Limapulo – A Homely Taste of Nyonya Comfort in Kuala Lumpur

We had a few days in Kuala Lumpur and were just looking for a simple place to dine around the Chow Kit area when I stumbled upon Limapulo, selected by the MICHELIN Guide as one of the best Peranakan restaurants in Malaysia.

Limapulo (which means fifty in Malay) sits along what was once the Asian Heritage Row — a stretch filled with old shophouses now converted into trendy eateries and bars. While it doesn’t have the charm of a classic Malacca Peranakan house, Limapulo’s interior feels like a time capsule of retro Malaysia. Think distressed canteen-style chairs, vintage telephones, and old-school meat grinders — all arranged under dim, nostalgic lighting.

The Must-Try Nyonya Laksa Lemak

The highlight here is undoubtedly the signature Nyonya Laksa Lemak, recently voted the Best Curry Laksa in the Klang Valley by The Star People’s Food Awards.

Priced at RM18.90, this bowl is an absolute steal — rich, creamy, and deeply lemak, layered with complex Nyonya spices that unfold with every spoonful. It comes generously topped with poached chicken, fish balls, fried tofu puffs, bean sprouts, cucumber, and a halved lime. The golden broth is intensely aromatic, and the house sambal on the side adds that perfect (not too) fiery kick.

Other Dishes We Tried

To start, we ordered the Pai Tee (RM14) — thin, crisp pastry cups filled with shredded jicama and vegetables. While I wished the filling was slightly more generous, it was still a light and pleasant appetiser to ease into the meal.

Because we brought our little one along, we opted for some non-spicy dishes — and they turned out to be delicious. The Pongteh Chicken (RM25), braised with potatoes and mushrooms in a savoury tau cheow sauce, was aromatic and comforting, the kind of dish that calls for extra rice. We also tried the Telur Cincaluk (RM16) — an omelette mixed with fermented shrimp sauce — simple yet full of umami flavour.

Limapulo’s menu also features other popular items like Chicken Satay, Gerang Asam Fish, and Sambal Petai Sotong, which we didn’t manage to try this round. Their satay, I heard, comes with a special homemade sauce made from star fruit and pineapple — something I’ll definitely return for next time.

Final Thoughts

Finding a Peranakan restaurant in Kuala Lumpur isn’t always easy, and since I didn’t want to travel too far from where we stayed, Limapulo turned out to be the perfect choice.

Limapulo isn’t about flashy plating or elaborate recipes. It’s about homely Peranakan flavours that taste like they came straight from someone’s kitchen. While not every dish blew me away, I wouldn’t mind coming back again the next time I’m in KL, especially for another comforting bowl of that award-winning laksa.