The Malaya Garden Café barely camouflages along the busy street of Jalan Balai Polis near Pasar Seni. Its decadent green façade and lush greenery peek through the window panes and rooftop, standing out like a beacon in the dark.
But this secret garden café is no longer a hidden gem. Instead, it is thronged by tourists and locals alike.
Thankfully there aren’t “phantom” queues, unlike their neighbor. The crowd control is good, and so is their food.
Check out this review of Malaya Garden on why it deserves more than one visit!
About Malaya Garden Café
Launched in March 2021, Malaya Garden serves Malaysian and western cuisine with a fusion twist using local ingredients.
Set in a lush tropical backdrop, this 3-level café is tucked away in a heritage street nearby China Town opposite Sheraton’s Four Points hotel.
The queue system is efficient and honest as staff quickly assigns customers to their seats, without creating an unnecessary queue at the entrance.
As such, wait times here are shorter, thus elevating the dining experience.
Ambiance
Styled to look like a tropical garden in the heart of town, soft brown lighting lends a soothing ambiance to its contemporary décor. Its green façade grabs viewers’ attention, while its banana-leaves infringed rooftop evokes curiosity.
Inside, retro art pictures of wildlife animals like tapirs, elephants, tigers, and hornbills adorn the walls. Their signature rooftop garden opens to a spacious main hall and two private dining areas.
The rattan-enclosed pendant lights co-mingling with verdant hanging plants create a tranquil canvas on the rooftop.
Accessibility
Malaya Garden Café is located 3 minutes away from Pasar Seni MRT station.
If you’re driving, you can park opposite the open-air car park at Jalan Balai Polis and alight from there.
As inflation is rises, parking rates have gone up to RM10 per entry.
Service at Malaya Garden Café
The greeter will assign you to your table, with waiters on each floor ready to guide you to your table.
Malaya Garden adopts the QR code menu, where diners scan the code to place orders. If you need more explanation waiters will take your orders manually.
Service is fast and the food was served within 10 minutes of ordering.
Food at Malaya Garden Café
Malaya Garden’s menu evokes patriotism with Tunku Abdul Rahman on the cover declaring “Merdeka”. It sets the tone for a smorgasbord of delicious Western and local fusion food.
Their breakfast sets are stellar meals not to be missed.
Sir Benedict’s smoked salmon topped with dill cream lends a silky and luscious texture. Served on a bed of fresh salad, the contrasting flavors from the ocean-fresh salmon and vegetables make the dish simply refreshing.
Good Morning Breakfast is a family favorite that kids love. The scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection, wobbling with the slightest touch with a creamy aftertaste that is not overbearing. The sourdough toast is tender and soft without tiring the jaw. Served with garden salad and baked beans on the sides, it’s quite a filing meal.
The Golden Lava Bun has minted gold flakes decked on the top of a charcoal pau. The dough is amazingly light and fluffy. Warm crimson salted egg oozes out as you sink your teeth in, making it a heavenly explosion of flavors in the mouth.
If Nasi Lemak is your all-time favorite, then you’ll be spoilt for choices.
The Nasi Lemak Sotong (squid) is a crowd favorite. Served in a hot pot, the dish is packed with deep-fried battered squid, curry potatoes, fried anchovies, egg, and sambal. The portion is huge, so their rice sets are best shared.
The Seafood Curry Laksa is another crowd-puller.
The curry laksa soup is a rich medley of flavors with undertones of turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and candle nut. Stewed with chicken and prawns, the meat lends a rich profile to broth.
Generously topped with fried bean curd sheets, tofu, brinjal, bean sprouts, and a hard-boiled egg, swirl the lime juice to tame the creaminess from the coconut milk.
You’ll also find pasta, dim sum, soups, and dainty cakes that taste as good as they look.
As for their drinks, their local coffee is robust. So is their espresso-based coffee.
Prices
The average price per meal is RM20 and the average price per drink is RM8. Their most expensive dish Signature Char Siu Rib Eye Steak at RM68, and that goes without saying given the rising price of red meat.
Considering the huge serving sizes and good quality of ingredients, prices are reasonable.
Verdict
We stumbled upon Malaya Garden as the restaurant we wanted to patronize was closed during the recent festive season. Thankfully, Malaya Garden lived up to its billing.
Its Instagrammable décor, wide selection of food, decadent decoration plus quick service make it a pleasing place to dine.
Since the café resides in a heritage building with its original structure unaltered, the spiraling stairs with narrow steps make it less friendly for senior citizens.
If you’re not up to navigating the stairs, you can sit on the lower ground floor.
For more cafes in Chinatown, check out Ho Kow Hainan Kopitiam located beside Malaya Café. Or Kafei Dian located just 10 meters away!
Address: 1A, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: 8 am – 8 pm daily
Contact: 016-912 1268
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