Old China Cafe

Cafe · city center

Old China Cafe

Cafe · city center

1

11, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null
Old China Cafe by null

Highlights

Authentic Malay & Chinese dishes in historic antique decor  

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11, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Get directions

oldchina.com.my

RM 20–40 · Menu

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11, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Get directions

+60 3 2072 5915
oldchina.com.my

RM 20–40 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 8, 2025

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@eater

The 38 Best Kuala Lumpur Restaurants | Eater

"Immerse yourself in Malaysian heritage at this cafe. It’s located in a shophouse that dates to the early 1920s and has much of the original architecture intact — including its swinging doors, complete with wooden latches, straight out of an Old West saloon. Don’t let the rustic decorations distract you from the excellent lineup of Peranakan dishes, such as ayam buah keluak (chicken in tamarind sauce with buah keluak seeds) and ayam pongteh (chicken stew flavored with preserved bean paste). [$$$]" - Ian Poh Jin Tze

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-kuala-lumpur-malaysia
View Postcard for Old China Cafe

lejun lee

Google
It is said to be quiet and comfortable, but it is not like that when I came to eat at night. It was even a bit noisy. I ordered 4 dishes, but only took one photo. It tasted good.

Red Panda Moon

Google
An excellent restaurant serving Peranakan delicacies. The decor is beautiful. The service is on point, the servers know what to recommend and honestly everything was delicious. Truly a cultural experience for the taste buds.

Daryl Tan

Google
Yummy Hokkien noodles, chicken rendang was great, blue pea rice with delicious nonya chupchai was mouth watering.It's a shame will not be able to come back so soon.😃😃😃 . Very nice retro decor and friendly service. Easy to find in south Chinatown.

Alison G

Google
It's such a beautiful shop—playing old Chinese songs from the last century, but very softly, so the whole place remains quiet and peaceful. It's a great spot to relax. I ordered the Nyonya laksa and a salad—both were delicious. The salad was refreshing, and the laksa was rich and flavorful. The portions were generous, and the service was excellent—they even showed you how to eat it properly. Very reasonably priced too.

Dennis Goodman

Google
Historic KL Chinese cafe. Staff very attentive and food was very good. Atmospheric surroundings with music adding to the fact you have been transported back in time. Well worth it and within easy reach of the night market at Petaling Street.

Sara L

Google
The place is amazing. The Boss is very kind and funny and advise you quite well. Don't expect to find typical malasya street food here cause you'll be disappointed. The food is really authentic. The menu is colorful and tells the story behind the food. The blue coconut rice is a must try , also the sour soup juice. Give a try to a culinary new experience

Eva sun

Google
This is the most satisfying restaurant I’ve been during my 3 days trip in LK. It’s authentic South East Asian food with Chinese roots. It’s unique, not like a chain store. The interior and the music match the cuisine. The taste of food is very nice too. Too many preserved food chain restaurants nowadays. But this is a truly hidden gem.

Aida Marie Mohamad

Google
Had dinner for 4 pax on 13.12.24. We had fish head curry, ginger beef, fried squid, baby kailan, hokkien mee, nasi bunga telang and nyonya laksa, sago gula Melaka and bubur Cha Cha durian. All were delicious except the laksa. Too much noodles and gravy too thick lacking the right rempah. Not nyonya at all. One of the waiters was sucking/chewing on gum/betel as he was taking our order. Very put off by that. Not professional at all. However, all the staff were attentive and polite. Paid just under RM300.
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Jim N.

Yelp
This place wowed me from my first peek from the street. The decor is old style Chinese with classical tables and chairs. Quite pleasant to fine while walking in china town. Just absolutely love the dining room. The food was an explosion of flavors. The Precious Nasi Lemak presentation was art like. The coloring of the rice with pea flower essence really accentuate the dish with color. The Nyonya Laksa was not as visually enticing as the Precious Nasi Lemak but the flavors are just as good. The curry mixture is so complex and rich from the coconut milk, loved every bite. The coffee deserves special mention. Roasted with cocoa, leaves a robust coffee that I have not had before. I regret not getting a second cup to go. The service was friendly and efficient.
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Wern O.

Yelp
TLDR: traditional style Malay Chinese food Service was good. Food was delicious. Nice area with lots to do.

Saurabh G.

Yelp
Nice ambience and a touristy spot next to Chinatown. The service is good, and the Nasi Lemak was really good. The rest of the dishes were okay. They refer to their cuisine as Nyonya style of cooking. However my Fried rice was mostly just that, fried rice and a fried chicken leg. I won't mind stopping by once from a touristy perspective but won't be my go to joint in KL. Also, apparently their credit card machine was broken, and I had to pony up RM that I was saving for the cab ride. If you are planning to pay by credit card, definitely confirm with them first.
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Kelvin Lim M.

