Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – High-end Hawker Fare at Madam Kwan’s

Rating:

By Veron Ang

Aside from Nando’s, another place that I have been wanting to visit in Kuala Lumpur is Madam Kwan’s. Started by the 75 year old Madam Kwan Swee Lian in 1977, this 4-restaurant chain takes pride in dishing out true Malaysian cuisine. Even the ang mohs love it, judging by the number of expatriates dining in the swanky eatery!

While the menu consists of largely hawker fare, the sleek and classy decor gives the feel of a high-end restaurant. You can expect to feast on mamak food like nasi lemak, nasi bojari and assam laksa, which are the signature dishes here.

I go for the first, a natural choice for a nasi lemak lover!

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk)
RM$~~14.90~~ 15.90++
Rating:

Service is quick and the food is delivered pronto. The white lemak rice is accompanied by curry chicken, hard boiled egg, dried shrimp floss, spicy ikan bilis (dried anchovies), cucumber, and achar (pickled vegetables) in a separate small plate. What a delightful combination of colours and mouthwatering flavours!

With the fragrance of the coconut milk infusing every grain, the rice smells great and tastes even better. Despite how good it is, I can’t finish all of it due to the ample portions of the other ingredients. While I would expect the huge serving of curry chicken to be the “star” of the dish, it turns out only pedestrian. I find that it’s really the accompaniments that make this dish what it is.

Slanting towards the sweet side, the sambal ikan bilis are comfortably spicy and simply bursting with flavour! I only wish there’s more of it to go with the coconut rice.

Even the little saucer of achar packs a punch with its sweet-sour taste and crunchy quality.

Madam Kwan's

Some people don’t mind paying steep prices for great food, even if it’s the seemingly ordinary hawker fare. This nasi lemak definitely falls into the category of highly-priced yummy food (though not as pricey as the Chatterbox chicken rice).

Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Madam Kwan’s outlet I visited was at the posh Suria KLCC mall situated at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers. The same mall houses many designer boutiques like Prada and Louis Vuitton.

Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

If you are in Singapore and hungering for Madam Kwan’s cuisine, Grandma’s may just be the place to satisfy that craving. Helmed by a former chef at Madam Kwan’s, this restaurant also sells the same style of dishes. I don’t know if the food tastes as good though. If you have dined there, perhaps you can share your experience with us!

Update: I visited Grandma’s and the food is awesome!

For now, I would continue to get my fix of nasi lemak from Qi Ji, and a certain small non-air-conditioned eatery at Toa Payoh Central.

How about you? Where do you go for your favourite nasi lemak?

Madam Kwan’s (

)
4 outlets:
- Suria KLCC
- Mid Valley Megamall
- Pavilion
- Bangsar Baru
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tags: dinner, Halal, Kuala Lumpur, lunch, Malay, nasi lemak, restaurant, Singaporean

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About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

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Responses Leave a comment

proud mom to maximus
29 comments

if im in KL i wud go to Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa at Kampung Baru.
if in spore, i would go to Changi Village of coz!
Reply
Posted July 21, 2009 at 12:08 am
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Lemme guess: The Changi Village nasi lemak is from the stall with the infamous long queue?
  Speaking of Changi Village, I love the ayam penyet from Sri Bistari!
  Reply
  Posted July 21, 2009 at 12:11 am
proud mom to maximus
29 comments

haha ur right…the never ending Q…
yes! sri bestari ayam penyet is to die for..apart from the one at Lucky Plaza…
Reply
Posted July 21, 2009 at 12:14 am
Kyo
54 comments

