you have bonded well with your Uber driver :D

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No. 5: Kin Kin Chili Pan Mee

It is your lucky day again! As Kin Kin Pan Mee is just 1-2 streets away from Mooi's. First of all, chili pan mee is a popular dish in Malaysia, and you would probably see many different franchises selling the same dish. I've tried many, but nothing satisfies my pan mee cravings as much as Kin Kin. What is pan mee? Well it is noodles made from flour, eggs, and whatever secret ingredient they used, topped with minced pork cooked in special sauces, deep fried anchovies, and a half boiled egg (simiar to a poached egg but less classy lol). Why is it so good? I don't know how but when you blend the dish together, the texture of the noodles, the wetness and consistency of everything just comes together perfectly. It's such a simple dish but very few restaurants can produce the same taste as Kin Kin.

Photo courtesy of theboywhoatetheworld: This bowl of simple dish a must try. I attempted two bowls on my own once hahaha.

Some of you may be not drawn towards chili but fret not, the chili is for you to add accordingly, but I must say, their dried chili is something special and goes darn well with the noodles, totally worth going for it even if it's gonna break a sweat!

Est cost per person: RM10 (USD 2.50)
Address: 5G, Jalan Perubatan 4, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, closed on Fridays, 8:00am to 6:00pm
Best way to get there: Uber is good, helps to boost the economy, hail Uber! Lol.

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Thank you for reading part 1 of my own recommended CHEAP and GOOD eats in KL, covering Ampang Town. For part 2, I will be bringing you to other popular towns in KL, where more cheap and good food can be found(oh yeah). So please stay tuned for part 2!!

If you enjoyed reading this post and find it helpful for your next trip to Malaysia, kindly give it an upvote and I'll certainly be encouraged to produce more!

Love and best wishes,
Joy