Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Solid Cantonese dim sum, easy to book.
Elegant Inn has held Michelin Plate status in consecutive years (2024 and 2025) and has been serving Hong Kong-style Cantonese food in Kuala Lumpur since 2008. At $$ pricing, the dim sum lunch — anchored by the deep-fried taro pouch and eight-treasure stuffed chicken wing — delivers strong value for the quality level. Book for lunch first; return for dinner to cover the full range.
Elegant Inn has been serving Cantonese food in Kuala Lumpur since 2008 — over 16 years of operation at the same address in Menara Hap Seng. That kind of tenure in a competitive city says something. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) confirm it is not coasting on nostalgia. If you want Hong Kong-style dim sum at lunch in a room that takes the cooking seriously, book here. If you want a more contemporary Malaysian tasting menu, look elsewhere. Elegant Inn does one thing and does it with consistency.
The setting frames the meal before a dish arrives. Elegant Inn occupies the second floor of Menara Hap Seng, a corporate tower in central Kuala Lumpur, but the interior has been deliberately separated from that context. Wood-panelled walls, traditional decorative touches, and a balcony for al fresco dining give the room a composed, unhurried atmosphere. The energy is calm rather than electric — low conversation, the occasional clatter of bamboo steamers, natural light from the balcony side. This is a room suited to long lunches and focused eating, not celebrations that need a DJ.
For a first-timer, lunch is the right entry point. The dim sum selection is where Elegant Inn has built its reputation, and the Michelin recognition applies directly to this format. The deep-fried taro pouch is frequently cited as the anchor dish , a textural contrast between the crisp outer shell and a softer interior. The eight-treasure stuffed chicken wing, filled with shrimp and mushrooms, is technically ambitious for a dim sum setting: the skin stays crisp, the filling is layered. Double-boiled soups round out the spread and represent the kind of slow-cooked, restrained cooking that defines Cantonese technique at its cleaner end. These are not dishes that shout for attention. They make their case quietly.
The price range sits at $$, which positions Elegant Inn as accessible relative to the Michelin-adjacent dining options in KL. For the quality level confirmed by back-to-back Plate recognition, this is a strong value proposition. You are not paying fine-dining prices for a fine-dining standard of Cantonese cooking , that gap is what makes the restaurant worth planning around.
If you are in Kuala Lumpur for more than a weekend, Elegant Inn is worth scheduling more than once. The menu depth at a traditional Cantonese restaurant like this is not exhausted in a single sitting, and the format changes depending on when you arrive.
Visit one: Dim sum lunch. Arrive at lunch and work through the dim sum menu systematically. Prioritise the deep-fried taro pouch and the eight-treasure stuffed chicken wing. Add a double-boiled soup. This is the visit that establishes the baseline and the room. Keep the group small , two to four people covers the right amount of ground without over-ordering.
Visit two: Dinner and Cantonese classics. Return in the evening to explore the broader Cantonese menu beyond dim sum. Hong Kong-style Cantonese cooking at dinner extends to whole fish preparations, roasted meats, and stir-fry dishes that the lunch format does not fully represent. A second visit shifts the experience from a dim sum session to a fuller picture of the kitchen's range.
Visit three: Balcony dining. If the weather allows, request the al fresco balcony section. The room works perfectly well for all visits, but the balcony changes the pace of a meal , slower, more open, better suited to a longer evening with a larger group. This is the visit to bring someone who needs to be convinced the address is worth crossing the city for.
For other Cantonese options in Kuala Lumpur, Yun House operates at a higher price tier with more formal service. Li Yen is another established Cantonese address worth comparing. For a more casual setting, Foong Lian and Restoran Pik Wah represent the older, less formal end of KL's Cantonese spectrum. Sek Yuen is a longer-running institution with a different style of cooking. If you want to benchmark Elegant Inn against Cantonese cooking elsewhere in the region, 102 House in Shanghai and Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau show how the cuisine performs at higher price points.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. The restaurant is in a commercial building with clear access from Jalan Tengah. Lunch slots, particularly weekend dim sum, will fill faster than weekday dinners, so booking ahead for Saturday or Sunday lunch is advisable. Weekday lunches and most dinners are more accessible. No specific booking method or contact details are available in our records , check current listings or the venue directly for reservations.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elegant Inn | Since 2008, Elegant Inn has been feeding gourmets Cantonese classics, especially Hong Kong-style favourites. Eat in the traditionally decorated wood-rich interior, or dine al fresco on the balcony. At lunchtime, exquisite dim sum takes centre stage, a highlight being the deep-fried taro pouch. The eight-treasure stuffed chicken wing with a filling of bouncy shrimps and mushrooms boasts crispy skin and layered flavours. The double-boiled soups are not to be missed!; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | $$ | — |
| Dewakan | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Beta | Michelin 1 Star | $$$ | — |
| Molina | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
| DC. by Darren Chin | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Aliyaa | $$ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
It works for solo diners at lunch, when dim sum is served by the piece or small basket and you can order without over-committing. The $$ price point keeps the bill manageable. That said, Cantonese cooking at this level is built for sharing — dishes like the eight-treasure stuffed chicken wing and double-boiled soups make more sense split across two or three people. If you are alone, come for dim sum at lunch rather than dinner.
Elegant Inn has held a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, so the kitchen has a consistent track record worth trusting. It sits on the second floor of Menara Hap Seng, a corporate building on Jalan Tengah — not a standalone shophouse, so first-timers should look for the podium entrance. Lunch is the priority visit: the dim sum programme, including the deep-fried taro pouch, is the strongest part of the menu. At $$, it is accessible for what it delivers.
Elegant Inn is primarily known for Cantonese in Kuala Lumpur.
Elegant Inn is located in Kuala Lumpur, at 2nd Floor, Podium Block, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan Tengah, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
