Situated at the crossroads of the ancient Indian and Chinese maritime routes, Malaysia carries the legacy of centuries of seafaring, trade, and culinary exchange. Kedah, its oldest kingdom, was chronicled in China’s 6th-century Sui Dynasty texts, while Hindu-Buddhist temple ruins and artefacts dating back to the same period reveal a long history shaped by the ocean.
Over generations, the Malays have been acknowledged as accomplished boatmen and fisherfolk, forging a strong bond with the sea. Naturally, seafood figures large in their diet, with the arrival of Indian and Chinese immigrants evolving seafood traditions into something even more vibrant and diverse.
Today, Malaysia offers a multicultural seafood landscape that can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways — each one as delightful and wondrous as the next. A culinary odyssey through Kuala Lumpur and Penang’s seafood spots promises to be an exciting and rewarding experience. Here are eight MICHELIN-recommended restaurants to add to your list.
Aliyaa: Jaffna-style Whole Crab Curry
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: 48 Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Despite the significant role of Sri Lanka in Malaysia’s history, Aliyaa was the first prominent Sri Lankan restaurant to celebrate the cuisine when it opened in Plaza Damas in 2007. The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-listed eatery changed the culinary landscape of the city forever with its distinctive Sri Lankan Tamil cooking — a brainchild of its culinary advisor, Dr. Parvathy Kanthasamy, and head chef, Siva Suppaiya.
The crown jewel on its glossy menu is the house special Jaffna-style Whole Crab Curry, a crustacean masterpiece that features fresh, meaty mud crabs, smothered in a lip-tingling curry gravy composed of 13 freshly ground spices and served with a protective dining apron.
Coast by Kayra: Meen Pollichathu
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: Lot G03-G05, GF, The Starhill, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Coast by Kayra is celebrated for its Keralan cuisine and sea-to-plate ethos. Its extensive menu includes a rich selection of seafood dishes, ranging from the Alleppey Prawn Mango Curry and the Lobster Ulartiyath to the Squid Pepper Fry.
Its rendition of the Keralan classic, Meen Pollichathu, is a must-try. Choose between a whole sea grouper or red snapper — the fish will be marinated, smothered with a special blend of spices, wrapped in banana leaves, and then carefully griddle-cooked to perfection.
Dancing Fish: Deep-fried Tilapia with Curry Keluak Octopus
SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: Lot T120 & 121, 3F, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 285 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala
The atmospheric Malay-Indonesian restaurant, Dancing Fish, offers a plethora of captivating seafood options on its compelling menu, including ikan nila (tilapia), sea bass, cumi-cumi (baby squid), tiger prawns, and soft-shell crab, all cooked in a variety of ways. Javanese influences run deep here, as can be seen from the kitchen’s use of ingredients such as the buah keluak or kluwek (edible seeds), often regarded as Southeast Asia’s answer to the truffle, with its alluring, earthy aroma.
One of the must-order signature dishes is the Dancing Fish with Curry Keluak Octopus. The deep-fried whole tilapia is served with keluak-scented curry, with a golden crisp-fried exterior and moist, sweet flesh. Soft baby octopus swimming in the sauce are an added bonus, providing an extra textural dimension to the dish.
Elegant Inn: Cantonese-style Braised Abalone
SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: 02-01, 2F, Podium Block, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P. Ramlee, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
True to its name, this elegant temple to Hong Kong-style gastronomy serves up some of the very best Cantonese fine dining in the country. One of its unique dishes is Cantonese-style Braised Abalone, which involves two days of soaking the dried mollusc, followed by up to 10 days of slow-braising in a chicken and pork stock before being served in a thick, intensely flavored sauce.
Other creative menu options include an elaborate goon dong gao — a large soup dumpling containing braised fish maw and Japanese dried scallops served in a seafood broth, immersed in a bowl of light seafood consommé. Another well-executed dish is a whole sea bass, steamed then topped with crispy pork lard and dried chilies, which deliver a subtle, slow-burning aftertaste.
Bali Hai Seafood Market: Fresh Seafood Dishes
SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: 90 Persiaran Gurney, George Town, 10250 Penang, Malaysia
Located strategically in the middle of Gurney Drive, Penang’s premier sea-fronting promenade, Bali Hai Seafood Market is a hive of activity, with hordes of customers enjoying some of the freshest seafood in town, all cooked to order in Cantonese, Thai, Nyonya, and Western styles. The restaurant is lined with giant glass tanks, containing an astonishing array of live seafood, from giant Alaskan spider crabs and spiny Australian lobsters; to various fish, prawns, abalones, oysters, and more.
The restaurant’s chefs transform your selection into fresh dishes within minutes — ranging from the ever-popular chili crab, steamed scallops with glass noodles and garlic, salt-and-pepper squid, and garlic-butter river prawns; to unique house specials like African abalone stir-fried with black truffles or soft-shell crabs with crispy lotus root.
Firewood: Grilled Seafood
SelectedMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: 15 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, George Town, 10200 Penang, Malaysia
Chef Ker Yang Hao of MICHELIN-selected Firewood prides himself on producing some of the best grills around: seafood and meats cooked to perfection over an open flame. Some of his newest creations veer close to traditional Nyonya with a continental twist for modern-Penang fusion at its best.
These include fresh Kedah tiger prawns, char-grilled and served with a spicy, floral sauce reminiscent of Penang kapitan curry, with accents of galangal, Thai holy basil, kaffir lime leaves, pink torch ginger, tamarind, and fresh turmeric. Another innovative menu addition is sustainably farmed Norwegian sea trout, aged for nine days to achieve an intense flavour, firm texture, and crispier skin upon cooking. The trout is lightly grilled and served with a coconut broth, scented with the same aromatics.
Thara: Thai Seafood
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: 5 Lorong Prangin, George Town, 10100 Penang, Malaysia
Bib Gourmand restaurant Thara stands out as much for its chic, stylish décor as for its authentic Thai cooking. Its seafood dishes are outstanding, especially the pla tord sam rot (three taste fish) — a fried whole snapper coated in sweet, sour, and spicy sauce.
Other must-tries include goong ob woonsen (baked shrimps and glass vermicelli in a claypot), hor mok talay ma phao (spicy Thai-style seafood mousse, served in a whole coconut), and the ubiquitous, always dependable tom yum talay (seafood spicy-sour soup).
Winn’s Café: Asam Big Prawns
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2025
Located at: 38 Jalan Cantonment, George Town, 10350 Penang, Malaysia
No exploration of Penang’s seafood dining scene is complete without delving into its Nyonya culinary world. One of the best proponents here is Bib Gourmand Winn's Café.
Ensconced in a palatial bungalow located right in the middle of Pulau Tikus, the cradle of Penang’s Baba-Nyonya culture, the eatery produces some stellar renditions of asam big prawns, (sautéed tamarind-marinated prawns) and asam tumis fish (grouper or snapper fish-steaks bathed in delicious spicy-sour sauce).
