KUALA LUMPUR — Potager has received its first Michelin star in the fifth edition of the Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang, announced today, while Dewakan retains its two stars.
The guide also includes nasi kandar for the first time: Hameediyah, established in 1907 and recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the country's oldest nasi kandar restaurant, and Deens Maju, both in Penang, join the Michelin Selected list.
The 2027 selection features 159 establishments: one two-star restaurant, nine one-star restaurants, 60 Bib Gourmands and 89 Michelin Selected.
Last year's edition listed 151 establishments, including 58 Bib Gourmands and 84 Selected.
Kuala Lumpur now has 80 establishments (77 last year) and Penang 79 (74 last year).
For the first time in Malaysia, the selection was announced through a press release rather than at a ceremony.
Michelin International Director Gwendal Poullennec said in a statement that the selection reflects "the continued importance of local favourites" alongside restaurants that combine Malaysian ingredients, regional flavours and international techniques.
The selection includes everyday dishes such as nasi kandar, koay teow th'ng and bak kut teh, alongside contemporary interpretations of local flavours.
At the top of the list, Potager, a French contemporary restaurant in Kuala Lumpur's Bamboo Hills led by Chef Masashi Horiuchi, earns its first star.
The restaurant opened in September 2023 and joined the Michelin Selected list in the 2025 edition and stayed on it last year before earning a star this year.
That brings the one-star total to nine, up from eight, with seven in Kuala Lumpur and two in Penang.
Dewakan retains its two stars, with Chef Darren Teoh the first chef to be featured in Michelin's new Mindful Voices platform, which highlights the restaurant's use of local, native and endemic ingredients to reduce imports.
Speaking to Malay Mail after the announcement, Teoh said, "I think in light of a hard season, we are thankful to continue to have guests who travel and see the vibrant and dynamic restaurant scene this country has. We think having a guide like the Michelin is great as a starting point for anyone who has never known the country before to begin to fall in love with it."
Potager's recognition also extends to its dining room: Nazahar, who has supervised service since the restaurant opened, received the Service Award. Three other special awards were presented.
Aidan Low, born in 1992, won the Young Chef Award for combining classical French technique and Japanese precision with native produce and house-made ferments at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Akar.
Joyin Goh of Tangram (Selected) won the Sommelier Award for a list of nearly 100 wines featuring lesser-known boutique wineries.
Root House by Gēn (Selected), Chef Johnson Wong's restaurant at George Town's 1926 Heritage Hotel, won Opening of the Year; it opened in July 2026 and explores Malaysian-Chinese cuisine through Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, Cantonese and Hainanese traditions.
The Bib Gourmand list grows to 60 restaurants (26 in Kuala Lumpur, 34 in Penang), up from 58, with four new entries. In Kuala Lumpur, 7 Chai Ipoh Hor Fun serves classic Ipoh kai si hor fun, and Minji Bak Kut Teh serves bak kut teh made from an 80-year-old family recipe.
In Penang, Lemon Koay Teow Soup in Butterworth serves a unique pork-based koay teow th'ng with lemon juice, and Serabai Istimewa, which was among the selections dropped from the list last year, returns with its kuih serabai.
Two restaurants no longer appear on the list: Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice (Pudu) in Kuala Lumpur, which has closed, and Ah Boy Koay Teow Th'ng in Penang. A new claypot chicken rice restaurant, Yan Kee, has opened at the same location, run by the grandson of Heun Kee's original owner.
Nasi kandar makes its long-awaited entrance in the Michelin Selected category, which has 89 establishments (46 in Kuala Lumpur, 43 in Penang), up from 84, with 12 new entries.
Two nasi kandar institutions make the list: time-honoured Hameediyah on Lebuh Campbell, known for its kambing kurma and murtabah, along with another local favourite, Deens Maju on Jalan Gurdwara.
Penang's other new entries are Flower Mulan, a florist-cafe serving Nyonya dishes that was among the restaurants dropped last year; Khaosan, a contemporary Thai restaurant serving "modern Thai tapas"; Root House by Gēn, the Opening of the Year winner; and See Kong Ooi, which serves home-style Malaysian-Chinese dishes in a restored heritage shophouse.
In Kuala Lumpur, six restaurants join the list, and three of them arrive with Michelin-recognised pedigree from elsewhere.
As I Am by Chef Ton, a contemporary Thai restaurant with views of Merdeka 118 and a 12-course tasting menu, was opened by Chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn, the chef behind Bangkok's Le Du and Nusara.
Both restaurants hold one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026, and his first Malaysian restaurant, Sood by Chef Ton in Penang, joined the Selected list in last year's edition.
Jhol, which cooks the flavours of India's nine coastal states, is an outpost of Bangkok's Jhol, founded by Chef Hari Nayak, which is also listed in the Michelin Guide Thailand.
Tangram, a contemporary Asian restaurant with French techniques and a seasonal tasting menu, is a collaboration between local partner Hsiao Tung Wei of Unwined and Chef Johnny Tsai, the creator of Taipei's one-Michelin-starred T+T.
The other three additions in Kuala Lumpur are Merdeka Grill, a European restaurant in the newly opened Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur in Merdeka 118, serving dishes such as blue swimmer crab ravioli and Wagyu grilled over cedar wood; White N Black Kampong, a casual eatery serving kampung-style dishes for sharing; and Yellow Fin Horse, a contemporary Mediterranean restaurant in Else Kuala Lumpur.
Seven restaurants no longer appear on the Selected list. In Kuala Lumpur, they are K, Ling Long, Qureshi and Wagyu Kappo Yoshida, which have all closed; Potager left the category after moving up to a star. In Penang, they are Il Bacaro, Kota Dine & Coffee and Richard Rivalee.
159 establishments: 1 Two-Star, 9 One-Star, 60 Bib Gourmands, 89 Michelin Selected. 80 in Kuala Lumpur, 79 in Penang.
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