The best Malaysian restaurants in Melbourne

Warm up as the weather gets cooler and slurp giant bowls of noodles and curry laksa. Visit Malaysia with our laksa lover's guide to Melbourne.

Lim Kopi 

At Lim Kopi (542 Little Bourke Street) classic dishes like char kway teow and laksa are served in huge steamy bowls, with juicy blood cockles an authentic optional extra. Chewy steamed rice noodle rolls and fried chicken nasi lemak are also in high supply. Treat yourself to a fan-fave iced coffee with condensed milk (kopi peng) for the full Malaysian diner experience.

Chinta Ria Soul

Visit Chinta Ria Soul for Malaysian hawker-style cuisine. Tucked inside Emporium, ideal for a post-shop meal. The signature dish is the classic curry laksa, a rich coconut-base soup bursting with flavour and aroma. Other popular dishes include roti canai, char koay teow and nasi goreng. This food court favourite is one to try with all meals cooked fresh to order.

Hor Kitchen

Open 7 days a week and located behind QV Melbourne is Hor Kitchen. Step in and be met with delicious and authentic Malaysian dishes. Their must-try's include claypot curry fish head, Malaysian style barramundi, marmite eggplant, sambal prawns and others. Pair a refreshing beverage of your choice. Kopi, teh or homemade herbal tea, and juices.

Jojo Little Kitchen

A Kuala Lumpur import, Jojo Little Kitchen delivers nourishing Malaysian food into the mouths of Melburnians. Think curry laksa, century egg dumplings and Jojo’s speciality, pan fried mee noodles. That’s hakka-style flat flour noodles, served dry or with soup. The restaurant is hidden from the street, so just follow your nose and the steady flow of noodle lovers.

Jom Corner 

Spend your lunch break in Kuala Lumpur at Jom Corner. This hidden gem in the Kmart Centre serves classic dishes like Hainanese chicken rice and Malaysian fried chicken (ayam goreng). Plus moorish sides like peanut butter toast and crispy, flavour-packed curry puffs. This is one of the only spots in Melbourne to try air bungkus. The hawker-style pulled milk tea (teh tarik) is served in a plastic bag to sip on the go. 

The Rice Cooker

Don’t be thrown off by the sushi bar, North Melbourne fusion restaurant The Rice Cooker dishes up a bevy of authentic Malaysian delicacies. Feast on smokey char koay teow, soft shell crab laksa and crispy roti canai. Then take a trip around Asia with fresh and beautifully executed dishes. Think sashimi and hand rolls, poke bowls and gado gado salad.

CC Wok

Winter is coming, and laksa is essential. The hearty bowls of curry mee at CC Wok in North Melbourne come loaded with fried tofu, eggplant, veggies and an extra ladle of spicy chilli. Other home-cooked Malaysian dishes include crystal dumplings, curry puffs and BBQ chicken wings. Visit on weekends for a selection of 'kueh' – traditional sweets like chewy peanut mochi and coconut pandan pancakes.

Lulu's Char Koay Teow

Order a big plate of glossy stir-fried noodles and decide once and for all, is this Melbourne’s best char koay teow? Hardware Lane eatery Lulu’s makes its eponymous dish true to Penang street food form. Pick your protein, perhaps duck egg or blood cockles, then choose your spice level. The heat goes all the way up to a fiery 3X that will have you reaching for the teh tarik.

Raya

Insta-baker Raymond Tan’s Raya is the ultimate spot for South East Asian-influenced cakes and savouries. Pull up a seat on the bench and try treats like spinach and olive oil sponge. Or grab giant cookies flavoured with miso, sour cherry and dark chocolate. There are cute boxes of mixed bite-size kueh too. Complete your spread with a houjicha or matcha latte.