$$$$
JapaneseMid Valley
Tanba Japanese BBQ and Hotpot grills buffet-style yakiniku and bubbles a la carte hotpot on the first floor of Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur.
OrderOrder the buffet-style yakiniku for the table grill, then a highball from the Japanese liquor list.
TipLarger groups can book the private VIP room, which comes fitted with a karaoke system.
$$$$
MalaysianTaman U Thant
De Wan 1958 by Chef Wan cooks modern Malaysian food at The LINC KL in Taman U Thant, Kuala Lumpur, and now holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.
OrderOrder the ayam kampung soup, a home style Malay broth that reviewers single out.
TipThe dining room sits inside a mall, easy to combine with a Jalan Tun Razak errand.
$$$$
SeafoodCheras
Hai Kah Lang cooks fresh seafood noodles in Taman Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, sourcing the day's catch from the owner's own seafood stall nearby the shop.
OrderOrder the mixed seafood noodles with flower crab, prawns, squid and clams.
TipCome at 11:00 on a weekday for a shorter wait, then pick from eight noodle types and five soup bases.
$$$$
Sri LankanBukit Damansara
Aliyaa cooks Sri Lankan Jaffna dishes in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, among the cafes of Plaza Damansara, and is recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
OrderOrder the whole crab curry, cooked Jaffna style and served with an apron.
TipThe crab meat curry is the no-effort version of the house crab curry if you would rather not crack shells.
$$$$
Middle EasternTtdi
Leen's Middle East Kitchen cooks Syrian food in TTDI, Kuala Lumpur, run by a Syrian chef, and carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its smoked hummus.
OrderOrder the smoked hummus, finished with charcoal smoked Syrian olive oil and paprika oil.
TipThe smoked hummus is the dish everyone orders, come hungry enough to add a main alongside it.
$$$$
HainaneseDang Wangi
Yut Kee is a Hainanese kopitiam founded in 1928 on Jalan Dang Wangi, now one street over on Jalan Kamunting in Kuala Lumpur, known for its chicken chop.
OrderOrder the Hainanese chicken chop, fried in an egg coat and dressed in brown sauce.
TipLeave your name and party size at the front counter rather than waiting at the red chairs; staff call names in turn.