10 must-try roti canai places in KL for the best breakfast of your life

If you were to ask any Malaysian what their favourite breakfast food is, there’s a high chance that they’ll gush about fluffy, crispy roti canai.

From weekend family breakfasts, to midnight lepak sessions with friends, roti canai is always a top choice for those in need of a familiar and comforting dish that rarely lets the consumer down. There are countless ways you can have it too. Eat the flatbread on its own, drenched in dhaal or curry, or dipped in sugar— the choice is yours.

Plain roti canai, which some may refer to as roti kosong, is so popular here that you can get different variations— sweet or salty. Roti telur, roti pisang, or roti tisu, whatever you can think of, you can find at any mamak shop in the country.

If you’re a tourist visiting Malaysia for the first time, or a local seeking to expand your horizons, here are 10 must-try roti canai places for the best breakfast of your life.

1. Ali Roti Canai Tsunami

Despite its unassuming location, Ali Roti Canai Tsunami is a crowd favourite. They’re only open 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, so you best believe that customers are willing to stand in line under the zinc roof for some delicious roti canai.

Instead of the usual silver tray of roti canai with 3 types of dipping sauces placed carefully at the side, this shop drenches their roti with dal, hence the name “tsunami”. What sets their Roti Canai Tsunami (RM4) apart though, is that they also top it off with sambal and a couple hard boiled eggs. This dish is also known as roti canai banjir in other places.

Don’t forget to take a peek at the workers as they skillfully prepare your dish then and there. Hand tossed and grilled to order, their roti canai may leave you tempted to get in queue again just for another plate.

Jalan Pantai Permai, Pantai Dalam, 59200 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6016 697 4335
Wed to Sun: 7am – 11am
Closed on Mon & Tue
Facebook | Instagram

2. Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar

Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar began its journey in 1974 as a small stall in a coffee shop. Now, the franchise has grown to be one of the country’s biggest Penang heritage chains.

Their rotis are a little different from other places as the dough used has a slight sweetness to it. This means that if you were to pair a mouthful of roti canai with some curry, you would get a delightful balance of sweet and savoury. 

You can get some regular Roti Canai for RM2.50 a piece. However, a trip to Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar is never complete without ordering their iconic Roti Tissue (RM13.50), a crispy and sugary roti that stands tall, as pictured above. This dish is typically brought out like this, with the worker ensuring its structural integrity by holding the tip with a piece of tissue. It is then laid down, usually spanning 3 plates long.

For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
Facebook | Website

3. Mansion Tea Stall

No social media, and even more shockingly, no signage outside the stall, Mansion Tea Stall is truly one of those if you know, you know places. 

At this stall, they keep it simple; no head-scratching items, no long list that’ll leave you staring at the menu for a long time. Their menu is condensed to offer customers the staples, the best of the best.

They serve a total of 8 rotis here. Their plain Roti Canai costs RM1.50, while the Roti Bawang and Roti Planta are RM2.40 each. The other rotis you can order include Roti Telur Bawang (RM2.80), Roti Sardin (RM4.80), and Roti Boom (RM2.80).

Mansion Tea Stall also has a couple noodle dishes for customers to try, like Maggi Kari Sup (RM5) and Mee Goreng Campur (RM6). 

Selangor Mansion, Jalan Masjid India, 50100, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6012 331 1456
Daily: 8am – 12pm

4. Valentine Roti

In contrast, Valentine Roti’s menu is full of, well, everything. Apart from the usuals you’d find at your local mamak shop, this eatery has some menu items that you’ve probably never heard of before, featuring unique names and interesting flavour combinations. 

If you just want the classics, they have Roti Canai (RM1.80), Roti Telur (RM3.80), and Roti Susu Milo (RM4.80), among others. If you’re feeling brave, however, check out their self-named Roti Valentine (RM7), Roti Coin (RM4), and Roti Kahwin (RM5.60).

They also have something called Roti Jantan (RM5). Yeah, I didn’t know that a dish like roti could be gender specific either. 

In addition to all those rotis, Valentine Roti serves various types of thosai as well. The shop offers Thosai Rawa (RM3), Thosai Ghee (RM3.50), and Paper Thosai (RM4). Those looking for something sweet and savoury can opt for the Thosai Pisang Cheese (RM5.50).

Stor No. 1, Jalan Semarak, 54000 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6012 293 6248
Daily: 8am – 11.45pm
Facebook

5. Kanna Curry House

Kanna Curry House is an iconic roti canai and banana leaf spot that’s well known among the residents of Petaling Jaya. They have 7 outlets across the Klang Valley, including 4 in PJ, one in Puchong, one in Klang, and another in Kepong.

They’re a family business that’s been running for 3 generations since 1976. When you walk into any of their restaurants, you’ll see their slogan plastered everywhere: “Makanan & minuman di restoran ini sesuai untuk semua lapisan masyarakat”, displaying their pride in serving food that caters to everyone’s taste buds.

Kanna Curry House offers crispy and fluffy Roti Canai (RM2.10), Roti Bomm (RM3.50), and Thosai Masala (RM4.20). Other than that, they also have Chapathi (RM2.80), Puri (RM3.70), and even Idly (RM1.70).

