Restoran Kader — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

We were a group of four colleagues looking for a good banana leaf lunch spot, and Restoran Kader really hit the mark.

On Monday, 28 July 2025, we took the LRT from KLCC to Masjid Jamek (super quick and easy), then walked about 5 minutes through the bustling and colourful Leboh Ampang. The street is full of charm—heritage shoplots, Tamil signage, and the unmistakable aroma of spices in the air. That’s when we spotted Kader, tucked modestly among a row of Indian eateries.

What makes Kader special is that it’s been around for over 30 years, quietly building a reputation among locals as a hidden gem for authentic Indian Muslim food. It’s not fancy or trendy—just honest, traditional cooking done right. This is a classic banana leaf / mamak-style restaurant, offering everything from varuval, thosai, and roti canai to mutton curry, fish sambal, and crispy fried chicken.

The restaurant occupies two floors. The ground floor was packed during lunch hour, so we made our way upstairs—and that turned out to be a great decision. The air-conditioned upper floor was clean, quiet, and surprisingly spacious. Purple tablecloths, maroon chairs, soft lighting, and a laid-back vibe made it ideal for relaxing and enjoying a good meal.

Now for the food:

Ayam Goreng Berempah – Crispy, fragrant, and perfectly seasoned. The chicken leg was tender, with golden, crunchy spice crumbs and a squeeze of lime to brighten the flavours.

Chilli Chicken & Mutton Varuval – Both dishes were outstanding. The chilli chicken had that classic reddish masala, slightly tangy and spicy, while the mutton varuval was deep, dry-cooked, and aromatic with curry leaves and onions.

Ikan Goreng – Simple but solid. A thick slice of fish, fried to a crisp and served with a lime wedge. Balanced well with the rice and sides.

Buttermilk Drink – Served in a big blue plastic glass, chilled and slightly salty. The perfect drink to cool things down after all that spice.

Everything came banana-leaf style, with generous scoops of white rice, crispy papadum, and three tasty veggie sides—keerai kootu (spinach and dal), turmeric stir-fried gourd, and spicy brinjal curry. We ate with our hands, which made the experience even more immersive and fun.

The upstairs service was relaxed but friendly—nothing overly formal, but attentive enough. It’s mostly semi-self-service (you might serve yourself curry or ask for top-ups), but that’s part of the charm in this kind of setting.

We also noticed a nice snack and sweets counter downstairs, where you can grab murukku, mixture, vadai, and other Indian snacks to go. There’s a dosa station too, plus trays of colourful sweets and the usual suspects like rasam, pickles, and chutneys neatly arranged at the drinks counter. It’s clear that Kader isn’t just a place to eat—it’s a little hub of Tamil food culture.

Prices were very reasonable, especially for such a central KL location. We left full, satisfied, and without denting our wallets.

The only minor setback is the cleanliness and organisation on the ground floor. During peak hours, it felt a little chaotic—tables weren’t cleared as quickly, and the counter area was a bit crowded and messy. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it’s worth noting if you prefer a tidier environment. If that’s a concern, just head upstairs—it’s much calmer and...

Stay . Away from this restaurant and have a clean peaceful meal any other place

I would urge the owner to respond to this review on this platform

this experience was the first and . Probably would be the last

we entered the restaurant &nobody told us a restaurant was closing, food was served in 15 minutes within 5 minutes they shut down the air conditioning and started to sweep up the Dust and move around the dirty mop buckets through the restaurant.

I ordered a plate of rice with three vegetables 3 spoons of vegetables that fit in the slot of their plate/thali and got charged Rm 8.90 there was no refill of rice . NO dal Sambar rossem.was served.. it wasn't even a banana leaf it was just one plate of rice

They served me a broken last piece of the curry fish and charged me RM7.90 so total meal was approximately 16 90 what a waste of my money refer to the bill the prices were exorbitant

I approached the cashier he said that's a standard price because he gave me 1 papad OMG. 1 papad

they turn of the air cons in a signal that you've got to leave when you hardly started the Meal

this place it seemed to me the workers and the cashier from India even in India customers are probably treated appropriately this should not happen in Malaysia these people need to be trained about cleanliness and hospitality

Workers touching refuse bins without gloves in food area oh no

not to forget when I sat down at the restaurant I had to clean the table myself with the tissue for the cloth k that the worker waiter used was stinky

so owner pick up this review

Would be great to see how you respond to it and rest of us please stay away nevertheless some of the food tasted great some spoilt and the waiter insisted was good

An experience for the money spent and belly not...

Ended up enjoying the northern Indian thali set here! Simply changed my mind to give a try instead of my go go place thats the next door Saravana bhavan. The price is rm 18 something including the tea! The spinachish mixed with a bit of daal curry is my favorite! Fries bitter gourd is kinda oily. The chapati is thick side than light fluffy! But it's still ok taste when its freshly made hot. Rasam and lalita are pretty refreshing and taste just as good as expected. They have south Indian thai set that's 3 ram less having less items obviously. One note is the both south and north thali sets are meatless, so ideal for vegans dieters. For meat lovers like me, gotta order to meat dishes separately to fulfill the protein intake. You know what I mean? In any case, the quality and quantity is very satisfying overall. Give a...