Malaysia’s capital gets millions of annual tourists to experience the city, shopping and its famous food culture. But finding vegan restaurants in Kuala Lumpur can be somewhat of a challenge. Here are our favourite spots with an all-vegan or vegan–friendly menu.
Mr Naan and Mrs Idly in Kuala Lumpur’s Little India provides a mouth-watering selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. The extensive menu offers a variety of north and south Indian Buddhist-friendly food at rock bottom prices. The highlight of this restaurant is the weekday lunchtime buffet starting at RM15 ($3.90). Expect all food to use fresh ingredients without preservatives. Anyone looking for vegan Indian food in Kuala Lumpur will appreciate what’s on offer at Mr Naan and Mrs Idly.
While not strictly a 100% vegan restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, this small spot in Bangsar does have some of the city’s best dishes. The family-owned business emphasises using fresh ingredients and healthy eating with a comprehensive selection of both vegan and raw vegan meals. Highlights include the living mushroom raw vegan foie gras, vegan Borneo Laksa and the red vege burger. Ashley’s does offer non-vegetarian and non-vegan meals, but they’re prepared in a separate area and shouldn’t deter potential customers.
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Voted as one of the best vegan restaurants in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysians, Sala Vegan Restaurant offers a distinctive fusion of Mexican and Asian flavours. Diners can make their own burritos by choosing from a selection of fresh veggies prepared by diligent staff in front of the customers. Other options include tacos, nachos, salads and local favourites such as nasi lemak and curry laksa. The dessert menu has delicious peanut butter or chocolate brownies served with ice cream. For an independent vegan restaurant, the prices tend to be reasonable but relatively high for Kuala Lumpur standards.
Justlife has established itself as a household name for providing organic food and eco-friendly products since it first opened in 1999. Kuala Lumpur’s Midvalley branch comes with a small café attached to the store. Holding the title as the only entirely vegan-friendly place to dine inside the mall, customers can order a selection of local and Western favourites. All dishes use ingredients from the shop with offerings of rice, noodles, dumplings, salads, nasi lemak and even a vegan pizza. Staff focus on excellent food presentation and almost all diners are satisfied. Expect to pay around RM20 ($5) for a meal. Take note that last orders are at 8:00pm.
Not all traditional Malay food is vegan-friendly, which can be frustrating for tourists who want to sample the famous cuisine. Fortunately, The Water Lily Restaurant on Jalan Tun H S Lee in Chinatown offers variety. The menu features a selection of vegan versions of Chinese-Malay and Malay food as well as a range of mock meat dishes such as their speciality spare ribs. Expect a comprehensive menu, attentive staff who are always happy to answer questions about the food and affordable prices in this simple vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.
Located behind Kuala Lumpur’s Dharma Realm Guan Yin Monastery is one of the best vegan restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. The canteen provides a spread of food to cater to the resident monks and local Buddhists, including more than 50 vegan dishes. Priding itself on a strict code of no preservatives, MSG or white sugar, the food is both healthy and affordable. A filling vegan meal costs less than RM10 ($2.50).
The motto of Aenon is ‘Health is a choice, not a chance’ and the food served at this vegan restaurant in Kuala Lumpur lives up to the slogan. All dishes use fresh and all-natural ingredients without preservatives, salt and MSG. Even the drinks menu lacks caffeine. Highlights include organic black bean noodle soup, the Aenon veggie wrap, dumplings, soups and almond rojak. Expect large portions and high-quality, healthy food without compromising flavour at affordable prices.
For organic and nutritious vegan-friendly food in Bukit Bintang, head to Simple Life Healthy on the second floor of Lot 10 Shopping Centre. With a minimalistic design and a selection of both vegetarian and vegan dishes using fresh ingredients, this is one of the best places to dine in Bukit Bintang. Expect a meal and a drink to cost around RM30 ($7.50) per person.
WTF, or What Tasty Food (obviously), offers an upscale Indian dining experience with a menu filled with vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes. Choices include both north and south Indian food, street food and Indo-Chinese influences. Not all the food on the menu is vegan and diners might need to ask the staff to point out which dishes to eat. But WTF comes highly recommended by Malaysian vegans for vegan food in Kuala Lumpur.
The food at this vegetarian-vegan restaurant in Kuala Lumpur offers meat-free versions of Chinese-Malaysian favourites. With a selection of dishes including homemade noodles, curry mee and nasi lemak, it’s almost impossible to taste the difference from the original recipe. A typical meal including a drink shouldn’t exceed RM12 ($3) per person. Speak to the staff at Giant Bowl for advice on the vegan-friendly options.
