Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur 2026: Starred and Bib Picks
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The Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2026 gives Kuala Lumpur seven starred restaurants: Dewakan with two stars, and Akar, Beta, Chim by Chef Noom, DC. by Darren Chin, Molina and Terra Dining with one star each. Akar and Terra Dining are new to the star list this year. The city also has 25 Bib Gourmand restaurants, recognised for good cooking at fair prices.
This guide covers all seven starred restaurants plus four Bib Gourmand picks, 11 places in total, verified in October 2026. Prices are in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) and fine-dining prices are per person for the tasting menu.
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Dewakan
Two Michelin stars plus a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, the highest rating in Malaysia. Chef Darren Teoh builds the tasting menu around indigenous Malaysian produce: ulam herbs, wild ferns, stingless-bee honey and fermented tapioca. The dining room on Level 48 looks out over the city.
What to order: The degustation menu, with the drinks pairing if budget allows.
Akar
New to the star list in 2026 (formerly Akar Dining). Chef Aidan Low runs a set menu that mixes European technique with Japanese, French and Malaysian influences, using methods such as cooking in melted beeswax, dry-ageing and searing in claypot.
What to order: The set menu with the local rice wine or sake pairing.
Beta KL
One Michelin star. Chef Raymond Tham's tasting menu tours Malaysia's regions, split into North, South, East and West, with familiar flavours such as rendang, laksa spice and kerabu herbs reworked into fine-dining courses. The restaurant now operates from Cormar Suites on Jalan Perak.
What to order: The tasting menu.
Chim by Chef Noom
One Michelin star. This is the Kuala Lumpur branch of Chef Noom's Bangkok restaurant, set inside an office tower in Imbi. Two seasonal tasting menus serve traditional Thai recipes with modern plating, using Japanese produce alongside local spices and vegetables. The signature "Lost Recipe" is an old-style tom yum.
What to order: Either seasonal tasting menu. Book ahead on +60 13-375 5181.
DC. by Darren Chin
One Michelin star. Chef Darren Chin cooks French technique with Malaysian accents across a three-storey house in TTDI. The French cheese trolley is a highlight and the wine list is long.
What to order: The tasting menu, finishing at the cheese trolley.
Molina
One Michelin star, on Level 51 of THE FACE Style hotel with wide city views. The tasting menus draw on French, Nordic and Asian cooking and pair produce you would not expect on one plate, such as mussels with pickled banana.
What to order: The evening tasting menu.
Terra Dining
New to the star list in 2026. Self-taught Chef Chong Yu Cheng serves an 11-course counter menu that applies French technique to Malaysian flavours, for example a beurre blanc made in the style of masak lemak. Tea pairings are offered alongside wine.
What to order: The 11-course tasting menu with the tea pairing. Book ahead on +60 11-7072 7777.
Sek Yuen Restaurant
Bib Gourmand. Traditional Cantonese cooking on Jalan Pudu since 1948, across three adjoining shophouses with ceiling fans and no air-conditioning. The pipa duck, roasted whole and pressed flat, is the signature.
What to order: Pipa duck, plus a couple of the old-style Cantonese stir-fries.
Gulainya
New Bib Gourmand for 2026. A Peranakan restaurant opened in 2024 by the team behind Little Yum Yum, cooking from the owner's family recipes.
What to order: Gulai tumis red snapper, ayam pongteh, paku masak lemak.
Nam Heong Chicken Rice
Bib Gourmand. A Hainanese chicken rice shop dating from 1938, near Petaling Street. Two kinds of chicken are offered: a leaner "veggie farm" bird and a fattier free-range one. Roast pork belly and Ipoh-style bean sprouts round out the table.
What to order: Chicken rice (either bird), roast pork, bean sprouts.
Lai Foong Lala Noodles
Bib Gourmand. What began as a street stall now fills a two-storey shophouse with red lanterns. The lala (clam) noodle soup is flavoured with Chinese yellow wine and ginger, and portions are generous.
What to order: Lala bihun with prawns.
Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur 2026: what changed
Nadodi no longer holds a star and is now listed as MICHELIN Selected, as is Limapulo, which earlier versions of this page described as a Bib Gourmand. Several places often described as Michelin picks, including Village Park, Yut Kee, Nasi Lemak Wanjo, Kim Lian Kee and the Jalan Alor stalls, do not appear in the 2026 selection. They are still worth eating at; see our KL hawker food guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Michelin-starred restaurants are in KL?
As of October 2026, the MICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2026 lists seven starred restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Dewakan holds two stars (plus a Green Star). Akar, Beta, Chim by Chef Noom, DC. by Darren Chin, Molina and Terra Dining hold one star each. The city also has 25 Bib Gourmand restaurants.
What is the cheapest Michelin-recognised food in KL?
Bib Gourmand noodle and rice shops are the cheapest way in. Lai Foong Lala Noodles on Jalan Sultan charges about RM10 for its lala noodles, and Nam Heong Chicken Rice a few doors away costs about RM25 to RM30 per person.
Do I need reservations for Michelin restaurants in KL?
Yes for the starred restaurants. Dewakan, Akar, Beta, Chim, DC., Molina and Terra Dining all run tasting menus and should be booked ahead, especially for Friday and Saturday. Bib Gourmand spots such as Nam Heong and Lai Foong are walk-in.
Are Nadodi and Limapulo still in the Michelin Guide?
Yes, but not with a star or Bib Gourmand. In the 2026 guide Nadodi and Limapulo are both listed as MICHELIN Selected restaurants. Nadodi held one star in earlier editions.