Laksa Lanes Food Tour: Eat Your Way Through KL's Chinatown

Malaysia is known to have some of the best food in the world. But Malaysian cuisine is a complex cultural beast. There’s the Malay-Indian food, the Malay-Chinese food, and everything in between. Trying to figure out what to eat on your own can be a lot of work.

Thankfully, you can get a taste of the iconic Malay-Chinese food scene with confidence by joining the Laksa Lanes Food Tour, led by people who know local food best.

Kuala Lumpur’s culinary magic lies hidden in the maze of backstreets and markets of Chinatown, where over a century of Malay-Chinese fusion has created an undeniably amazing food culture.

You’ll get to experience it all on the Laksa Lanes Food Tour, from Michelin-rated eateries to family-run stalls that have perfected recipes for generations.

Expect to indulge in iconic dishes like steaming bowls of legendary laksa, fragrant lala noodles, fluffy bao buns, baked char siu pastries, and sweet treats like peanut muah chee from the famous Madam Tang.

Along the way, you’ll experience Pasar Karat, also known as the “Thieves Market,” and soak in the colorful street art, cultural landmarks, and fascinating history of Chinatown. Learn why a Hindu gopuram shares space with a Taoist warrior’s sword, and hear captivating tales of Kuala Lumpur’s founding father, Yap Ah Loy.

With 15+ tastings (yes, we actually counted and it was over 15 foods!), you’ll get a true crash course on the flavors of KL’s famous Chinatown.

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BOOK THIS FOOD TOUR

You can book your tour on their official website or book through travel activity sites like Viator. We even have a discount code for you below!

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👉 LOOKING FOR A NIGHTTIME FOOD TOUR INSTEAD? A Chef’s Tour has a nighttime tour that’s even more popular than Laksa Lanes: the Sambal Streets Food Tour. The tastings on the Sambal Streets tour have more Indian and Arab influences, whereas the food featured in Laksa Lanes skews more Chinese-Malay.

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What We Ate On The Laksa Lanes Food Tour

Curious about all the foods you’ll eat along the way?

Now, I won’t spoil the tour by giving you all the names of the spots we ate at. The tour guide-led experience and the group tasting dynamic are what made the tour so fun! Instead, this list is meant to give you an idea of the foods you’ll try on this tour.

Our tour began with a slight change in plans: we were supposed to try a famous curry laksa spot, but unfortunately, it was closed on the day of our tour. Instead, we pivoted to a noodle shop that had just earned a Michelin award this year.

Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles - Kuala Lumpur

Let me tell you—this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We had a beef ball noodle soup that was hands-down one of the best noodle dishes I’ve ever had. Even my mom, who is notoriously picky, couldn’t stop raving about the hoh fun (flat noodles). She said the texture was absolutely perfect, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

Next, we made our way to a spot that served lala noodles and curry laksa. Lala noodles are a local favorite, featuring clams in a light, fragrant broth that’s equal parts savory and comforting.

Lala noodles - Laksa Lanes Food Tour Kuala Lumpur

Meanwhile, the curry laksa—an iconic Malaysian dish—is a rich and spicy noodle soup made with a creamy coconut milk base, flavored with curry spices, and topped with various proteins and tofu puffs.

Alongside these dishes, we sipped on teh tarik, Malaysia’s national drink. This frothy “pulled tea” is made by pouring tea and condensed milk back and forth between two vessels, creating a smooth, creamy texture and a perfectly balanced sweetness.

Watching how the chefs efficiently prepared the Lala noodles was a real treat—they pumped out bowls of these noodles with remarkable speed and precision.

After the noodle feast, we headed to a decades-old pastry stand run by the same man who’s been perfecting his craft for years. Here, we each got to indulge in our own BBQ pork-filled pastry, and it was both flaky and absolutely delicious!

Kim Soya Bean Chinatown - Kuala Lumur Malaysia

Then it was off to Kim Soya Bean, the go-to spot in Chinatown for dofufa (silken tofu dessert). I’m a huge fan of dofufa and always hunt for it when I’m in Hong Kong, but the version we had here was on another level—silky, smooth, and just sweet enough to hit the spot.

Continuing down the covered streets of Chinatown, we arrived at a stand selling peanut muah chee, run by the late Madame Tang’s family. Muah chee is a sticky rice dough snack coated in crushed peanuts and sugar.

We were used to lo mai chee (the Cantonese version of mochi), and while it was quite similar to the Malaysian version, we had never had it covered in crushed peanuts and sugar. We loved it!

This stand has been around for generations, and you can get your muah chee in a variety of flavors like original, black sesame, mango, lychee, pandan, and even ribena.

Bunn Choon Egg Tarts - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Our next sweet stop was at Bunn Choon, a bakery that’s been serving its world-famous egg tarts since 1893. As an egg tart fanatic, this stop was heaven for me. The tarts were warm, flaky, and filled with the most perfect egg custard.

They even had egg tarts with a black sesame-flavored pastry shell. Had we had more days to spare in KL, I would have come back to try these after the tour!

From there, we walked through Chinatown, marveling at the colorful, personality-packed architecture—a stark contrast to Kuala Lumpur’s modern skyscrapers, which are, frankly, a bit bland in comparison.

The savory delights resumed at Nam Heong, where we tried Michelin-recommended Hainanese chicken rice.

My mom was completely obsessed. She immediately noticed how much more flavorful and tender the chicken was compared to what we get back in the States. She said that Malaysian chicken actually tastes like chicken, which is something I didn’t even realize I was missing.