Oh! You did go to Madam Kwan’s after all.
I still think the bojari rice is quite a ‘standout’. I’m probably heading there again this weekend to try other things on their menu.
I’ll have to check out Grandma’s – nearly went there but went to Modesto’s instead as wasn’t sure of their food. Since you claim it’s a former chef of Madam Kwan’s in the same style, I’ll probably swing by there today/tomorrow.
Must stop flying for food…
Reply
Posted July 21, 2009 at 12:08 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Yeah I made it a point to dine there after your recommendation :) No regrets. I love the food!
  Is Grandma’s as good as the original?
  Reply
  Posted July 21, 2009 at 9:45 pm
  - Kyo
    54 comments
    
    I got deflected today to a restaurant at Ion Orchard (fancy, schmancy)… still planning on hitting Grandma’s very shortly, possibly tomorrow or this weekend (first weekend in Singapore since Val’s in Feb – good to be back!)
    Reply
    Posted July 22, 2009 at 4:52 pm
TasteHongKong
1 comment

So happened, while touring in Malaysia for more than a year ago, I visited Mdm Kwan in the Twin Tower and enjoyed an identical dish. Love that coconut flavor which I seldom have it here in Hong Kong, and you remind me of that ‘delicious trip’.
Thank you for the posting and I have enjoyed visiting this nice site, which is just added to my Technorati Favorite.
Reply
Posted July 25, 2009 at 1:02 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Thank you for your “favorite”! I think the coconut flavoured rice is more of a South East Asian specialty :)
  Reply
  Posted July 25, 2009 at 4:44 pm
weihong
1 comment

I was at the same outlet, my friend had Nasi Bojari(spelling anyone ?) and i had assam laksa, love the food and portions large + the waitress serving me is very cute :)
Reply
Posted September 22, 2009 at 3:14 pm
- craig chew
  1 comment
  
  still remember her name..?
  Reply
  Posted December 8, 2009 at 5:57 pm
jon marc
10 comments

i am seriously very interested in your “certain small non-air-conditioned eatery at Toa Payoh central.” as i am there almost every weekend. until now, i havent really eaten anything special. and i think i have walked the length and breadth of all the known coffeeshops and cooked food markets in TP.
Reply
Posted April 22, 2010 at 5:37 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Oh! It’s along the row of small eateries directly behind Watson’s. On one end there’s the brightly lit roast duck stall. This is the tiny and cramped stall right next to it. The food isn’t really that fantastic. (I just like the chicken wing and chilli.) But as you have rightly pointed out, there isn’t really anything special to eat at Toa Payoh Central!
  Reply
  Posted April 22, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Eva
2 comments

I love your site, especially since I’ve been to Malaysia twice. As you’ll note from my blog, it’s pretty much my favorite cuisine. I love the spice palette.
I had great experiences eating in KL: http://inthekitchenwitheva-eva.blogspot.com/2010/07/food-notes-from-kuala-lumpur-malaysia.html
The goal was to avoid being sent to restaurants catering to Western palettes. I wanted authentic Malaysian food!!!!!
I also really enjoyed visiting the local supermarkets. Sometimes it’s hard to find those ingredients in the US.
Keep up the great work with your website!
Reply
Posted April 23, 2011 at 7:37 am
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Eva, thank you for your wonderful words! And what a pretty name you have :)
  Love hearing your account on how you found authentic Malaysian food. Some of the locals tell me that their best food is usually from the street-side mamak stalls rather than shopping malls. Perhaps you can try one out next time.
  Since you love spicy food, you absolutely must MUST pay a visit to Thailand (or a Thai restaurant run by Thais :P). Their curries are the best, especially the green curry. The minced chicken with basil is awesome too.
  Reply
  Posted April 26, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Eva Thorne
2 comments

I bought a cookbook not too long ago, Fresh Thai written by Oi Cheepchaiissara. I was so taken with it that I spent whole afternoon/early evening, cooking several Thai recipes from it:
http://inthekitchenwitheva-eva.blogspot.com/2011/04/thai-cooking-rampage.html
It was a wonderful experience and the flavors were deep and bold. I think my favorite was the lime-lemongrass sorbet. Amazing!!!
Reply
Posted April 27, 2011 at 12:39 am