Porridge is one of the most popular Chinese hawker foods in Malaysia, because it is healthy, easy to digest, and less oily if compared to other stir-fried dishes. Porridge itself is plain and tasteless; hence, it is often cooked with other ingredients, such as raw fish, fried pork intestine, or frog, to enhance the taste. There are a few famous Chinese porridge restaurants and stalls in KL & PJ. They offer a bowl of plain porridge paired with a plate of smooth chicken drizzled with soy sauce. Check here for some of the best Chinese porridge restaurants and stalls in KL & PJ! (The restaurants are listed in no particular order. Some of the establishments below are not halal.)

1. Loa Yau Kee @ Petaling Street

Located right in front of the original shop of the famous Soong Kee Beef Noodle, Loa Yau Kee is one of the oldest Chinese porridge stalls in Chinatown with several decades of history. Opened every day at 4:30pm except Monday, this stall is famed for its delicious porridge prepared using chicken stock. The porridge is boiled with slow fire for half a day until the texture is extremely smooth and fine. Most patrons would normally order a bowl of plain porridge paired with a plate of mouth-watering chicken with slippery skin. Remember to try out this porridge in KL when you are around Petaling Street.

2. Hon Kee @ Petaling Street

Opened since 1949, Hon Kee is another well-known porridge stall in Chinatown, KL. The stall is now operated by the third generation. They open very early in the morning at 4am to cater to supper as well as breakfast crowd. The most famous porridge here is the signature raw fish porridge, which is served with a bowl of piping hot porridge and a plate of fresh raw fish slices topped with fragrant garlic and coriander. You can either eat the fish raw like sashimi or mix the fish with the porridge.

3. Pan Heong @ Batu Caves

Pan Heong is probably the most famous Chinese restaurant in Batu Caves. Located at a corner shop lot beside Kheow Bin Primary School, the restaurant has been around for nearly 3 decades. They are famous for both Sang Har Mee and Sang Yu Porridge. The dishes here are so delicious that the Chinese porridge restaurant is frequently visited by many local and foreign celebrities. Don't leave Pan Heong without trying their Sang Yu Porridge. It is prepared using fresh haruan fish slices that is perfectly cooked until the texture is as springy as fish balls!

4. Porridge Stall @ Jalan Ipoh

For a place to enjoy a bowl of warm porridge in KL for dinner or supper, head to this humble street stall located in front of KLH Tyre Shop at Jalan Ipoh. At night, the place is always packed with customers who can’t wait to satisfy their palates with hot and smooth porridge. Three types of porridge are available here, including pork, chicken, and fish porridge. Apart from porridge, their slippery poached chicken drizzled with soy sauce is also a crowd-puller.

5. Porridge Time @ Taman Bukit Maluri

Very few people know that this roadside porridge stall at Taman Bukit Maluri in KL is actually the original shop of the now famous Porridge Time chain restaurant. The claypot porridge here can be mixed and matched with different ingredients, including salted egg, peanut, minced pork, fish slices and frog, to suit different needs. Many patrons like to order a bowl of claypot porridge paired with a bowl of Claypot Gong Bo Frog, which is cooked to perfection with tender frog rich in hot and spicy flavors, just an ideal match with the plain porridge.

6. Geylang Lor 9 @ Old Klang Road

Originated from Singapore, Geylang Lor 9 is a chain Chinese restaurant specializing in frog porridge. They set themselves apart from other Chinese porridge restaurants in KL by using live frog to prepare each and every bowl of claypot frog porridge to ensure that the frog is absolutely fresh and tender! To make the frog porridge more flavorful, you can order a bowl of Claypot Dry Chili Frog and a bowl of plain porridge. Before you eat, add the dry chili frog into the porridge to get the best of both dishes!

7. Kwan Kee Porridge @ Pudu

Quietly hidden at a small road beside RHB Bank, Kwan Kee is a Chinese porridge stall in KL that is very popular among the locals. When the stall is open at around 4pm, all the seats will be occupied by patrons who are craving for their smooth and delicious porridge. Most people would go for a bowl of plain porridge accompanied by a plate of slippery poached chicken. The porridge itself is flavorful, because it is cooked with chicken stock. Apart from chicken porridge, they also offer porridge with shredded chicken, fish fillet, pork innards and minced pork.

8. Pork Porridge @ Pudu Wai Sek Kai

Looking for traditional Chinese porridge with pork innards? Head to this old stall at Pudu Wai Sek Kai in KL. The porridge here is cooked in Cantonese style with smooth and fluffy porridge topped with a variety of pork innards, including fried pork intestine, pork tongue, and pork liver. The porridge is topped with crispy fried vermicelli and chopped spring onions to enhance the taste and texture. For those who shun away from pork innards, worry not as porridge with seafood or salted egg is also offered here.

9. Taiping Matang Seafood Porridge @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

Taiping Matang Seafood Porridge Restaurant is definitely one of the best places in Puchong for Teochew style seafood porridge. The restaurant’s owner is from Matang, a small town in Taiping that is well-known for fresh seafood. The signature porridge here is the Four Treasure Seafood Porridge, which is a premium porridge in light yellow color prepared using 4 different types of fresh seafood, including crab, fish, prawn and squid. Customers can also customize their porridge by choosing the seafood ingredients that they like.

10. Lao Er Teochew Porridge @ Pudu

Tucked away at a quiet area in Pudu, Lao Er is an established Teochew porridge restaurant in KL that has been operating for more than 30 years. In 2011, they revamped the whole restaurant and turned it into a modern restaurant specializing in Teochew Cuisine. The star attraction here is still the Teochew porridge with all kinds of stewed dishes, such as Stewed Duck, Stewed Egg, Stewed Intestine, Stewed Pork, Stewed Tofu, etc. In addition, they also offer a good selection of handmade traditional Teochew Kueh. Head to these awesome eateries today to indulge yourself in a bowl of warm and delicious porridge!