Workers carry large trays of small portions of chicken, fish, and lamb dishes from table to table, so that customers can select sides without having to stand up. You can choose between dishes like Ikan Tenggiri Goreng (RM8), Kambing Varuval (RM15.90), or Ayam Perathal (RM8). 

For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
Facebook | Instagram | Website

6. Lotus Family Restaurant

Located at Jalan Gasing, Lotus Family Restaurant is a popular destination for hikers who spent their morning trailing Bukit Gasing— more often than not, you’ll spot couples and groups of friends in exercise gear feasting after a long outdoor session. 

Of course, they have the usual suspects like Roti Canai (RM2), Roti Canai Pisang (RM3.50), Roti Canai Square (RM2.50), and Roti Canai Cheese Double (RM5). 

Here, you’ll also find dishes like Murtabak Chicken (RM12), Mutton Kothu Paratha (RM16), Egg Thosai (RM5), and Podi Thosai (RM5). Their Plain Appam Set (RM6) is highly recommended and comes with 2 pieces of appam and sweetened coconut milk to pour over. They also suggest customers check out their Egg or Onion Oothappam (RM5) and Thairu Vadai (RM2.50).

Those with a sweet tooth will be delighted to know that they also sell a variety of Indian sweets that you can take home for RM1.50 a piece.

15, Jalan Gasing, Seksyen 6, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+603 7782 8795
Daily: 7am – 9pm
Facebook | Instagram

7. Ravi’s Banana Leaf

As the name suggests, Ravi’s Banana Leaf is known for their hearty and satisfying banana leaf meals. That being said, they still offer roti and thosai for customers in need of a lighter meal, or a tea time snack.

The Roti Canai here costs RM2.20, while the Roti Tissue and Roti Kaya are RM4.40 each. Their thosai menu includes Thosai Ghee Paper (RM4.30), Thosai Masala (RM5.30), and Thosai Egg & Onion (RM3.40). 

You can choose to dip your warm pieces of roti in some dal, but if you’re one to order side dishes to complete your meal, Ravi’s serves Chicken Peratel (RM10.20), Mutton Varuval (RM13.10), and Potato Masala (RM3.50). They also have Burung Puyuh (RM8.60), also known as quail.

Many diners choose to order noodles, like the Fried Mee, Maggi Mee Goreng, and Maggi Mee Sup, all of which are RM7.30 each without chicken, and RM9.90 with chicken.

76, Jalan PJU 5/21, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+603 6148 9111
Daily: 8am – 8pm
Facebook

8. Murni Discovery

Murni Discovery, mostly known as Murni by locals, is a famous lepak spot. Not only do they have roti canai, they also serve various Asian fusion cuisines. First timers might get a shock from seeing their menu, but for its usual patrons, this means that they can visit the eatery often and still find a dish that they haven’t tried.

Their Roti Discovery menu includes food like Roti Canai (RM1.50), Roti Tampal (RM2.50), Roti Susu (RM2), and Roti Pisang (RM2.50). You might be bored of the same old rotis. Well, good news, because Murni’s got your back. Other than the eyebrow-raising items like Roti Fujiyama (RM5) and Roti Hawaii (RM6.50), they also serve Roti Salad Tuna (RM7.50) and Roti Beckham (RM7). Don’t worry, I’m just as confused as you are. 

For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
Facebook | Instagram | Website

9. Teh Tarik Place

When Teh Tarik Place first opened their doors in 2007, they were on a mission to serve authentic Malaysian street food in a casual and comfortable environment. Inspired by our lepak culture, they offer all kinds of dishes to the different customers and walk into any of their 13 outlets.

A lot of people might doubt the authenticity of their roti canai, mainly because Teh Tarik Place is a franchise that houses its outlets in shopping malls. However, many diners favour their hand-tossed roti canai over others because theirs is guaranteed to be soft and crispy, as a roti canai should be.

The eatery has Roti Canai (RM3.10), Roti Boom (RM4.30), and even Roti Jantan (RM8.90), which essentially is a roti canai topped with 2 soft boiled eggs to represent, well, you know. They also have Roti Tisu (RM4.40) and Roti Telur Bawang (RM5.60).

For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
Facebook | Instagram | Website

10. Rathaa Curry House

Although Rathaa Curry House is usually frequented by banana leaf enthusiasts, they do have a selection of roti and thosai for diners to relish.

Their Roti Canai is RM2, and their Roti Bom and Roti Planta are both priced at RM3.50 a piece. If you’re looking for a more dessert-like roti, check out their Roti Tissue, Roti Kaya, or Roti Madu for RM3.50 each. 

The restaurant has 7 types of thosai to choose from, like Thosai Biasa (RM2.50), Thosai Telur (RM5), and Thosai Bawang (RM4.20). You can even get dishes like Chapati (RM2.80) and Puri (RM5.20).

Other items available at Rathaa Curry House include Puttumayam (RM1.30), Idly (RM3 for 2 pieces), Nasi Lemak Panas (RM3.80), and Vadai (RM1.30).

22, Jalan Puteri 1/5, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
+603 8051 1343
Daily: 6.30am – 8pm
Facebook | Instagram

The post 10 must-try roti canai places in KL for the best breakfast of your life appeared first on SETHLUI.com.