Filipino cuisine is an exemplary example of various cultures influencing one another – Spanish, American and Portuguese. Filipino food is hard to come by in Malaysia but fear not, you can find this delightful cuisine in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding neighbourhoods.
Kota Raya
Shopping Mall
Lovingly known as Little Philippines, Kota Raya is a shopping complex located in Chinatown, just opposite Petaling Street. Many of the shops here are manned by Filipinos, including a cargo shipping shop, salons and several food stalls. Take time to explore Kota Raya and you will find Nasi Campur Filipino, Peaches n Apples Cafe, as well as David Axel Cafe.
Set in the upscale Damansara Heights, you can find a homey Filipino feast at Merienda de Eva. Owner Eva Gurcharan-Gill started out with a home-based cake business and saw high demand for her food – leading to Merienda. With more than 50 dishes, patrons can find that more than half are classic Pinoy food. Some of the highlights include the fresh lumpia, pancit palabok, sizzling chicken sisig and kare-kare. To appeal to Malaysian tastebuds, chili has been added to some of the dishes, including the adobo.
You will not have to go far to find Filipino’s food icon, balut, in Malaysia. This unique dish can be found at David Axel Cafe in Kota Raya. As a hangout spot for Filipinos in Malaysia, the dishes here are authentic to taste. Customers can find classics like adobo manok, bina go onngang, palabok and the all-time favourite Filipino dessert, halo-halo.
Located in Petaling Jaya, The Narra is a spacious venue with an extensive menu offering a delightful spread of Filipino dishes. Many Filipinos working in the Klang Valley are drawn to the cozy and natural ambience at Narra as they enjoy their favourite dishes from home. Offerings include sisig, pinakbet, beef caldereta, ensaymada, longganisa, lechon kawali and crispy prata. End your meal on a sweet note with the halo-halo.
You will find a crowd here on Sundays after the Filipino congregation ends at the nearby St. John Church. Chefs are hired from the Philippines and you’ll find the whole place buzzing in Tagalog in no time. With its authentic offerings, it’s no surprise this place is a favourite for Filipinos to enjoy a taste of home to cure the homesickness. The menu is filled with Filipino staples like pork sisig, crispy pata and milkfish.
For those who can’t consume pork but love Filipino food, Truffles is the place to go to. Located in Bangsar, this cosy restaurant offers a small list of items including tapsilog, shangsilog, spring rolls, chicken adobo and embusilog. Order the set meals, priced around RM15, which come with a drink and dessert.
With a convenient location in Chinatown, CalleVerde has been known to serve delightful Pinoy pastries and a homey meal. You will find a mixture of traditional Pinoy food, familiar Western favourites and unique dishes that features both cuisines. CalleVerde’s forte lies in their baked items. You will find the purple yam cake delightful, as well as the dulce de leche cake and various pies worth the extra few pounds.