Yelp
Highly Recommended for tourist, great variety of local food. Nice ambient and authentic food.
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Jo H.

Yelp
Everything we ordered was good. Service was okay. We had nasi lemak, Nasi goreng, Curry chicken, pineapple shrimps, and Sambal Belacan. They were all very flavourful, except their chicken was a bit undercooked. They were quite pink inside which got us a little worry. Love their ice white coffee. So good! We also tried their Malacca blend coffee, presentation were adorable. They take card and cash. They were rushing us to sign the bill at the end though, didn't even give us time to double check the bill.
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Sabina W.

Yelp
I would recommend this place if you are a newbie to Malaysian food. This quaint cafe has a very classical styled decor, so, there are plenty of photo ops. The food choices are decent, however, I believe that the level of spiciness is kept at a minimum as most of their clientele are foreign tourists. I spotted a few locals requesting for chilli (my table included). I was very delighted with the dessert! The sago gula melaka was very good for the price of RM6.90. Their tiny bowl of Santan Durian set us back RM13.90, however, the seedless and sweet flesh mixed with santan gives the dessert an enhanced smooth texture. Very enjoyable though kinda pricey for something so small.
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Sue F.

Yelp
Old China Café is a heritage restaurant in KL, and possibly one of the oldest restaurant to be operating in the city. It looks its age, which isn't a bad thing at all. They've hung a lot of old photos and displayed many nostalgic décor items that have aged together with the restaurant. It's nice when you need a quick trip down memory lane. However, I think the standards of food there have gone down. Back in the day, Old China used to serve really good Nyonya-Chinese food. But these days, things are a little sloppy. The flavours aren't as robust and the menu change doesn't help. The staff are a bit abrupt which I also don't appreciate in a setting that's supposed to ignite fond memories. I'm also bummed that they closed the tea house on the first floor. It used to be a nice respite from the heat and noise of the city.
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Sandra Y.

Yelp
Walking around KL, we stumbled upon Old China Cafe (OCC) near the Police Station. Having heard of OCC before, we decided to walk in and give it a try. The setting inside is beautifully done, with antique tables and chairs adorning fresh flowers. OCC is quite dimly lit, which gives it a rather calming ambiance overall. We only snacked and ordered drinks this time around. The drinks weren't fantastic; my watermelon juice was not chilled and lacked sweetness. The OCC white coffee was not bad though. I tried the Lemongrass drink for the first time, and I must say I'm not a big fan of the lemongrass taste as a drink. It's served with a small pot of sugar syrup which did not made the drink any better for me. We also ordered a plate of lobak (meat roll with vegetable). I am not very keen of OCC's lobak because the skin was too crisp and there weren't enough meat in the rolls. The chilli sauce which was meant to enhance the flavour didn't seem to bring out any. However, the fried noodle which the table next to us ordered looked pretty great, but we were already too stuffed to down another plate of carbohydrates. The waiter who served us was friendly and efficient, which made our experience at OCC a little better. I might just go back to try out their other dishes the next time I'm around the block. Getting here via public transport is convenient. Just drop off at the Pasar Seni LRT Station or get off the bus when it has arrive at Pasar Seni. Then walk through Chinatown, cross the main road, walk through a row of shops and at the end, turn left. The police station will be on your right. Old China Cafe is your left as you continue walking.
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Wai Min K.

Yelp
I didn't quite know what to expect of this Old China Cafe but when I stepped into this cafe... It was pretty awesome. Old push-swing doors, black and white photos, etc - the setting created a very warm ambiance with lots of nostalgia feels. Looking at the menu, I thought the prices were quite alright but considering we weren't hungry, we only went for drinks and an appetizer to share. I had the OCC White Coffee which was just average. My friends had the watermelon juice and fresh lemongrass, both of which were below average I thought. We had the lobak appetizer to share - again, was quite disappointed. However, I think I would like to go to this cafe again because I really like the setting - and maybe, I will try their main dishes and hopefully, they won't disappoint.
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Kevin W.

Yelp
I was on assignment that day and found this little restaurant that caught my attention. I told myself I am having lunch here once I get my assignment done. I managed to finish my assignment early and found my way there for my nasi lemak lunch. The interior of Old China was dimly lit but it create relax atmosphere. Old antique furniture are placed as decorative and if I am not mistaken for sale too. As soon as my nasi lemak arrived, I went into my world of indulgence but soon came back to reality when the first spoon was fed into my mouth. The rice, sambal and condiment was just alright but the chicken was overcooked. Too dry and tasteless. Another disappointing nasi lemak. Look forward and move on to the next nasi lemak adventure.
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Alexandra K.

