Looking for the best places for dinner or lunch in KL? Bangsar Village must be on your list for this year's visit to Kuala Lumpur. There is a massive explosion in the food scene in Kuala Lumpur post-covid and the city seems to be enjoying a foodie renaissance. Whatever your taste, you are sure to find you amazing food experience in the Bangsar area of Kuala Lumpur. 

Bangsar Village is the centre of activity in Bangsar and offers a good mix of restaurants, cafes and bars. During my visit to Kuala Lumpur, I love visiting the Bangsar area for catching up with friends and trying out some new restaurants. 

During my last visit to KL in July 2022, I stayed at South Bangsar a trendy new developed area with plenty of amazing eateries and places to stay. With almost 2 km driving distance from Bangsar Village, I decided to explore so Indian foodie outlets which I had previously ignored during my visit to Bangsar.

Mahbub is a Nasi  Biryani Ayam restaurant serving the Bangsar community for over fifty years. Lunchtime is the busiest time of the day when a large number of local office workers and families like to visit the Bangsar Landmark popular for Rice Biryani, curries and meat dishes.

The menu offers a good mix of Malaysian popular dishes as well as Indian-influenced rice dishes as well as South Indian Dosas. There are plenty of choices to explore you will need a large appetite to taste the most popular dishes on the menu. 

I queued up to order at the entrance and want to choose my own set of dishes from the hot plate. I settled with a generous serving of Biryani rice, lamb shanks and deep-fried chicken. A topping of fish cakes and okra made my plate very delectable. 

The interior of the restaurant has a large air-conditioned hall which is normally packed with customers. I was able to find a spot after a 5-minute wait.  Most people seemed regular visitors offering their favourite mix of Malay and Indian dishes. Mahbub has given a Malaysian twist to some dishes as the Indian recipes have adopted the local flavour. 

The food served with pickled cucumbers and lemonade was a perfect choice for a hot steamy day. I loved the meat dishes, as Biryani seemed a bit bland for my Pakistani tastebuds. Vegetable dishes are nicely done. Meat dishes, however, dominate the menu as most customers seem to like chicken dishes both in curry as well as deep friend style. 

I walked across to Bangsar Village Shopping Mall to enjoy a Gelato after lunch. 

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Visiting Knowhere Restaurant and Bar in Bangsar Village

Looking for a really nice restaurant in Kuala Lumpur? Search no more. Knowhere has a massive menu with a great mix of continental and Malaysian dishes, salads, wraps, pasta and lots more. 

Later, the next evening a friend of mine invited me to Knowhere a modern trendy bar attracting good reviews online for a great atmosphere and impressive menu.

 

The restaurant was packed as we did not put our names on the list on Saturday. However, we were able to secure a spot outside. It was a pleasant evening and we enjoyed people-watching while sipping our drinks. 

The food menu was quite impressive and I ordered salmon fillet salad, sauteed mushroom tapas along with a spicy pizza with seafood and sambal sauce. The presentation of the food was great and we enjoyed the ample serving cooked to perfection. I really enjoyed the lively atmosphere and great food at Knowhere. I will be definitely visiting this joint on my next visit to Kuala Lumpur. 

After dinner, we popped into Antipodean Cafe for desserts and coffee. The cafe culture in Bangsar is amazing and shows the city's love for sweets and desserts. The western version of barista coffee is also getting very popular with younger crowds. 

Another interesting restaurant that attracts large crowds is Sri Nirwana Maju Restaurant. The choice of Indian food dishes is amazing and you will be served rice and curries over a banana leaf in the traditional style. I have visited this restaurant several times and loved the spicy flavours of curries and deep-fried chicken and fish dishes. 

The bar scene is also very popular in Bangsar with all major streets along Jalan Talawi lined with a number of trendy sports bars. 

A mix of budget foodie joints, fast food chains and cafes makes Bangsar popular with a varied crowd looking for a bite. Bangsar Village Shopping Mall has a number of very nice restaurants including Nutmeg, Daily Grind and Three Little Pigs & The Big Bad Wold amongst others.  For fast food lovers, a branch of Nando's is also located in the same Shopping Center. 

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