Kuala Lumpur breakfast guide: Best kopitiams for kaya toast and kopi. Photo / Supplied
Tamara Hinson raises a (kaya) toast to Kuala Lumpur, where breakfast is taken very, very seriously.
Being British, I love a bacon sandwich for breakfast. In hotels, my weakness is eggs benedict. In France, it’s croissants. Basically, I take my breakfasts seriously. But not, apparently, as seriously as Malaysians, whose love of breakfast dishes such as kaya toast and roti canai, washed down with kopi or teh tarik (pulled tea), is a thing to behold.
For Malaysians, breakfast isn’t simply an early-morning energy fix, proof of which is Unesco’s decision to award their breakfast culture Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status in recognition of its cultural significance. Breakfasts are opportunities to come together, celebrate bonds between producers and consumers and honour heritage dishes prepared with ingredients beloved by Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous groups from Malaysia’s 13 states.
In 2018, during a visit to the city’s Brickfields neighbourhood, I visited Cafe Old Market Square, founded in 1928 by Hainanese immigrants. After stopping for a morning kopi fix, I fell in love with its wooden shutters, no-nonsense service and faded photos of old Kuala Lumpur. The menu reflected the city’s evolution, listing typical kopitiam contenders like rojak and nasi lemak alongside chicken chops with baked beans (the cafe opened when Malaysia was ruled by bean-loving British).
Sadly, on my recent visit to KL, I learn the cafe has closed. Thankfully, I discover that many of the oldest kopitiams aren’t simply surviving but thriving because of Malaysians’ love of a good breakfast. Chinatown has some of my favourites, including Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam, founded in 1956 and tucked inside a shophouse which still has its original Peranakan tiling, along with pencil drawings of Kuala Lumpur drawn long before the world’s second-tallest building pierced its skyline. Recently exposed brick walls make it a hit with KL’s younger caffeine addicts, although in reality, it’s no different to older kopitiams.
Coffee machines screech as employees slather toast with kaya (coconut jam) – a breakfast staple usually served alongside boiled eggs and aromatic, sugary kopi (“coffee” in Hainanese), made with condensed milk. When Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam opens at 7.30am, the queue typically snakes halfway down the street.
Another great spot for local breakfasts is Kampung Baru. In 1899, the British gazetted a cluster of stilted houses surrounded by farmland. Kuala Lumpur was expanding, and authorities told Kampung Baru’s residents they wanted to protect their rural lifestyle. In reality, their goal was ensuring these farmers’ produce continued to fuel the expanding city. It’s somewhat surreal, exploring Kampong Baru’s stilted houses and livestock-filled fields, with the Merdeka 118 looming in the background. But for Malaysian breakfasts, it’s hard to beat. The best ones are served at family-run street food stalls, most of which are Muslim-owned and specialise in traditional Malay dishes. I recommend Alfiyah Lontong Jawa Asli for lontong jawa (banana leaf-wrapped rice cakes) and begedil (potato patties with shallots).
Recently, several entrepreneurs have opened modern kopitiams, satisfying customers’ hunger for selfie-friendly backdrops, as well as kaya toast. Inside Bukit Bintang’s Breakfast Spot, a beautifully refurbished, plant-filled shophouse, the cafe’s name is picked out in neon, and coffee sacks double as lampshades. It’s famous for its modern takes on traditional Malaysian favourites – rendang-topped toast and charcoal mochi tarts. Stacks of pre-read books are a reminder of Malaysians’ belief that breakfasts are about downtime, with titles such as “How to study”, alongside crime novels, suggesting these breakfasts fuel minds, as well as bodies. Khie, a waiter, tells me his favourite breakfast dish is sambal-topped toast. “It’s just so Malaysian,” he says.
Equally hip is Bangsar’s Breakfast Thieves, a modern kopitiam where drinks on offer (alongside dozens of coffees and teas) include green tea made with pineapple jam, a breakfast staple. Cherry red Chinese paper lanterns offset the artfully exposed concrete floor, and low, cushion-scattered seating is another reminder that Malaysian breakfasts are best enjoyed slowly.
Supervisor Apple tells me that the cafe (like most kopitiams) is busiest at weekends, when people have more time to relax. Beyond Breakfast Thieves, her favourite breakfast kopi spots include VCR, a cafe where specialities include kaffir lime-topped toast and granola with peach oolong-infused milk. As for her take on what makes good kopi? “It’s the beans – in kopitiams we mainly use Arabica. We love strong coffee.” Reassuringly, she’s confident that traditional kopitiams are here to stay. “There are plenty of heritage kopitiams doing really well. Even I prefer those ones.”
It’s worth flagging that hotel breakfasts are a cut above here, too. At the luxurious EQ Kuala Lumpur, breakfast dishes offered alongside the usual pastries include nasi lemak and sambal-drizzled porridge. At the Kimpton Naluria Kuala Lumpur, the famous Kimpton Kickstart breakfast’s local twist is aromatic teh tarik, and at the Rise & Grind cafe, it’s the pandan Swiss rolls. I opt for some kaya jam-filled madeleines, the beloved French pastries, and scarily, they’re better than the ones I ate in Paris. Au revoir, bacon butties, croissants and eggs benedict – our love affair is over.
The writer travelled at their own expense.