Little India and Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur
Part of the Kuala Lumpur travel guide — see every topic in All Kuala Lumpur Guides.
Brickfields got its name from the brick kilns set up after a fire and flood destroyed much of Kuala Lumpur in 1881, and it became home to the Tamil labourers brought in by the British to build the railways. It is now the city's Little India: a few dense streets of sari shops, garland stalls, goldsmiths, Indian sweet shops and some of the best South Indian food in South-East Asia, immediately beside KL Sentral, the main transport interchange.
Banana-leaf rice
The signature meal and the reason most people come. A banana leaf is laid in front of you, rice is piled on, and three or four vegetable dishes, rasam, pickle and pappadam are added; meat, fish or crab curry costs extra. Refills of rice and vegetables are unlimited and offered without asking. Eat with your right hand if you can; cutlery is always available. Fold the leaf towards you when you finish — folding it away is what you do at a funeral. A full meal is 12–20 ringgit, and the long-running restaurants on Jalan Tun Sambanthan are the ones to look for.
The temples
Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, founded in 1902 by the Sri Lankan Tamil community, is the main Hindu temple, with an elaborately carved and painted tower. The Buddhist Maha Vihara, a Sri Lankan Theravada temple founded in 1894, sits nearby with a quiet garden. And the Thean Hou Temple, on a hill a short ride south, is a six-tiered Chinese temple completed in 1987, one of the largest in South-East Asia, with an enormous view over the city and a spectacular lantern display at Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn.
Shopping and the street
Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Travers carry the sari and textile shops, gold merchants, spice and grocery stores, and stalls stringing jasmine and marigold garlands by hand. The Little India arch and the coloured fountain mark the centre. Indian sweet shops sell laddu, jalebi and Mysore pak by weight. It is a working neighbourhood rather than a heritage display, and it is at its best in the early evening when the shops light up and the garland sellers are busiest.
Practicalities
Brickfields is a five-minute walk from KL Sentral, which puts it on the airport express, the KTM commuter lines, the LRT and the MRT — making it one of the better-connected places to stay, and considerably cheaper than Bukit Bintang. It is busiest and most atmospheric around Deepavali, in October or November, when the whole area is decorated and the streets fill. Many restaurants are vegetarian, and the ones that are not still have extensive vegetarian sections. Cash is useful though cards and QR payments are widely taken.
Little India and Brickfields at a glance
| Banana-leaf rice | RM 12–20 with unlimited rice and vegetable refills |
|---|---|
| Etiquette | Fold the leaf towards you when you finish |
| Main temple | Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, founded 1902 |
| Nearby | Thean Hou Temple — six tiers, city view, lantern displays |
| Location | 5 minutes' walk from KL Sentral |
| Best time | Early evening; Deepavali in Oct or Nov |