The Hungry Tapir — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

The Hungry Tapir beckons with its charming pastel pink wall paint, a cozy vegan restaurant located on the second floor along an array of shophouses. We were immediately welcomed with the friendly and attentive staff who took note of any dietary restrictions and allergies we might have. The restaurant is a little dim, with a delightful assortment of neon signs that add a playful touch, alongside ornamental plants that add a refreshing burst of greenery to the space.

We started our meal off with Mama's Satay which took us by surprise – It was wonderfully seasoned with a satisfying texture, with morsels that bore a resemblance to actual meat. The accompanying peanut sauce was rich and flavorful, however the consistency became drier and clumpier the more we ate, making the remaining pieces of satay challenging to dip. We also ordered the Sweeeeet Homemade Fries which were golden brown and addictively crisp. Our mains then arrived all at once (a reccuring theme we noted throughout our dining experience). The Truffle Baked Mac No Cheese stood out as the most delectable dish, although the truffle essence was slightly subdued, the main allure was its rich and complex flavor profile. The Pink Bombshell Burger captivated us with its visual appeal, which was well crafted with a slightly mashy texture for the beetroot patty and caramelized onions bursting with umami. The Burmese Bahn Mi adorned a tougher baguette filled with a flavorful spiced tofu salad, however the filling lacked homogeneity which led to it falling apart with each bite, making it slightly cumbersome to consume. Lastly is the Big Fat Miso Ramen, which consists of soba noodles nestled within a creamy miso broth and a handful of vibrant vegetables. The flavor profile of this was notably milder, presenting a subtlety that might attract people who prefer not so strong flavors. Although it left us desiring for a more robust and complex taste.

We also ordered a scoop of Mango Ice Cream, our feast left us completely stuffed yet still yearning to try some of the various sweet treats they offer. It boasted an incredibly rich and vibrant mango flavor, each spoonful was a creamy explosion derived from ripe, tropical goodness. None of us are vegan nor vegetarian, instead opting to dine at The Hungry Tapir due to it's glowing reviews and a curiosity in exploring new culinary horizons. It was an enjoyable dining experience, and we would suggest coming here for good vegan food. Highly recommend getting the Truffle Baked Mac No Cheese, Mama's Satay and perhaps the desserts...

Peatling Street is the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately it fell on hard times due to neglect and it's unforgiving location. Recently though there's been an attempt to breathe life back into the surrounding areas with some sort of urban rejuvenation - Hungry Tapir is a product of this. There is an attempt to stay true to the culture of the space it inhabits through its interior design and menu. On the down side the steep prices reflect it's centrality. Something slightly frustrating was they employed cheap foreign labour when I'm sure they're able to pay young Malaysians minimum wage.

Edit: the owner of the Hungry Tapir responded to my review but I wasn't able to reply to the response. I am not one to get entangled in online squabbles but I didn't appreciate the lack of honesty in the owners response.

Firstly, let's be real lah. Hungry Tapir is not local and is a relatively new feature of Petaling Street (btw only tourists call the place Chinatown - it's abit of a misnomer because Kuala Lumpur was one big 'Chinatown' in its early history. The term is also a reference to the ghettosation of Chinese immigrants on the West Coast of the US and doesn't really apply here). Hungry Tapir is part of the gentrification process that slowly suffocates the culture of Kuala Lumpur. It replaces our authentic self image with a cheap neoliberal template that sells well.

Second, I think it may be a good idea to keep your biases of Malaysian labour to yourself. Malaysians are hardworking employees and are willing to provide thier services if they're paid thier worth.

Third, if you really take your politics seriously why don't you publish your accounts and disclose your wage rate along with your margins. If you aren't ready to do that to back your claims, I suggest you drop the political correctness and be truthful to yourself - Hungry Tapir is just another cafe that sells overpriced food for restaurenteers seeking quick profit.

(also taking two stars off my review because the owner seems a bit of...

Amazing vegan food at a bar with great ambience - is how I summarise my dining experience in one simple sentence.

This is just the right place for small gatherings or dinner dates as it is really a great place to chill at and most importantly with good food and good song choice.

Please do give their cocktail or mocktail a try cause we have tried their Sangria in white wine and it was the perfect thirst-quenching cocktail to kickstart our dinner.

The next best thing to try out is the satay. Very flavourful and there were 6 skewers in a serving, priced at RM18. Not too bad I'd say, if I were to compare with some other vegan or vegetarian restaurants.

As for the Pink Bombshell Burger that most people have been talking about, I didn't quite like it because the patty was too mushy for me. I personally have tried some other vegan patties that have better texture and those are a bit chewy so I didn't expect it to be in this texture when I had my first bite. But the caramelised onions saved the burger cause it was very fragrant and it was the star of the ingredients in the burger 🍔 One thing to point out though is that the sweet potato fries were not served warm and caused it to be a bit too hard to eat. But other than that all is good.

Laksa was spicy and the broth is thick enough. In my opinion, it can beat some other curry laksa with meat broth. Kudos for good laksa broth!

All in all it was a satisfying dinner. 2 main dish, 1 appetiser, 1 cocktail at a pretty chilling bar with great service, and the total price is RM130. Is it pricey? You be...