Yelp
I wanted to try Nyonya-Chinese while visiting in KL and Old China Cafe seemed like a safe and easy option thanks to a plethora of food blogs recommending it plus providing a list of must have dishes. Unfortunately, they were out of the pie-tee which I was really looking forward to trying. To start we had the spring rolls (the waiter kept insisting that we get these and although I protested, they were the best dang spring rolls I have ever had), and the ikan bilis which was loaded with salty umami flavoring. For mains we had beef rendang, chicken with lemon sauce, siu yook devil curry, nyonya laksa, and the lemak nenas prawns, all served with fluffy coconut rice. My favorite dishes were the siu yook devil curry and the nyonya laksa. It was a sad moment for me when that nyonya laksa bowl was empty!! I agree with other reviewers that the dishes labeled as spicy could have been spicier but it was nothing a little extra chilis couldn't fix. The lemongrass drink was wonderfully refreshing, as was the ice cold jug of beer. Service was friendly and the waiter even made sure we got our order in before a group of 10 so we wouldn't have to wait. Overall, an excellent meal in an adorable location.
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Jose M.

Yelp
Good food, Good prices, respectful service colourful establishment, would go again! Right off of Petaling street!
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Gia K.

Yelp
This is a beautiful restaurant that deserves more attention. I am glad the next door Ali, Muthu & Ah Huk was closed for holiday. The decor is so beautifully done to make you feel you are really in Old China. The food was very good, and service was very attentive, yet casual. Every detail about this place is just lovely (check out their beautiful open toilet upstairs). I think it is also a good sign that there are a lot of Chinese people here. I had a great time, definitely coming back here.

Kat R.

Yelp
I was so excited for this meal. It had been a long time coming. Two years ago on vacay in KL I heard Old China Cafe was one of the tastiest, most beautiful, historical etc etc. But each time we tried something got in the way.. our last night we arrived too late and were turned away at the door. Cry! So two years later, back in KL and Old China Cafe is first on my list. I'm sooo happy as we sit down, the restaurant is so calm, clean and perfectly fitted out with antique furniture and soft lighting I feel like we're in Instagram. We sip tiger beers and order our favourites: laksa and beef rendang. And Chinese veggies for balance. When the food arrives I actually applaud a little bit and "yaaaay!" like I'm on a Japanese variety show. So happy. I watch my husband try the laksa. "Umai!" I taste it and agree - yum! Lime(kalamansi?)-zingy coconut soup filled with all the tasty things - half a boiled egg, shrimp, fish cakes, soft fried tofu, chicken. Perfect. Next, the rendang. The first taste and smell is amazing - coconut and lemongrass heaven. Then I chew. Huh?! The beef is thin-sliced and tough, like an overcooked stir fry. Well, at least the flavor is amazing, I think. But this is definitely NOT beef rendang! How could they mess up such a staple dish? I asked the waiter if it was different to their usual rendang. Don't know what I was expecting him to say - they ran out of amazing melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked perfection so they whipped up this chewy substitute at the last minute? He answered that they also had a chicken rendang. Not sure if my question was lost in translation or not, but yep, chicken rendang. Go for the chicken rendang. I read in some other reviews that Old China Cafe isn't what it used to be. Ahhh if only we'd made it in two years ago, before they got sloppy with their beef rendang.....

Merv H.

Yelp
It was not the first time I was misled by reviewers with minimal knowledge about Malaysian food, but Old China Cafe beats all my other bad experiences by being both truly atrocious and expensive. Old china cafe was very dimly lit and the interior looked dark even with a hot blazing afternoon daylight outside. The service was nonchalant and the waiters avoided looking at the dining tables in case a diner needed service. The diners were all foreign except for a group of men looking like owners or shareholders. The fried chicken pieces in lemon sauce were small, over fried, tasteless, and the lemon sauce was watery and tasted diluted straight from a supermarket bottled sauce. The beef rendang was anything but. Tiny slivers of tasteless fatty beef served in Chinese stir-fried style, it was very dim but we could tell that the dish was off-coloured, and of course, tasteless. The coconut rice was served in Nonya-style bluish colour and it was ... you might have guessed ... tasteless. The menu is very expensive for a run-down setting in a tourist-trap area of KL, the lack of local diners was already a worrying sign at the outset. I'm not here to do anybody any favours, thus, its your money if you want to squander it here. I've done it so you don't have to.