Restoran Yut Kee: Kuala Lumpur's famous Malay-Hainanese food since 1928

Chicken Chop, Roti Babi, and Beef Rendang

by Restoran Yut Kee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I was perhaps most excited about having breakfast at the legendary Restoran Yut Kee, a family run Hainanese kopitiam that's been serving up delicious Malay-Chinese meals and coffee for nearly a century.

It was crowded when we arrived, but we only had to wait a few minutes before we were offered a table. We started out with a delicious glass of Malaysian iced coffee, then had a look at the menu. Restoran Yut Kee has a few signature dishes, and I was excited to try some of them. First, I decided to order their most popular shop specialty: beef rendang, a slow-cooked beef stew made with tons of herbs and a base of coconut milk. The stew was served with a generous portion of super tender beef, cubes of broth-infused tofu, and a mountain of thin rice noodles.

The rich herbal taste was amazing but be warned; it was spicy! Even I wasn't able to eat all of the broth. I've got a decently high tolerance for spice nowadays, but this dish was a little too much for me. I was surprised - Malaysian food doesn't necessarily have a reputation for being super spicy.

spicy beef rendang by Yut Kee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

If spicy food isn't your thing, I can also recommend Yut Kee's other specialty: chicken chop.

Chicken chop is a Western-inspired dish which harkens back to Malaysia's multicultural past. The dish was originally invented by Hainanese migrant workers who arrived in Malaysia during the colonial era and is popularly served at Malay kopitiams.

This fusion dish combines local Malaysian ingredients and flavors with Western cooking techniques. A breaded and panfried chicken thigh is served in a gravy based on Hainanese brown sauce and accompanied by a hearty side of roast potatoes and mixed vegetables. 

chicken chop by Restoran Yut Kee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I also ordered a plate of "roti babi", a type of Malaysian pork-filled breakfast sandwich. The savory pork filling was made with onions and lots of spices and was wrapped in a thick and soft roti bread. The filling reminded me a lot of a Chinese-style red pork dumpling. The roti babi itself was big and pretty filling. It would have made a good breakfast on its own to split between two people alongside a couple of glasses of iced coffee and a kaya butter roll.

roti babi, or "pork bread" for breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

More great Malaysian food in Kuala Lumpur:

• Nyonya Curry Laksa by Limapulo - Peranakan food (Michelin Guide)
• Nasi Lemak, Kaya Toast, Half-Boiled Egg Toast, and Iced Coffee
• Lai Fong Lala Noodles - Michelin award-winning clam noodles in Kuala Lumpur

Location

Restoran Yut Kee is located at 1, Jalan Kamunting, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This famous Hainanese family-run kopitiam that has been open since 1928! It's one of the oldest and most popular breakfast spots in the city. It can get extremely crowded, but we got there a little after the breakfast rush and were able to get a table without having to wait more than a few minutes.

Restoran Yut Kee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (famous Hainanese-Malay restaurant)