As we continued through to Pasar Karat, we stopped at a stall run by a sweet, elderly lady to try popiah. These are fresh spring rolls filled with julienned vegetables, tofu, and sometimes meat, all wrapped in a thin crepe-like skin.

Popiah - Laksa Lanes Kuala Lumpur Food Tour

They were light and refreshing, but by this point, we were so full that we struggled to finish the six pieces. Regretfully, we had to toss one because no one could fit it in their stomach!

The next stop was a BBQ pork steamed bun stand, but I had to skip this one because I was bursting at the seams. Could you imagine being at 100% capacity and then getting offered a full steamed bun all to yourself? It was definitely a struggle at this point!

Yet the tour wasn’t over—there were still sweets to try!

Cendol - Kuala Lumur Malaysia - Sambal Streets Food Tour

We then had cendol, a refreshing shaved ice dessert made with coconut milk, green rice flour jelly, and palm sugar syrup. This one was quite delicious because it had corn and sticky rice in it, which added a whole new dimension to the drink.

Kuala Lumur Malaysia - Laksa Lanes Food Tour Review

Our final treat was a pandan pancake filled with shredded coconut. It was absolutely delicious, but we were so full that we could barely manage one piece between the four of us.

PRO TIP: Eat it fresh, even if you think you’re too full—it’s much better warm than as a takeaway snack.

BOOK THIS FOOD TOUR

You can book your tour on their official website or book through travel activity sites like Viator.

Laksa Lanes Food Tour: Worth The Money?

Let me be the first to tell you that the “15+ tastings” they advertise are legit. You are not just getting a little bite of a dish. I could have gotten a whole bowl of noodles to myself, a whole steamed bun to myself, or full servings of everything along the way.

Because we were trying to pace ourselves, the four of us often shared two full servings, or towards the end of the tour, we even brought it down to one dish to split.

Now, keep in mind that we had just done the Sambal Streets nighttime food tour the evening before, so we thought we were pros at pacing ourselves. We were wrong. For some reason, we ended up even more full on this tour than on the Sambal Streets tour!

If you have a big appetite, go for the full servings, but I highly recommend sharing noodle dishes since they tend to expand in your stomach and fill you up faster. Either way, one thing is for sure—they do not skimp on feeding you here!

Honestly, there was no way in heck (even with all the research I typically do to prepare for trips) that I would have found these local food spots on my own.

Our tour guide, Stephen, was honestly the best guide anyone could ask for. Born and raised in Malaysia, and with over four years of experience with A Chef’s Tour, he’s an absolute expert on all things Malaysian food.

He shared fascinating insights and personal stories that made the experience so much richer. After spending 4+ hours with him, our knowledge of Malaysian customs, culture, traditions, and food went from a level 0 to at least a solid level 3!

👉 Pro Tip: It was VERY hot on our Laksa Lanes tour, which ran from about 10:30am to 2pm. Bring a bladeless neck fan — it was a total lifesaver and makes the heat so much more bearable.

How To Book: Laksa Lanes Food Tour

You can book your tour on the official website or book through travel activity sites like Viator.

With intimate groups of no more than eight people, the experience feels super personalized. Our tour only had 5 people, which meant I had tons of opportunities to ask all my questions!

Prices are super reasonable for the quality and variety of food you’ll experience, and it’s worth every penny to have a local guide lead you through KL’s culinary maze. (We hit some market backstreets that I definitely would not be able to find my way back to even if I had tried!)

When you make your reservation, put in a request to have Stephen as your guide! He was the best food tour guide we experienced across our entire Asia trip — so knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging!

DEAL ALERT: For a limited time, use the promo code CHEFSFRIEND5 for an additional 5% off your food tour when booking on their official site. This code is valid for all food tours in any of their destinations!

Laksa Lanes or Sambal Streets Tour?

If you’ve had a chance to check out the A Chef’s Tour website, you might have noticed that there are two different food tours in KL– Laksa Lanes (daytime) and Sambal Streets (nighttime).

Having done both the Sambal Streets and Laksa Lanes food tours, I can confidently say they’re very different experiences, and if you have the time, I’d definitely recommend doing both!

Together, they’ll give you a well-rounded understanding of all the cultural influences that shape Malaysian cuisine (Chinese, Indian, Arab, etc.).

That said, I have to admit that my parents and I preferred the food on the Laksa Lanes tour. It’s probably because we were more familiar with Chinese-style dishes and flavors, which made it feel a bit more in our comfort zone.

Traditional Malaysian food, as we discovered on the Sambal Streets tour, often leans sweeter and spicier, which our tastebuds are not as accustomed to.

While it may not have been our favorite style of cuisine, I don’t regret doing that tour at all! It was such a great learning experience, and we got to try staples like mee goreng, roti canai, nasi lemak, and many other local specialties I never knew existed. By the end of it, I came away with a much better appreciation for local flavors and cooking techniques.

Had I only done the Laksa Lanes tour, I would have missed out on that first-hand introduction to the more traditional Malaysian side of things. Interestingly too, there was so little overlap between the two tours (only cendol and curry laksa, which taste completely different in Indian and Chinese styles) that each one felt unique and worth doing.

Of course, everyone’s tastebuds are different, so I can’t say one is objectively better than the other.

What I can say is that Malaysia has some of the best food in the world, and if you’re coming all this way, why wouldn’t you focus on trying as much of it as possible? Don’t sleep on these tours — they were great experiences.