Top 10 Food to Eat in Pudu

I’ve been meaning to complete my Top 10 Food List in Pudu by October this year but work and our new home came into picture, so it was put on hold. Nonetheless, I’m glad I got to complete this before year end.

Pudu is considered a food haven by many locals in Kuala Lumpur. You can find a good variety of hawker food from morning till late night. Enjoy!

San Peng Prawn Mee

Luscious broth

I was never really a prawn mee fan, but this place warrants many return visits. Sharing table is a common practice here and the shop has been around for more than 4 decades. Currently, the son mans the cooking station.

Humble shack

The soup is prepared using plenty of prawn head and shell, and as a result, the broth is sweet and aromatic. Portions are generous – each bowl comes with peeled prawns, chicken pieces, kangkung and deep fried shallots. Remember to try the chilli sauce; it packs a punch! Read my review here.

San Peng Prawn Mee
Jalan San Peng
Pudu, 55200
Kuala Lumpur
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.038 E 101 42.711

Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice

Charcoal fire

Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice has been around since the 90’s and charcoal stoves are used to cook the rice so it is tastier and more fragrant. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes for your claypot chicken rice. The rice boasts a good aroma from the charcoal cooking process and is of just the right texture.

Claypot chicken rice with salted fish and egg

My favourite part is the crispy rice bits at the bottom of the pot. Currently the best claypot chicken rice I’ve eaten. Read my review here.

Kedai Makanan Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice
No 59, Ground Floor,
Jalan Yew, Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-9200 1603
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.026 E 101 42.997

PMK Dessert

Dan Cha (Herbal tea with egg)

The shop opens from 1pm onwards, and serves a small selection of tong sui (RM2 per bowl) along with some nyonya kuih. They also serve savoury items like fried rice, nasi lemak, glutinous rice and radish cake. I’ve tried five types of tong sui – black sesame paste, bubur gandum, peanut paste, red bean soup and herbal egg tea – my favourite being the bubur gandum.

Mak Chuk (bubur gandum)

Do give their nyonya kuih a try. The kuih talam is good stuff. Read my review here.

PMK Dessert
Jalan Kancil off Jalan Pudu,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.163 E 101 42.799

San Peng Nasi Lemak

Take your pick!

A Chinese auntie mans this nasi lemak stall with her daughter and the place gets crowded on a Sunday night. Pork is served here so expect to see innards with curry, fried luncheon meat, pork curry and lap cheong.

Chinese-style nasi lemak

The coconut rice is fluffy and fragrant from the addition of pandan leaves. Pity the curries aren’t spicy enough but if you love a good porky nasi lemak, this is your best bet. Read my review here.

San Peng Nasi Lemak
Off Jalan San Peng,
Pudu 52100,
Kuala Lumpur.
(opposite San Peng flats)
GPS Coordinates: N 3 07.971 E 101 42.708

Beef Noodles

Springy noodles with savoury minced beef

I call it the beef noodles under the big tree and the noodles here are delicious. The place is no-frills with no air conditioning so expect to sweat a little when you’re there. Get the dry version — homemade noodles tossed with special sauce and slivers of beef, tripe and beef meatball.

Tripe, beef slice and beef meatball

The uncle can be cranky, so I was told. But he has been nothing but nice to me and even offered to give me extra soup. Read my review here.

Pudu Beef Noodles
Jalan Brunei Selatan
Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.249 E 101 42.706

Curry Mee at Restoran 168

Curry mee with char siew and cockles

Currently my favourite place for curry laksa, it would be wise to come here early or risk being disappointed. On two occasions, they ran out of curry by 11am. And the dry noodles although decent, wasn’t good enough to suppress that curry mee craving.

Spinach noodles

You get a few noodle options — spinach noodle, yellow mee, mee hoon or kuay teow. I usually go for the spinach noodle and a large portion. Each bowl comes with slices of char siew, tofu puffs and juicy cockles. The broth is thick, fairly spicy and rich from the coconut milk, almost addictive. Read my review here.

Curry Mee at Restoran 168
Jalan Brunei
Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.305 E 101 42.771

Sek Yuen

Eight Treasure Duck

One of the oldest Chinese restaurants around KL, Sek Yuen is as old school as it gets. The chefs are in their seventies, and so are the staff. There is no menu available; you are expected to know what to order.

Kwai Fa Chi (mock sharks fin with egg)

The food is fuss free and reminiscent of what your grandmother would cook. One of the more interesting dishes for me is the Kwai Fa Chi (mock sharks fin with egg), eaten with fresh lettuce. Also, try the eight treasure pork knuckle or duck. Both are tasty so it really depends on your meat preference. Read my review here.

Sek Yuen (non-halal)
No. 313-1 & 315,
Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9222 9457, 9222 9457
(Closed on Monday)
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.138 E 101 42.734

Pudu Wai Sek Kai

Fried carrot cake

One of my favourite food streets to go to in KL, Pudu Wai Sek Kai is known for many things. Namely the fried chicken, tong sui, hakka mee (see below) and fried carrot cake.

Chicken carcass and chicken feet

Steamed egg custard

The tong sui sells out by 3.30pm, but that is also when the other stalls begin operation. There is perpetually a long queue for the fried chicken — you get to choose the chicken parts you like. Try and make space for the steamed yam cake. This one is quite good. All in, just go there on an empty stomach and fill it to the brim! Read my review here.

Pudu Wai Sek Kai
446, Jalan Sayur,
Off Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.116 E 101 42.789

Hakka Mee

Noodles topped with savoury minced pork and char siew

This stall has been around for more than eight decades, serving handmade hakka noodles to regulars. The handmade noodles are cooked to order and comes with savoury minced pork, char siew slices and lard oil. Unlike the usual hakka noodles we’re accustomed to, this version is springy and devoid of alkaline taste. The wantan soup is also commendable; smooth morsels of pork dumplings in light pork broth accented with a slight dash of pepper and scallions.

Handmade noodles — springy and devoid of alkaline taste

If you want your Hakka mee fix, get here by noon (they open from 8.30am onwards) as the stall closes by 2pm. Just before the Wai Sek Kai stalls open. Read my review here.

Pudu Hakka Mee
446, Jalan Sayur,
Off Jalan Pudu,
55100 Pudu,
Kuala Lumpur.
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.105 E 101 42.778

Thim Kee Steamed Fish

Crispy perfection

Another popular stall that opens only in the afternoon, it’s pretty easy to spot Thim Kee’s crowd at the corner of Jalan 1/77C. Both the steamed and deep fried tilapia are popular items here, but my preference lies with deep fried. The tilapia is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and comes with a savoury-sweet and garlicky bean sauce.

It gets really hot in the afternoon, especially under the zinc roof so office workers, beware. It’s best to dress casually for this. Read my review here.

Thim Kee Steamed Fish
Jalan 1/77c, Off Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-3986 3097
GPS Coordinates: N 3 08.256 E 101 42.777

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