We tried the best-rated affordable breakfast spot in KL
Discovering the best-rated breakfast spots in KL is as easy as making new year resolutions that you won’t follow through — almost all of them have at least 4.7 stars from over 1K Google reviews.
The catch? Their prices. These top-rated places often start at RM20 for even the simplest dish. Not exactly budget-friendly for breakfast, right? That’s what makes stumbling upon TGSK KL such a delight — it’s the highest-rated affordable breakfast spot in the city.
Honing 4.2 stars from 369 Google reviews (at the time of writing), TGSK KL is a charming Malay breakfast spot nestled in Bukit Antarabangsa, offering a “cafe in a garden” experience. The tagline made perfect sense as soon as I arrived.
Despite its open-air setup, the space felt refreshingly cool, thanks to the lush greenery and thoughtfully incorporated bamboo decor. It’s like dining in the woods — without the bugs or the hassle.
TGSK KL had 2 counters for ordering: one serving hearty mains like pulut kuning, nasi kerabu, lontong, laksa Johor, and laksam, and the other dishing quick bites such as pisang goreng, keropok lekor, and tempe goreng with sambal kicap.
Their drink menu is surprisingly inventive for a breakfast spot, featuring options like Matcha Strawberry and flavoured lattes, all served in tall cups. For those on the go, TGSK KL also offers pre-packaged snacks like kerepek and an array of kuih-muih.
Pro tip: come early — by 9am, the queue will stretch to the parking lot outside.
What I tried at TGSK KL
When visiting a local breakfast spot, it’s a must to try Malaysia’s national breakfast dish — nasi lemak. I opted for sambal jawa and sambal paru as my sides, and the total came to an impressively affordable RM11.
Following my usual nasi lemak routine, I sampled the sambal on its own first. Judging by its appearance, I expected a fiery kick, but it turned out to be surprisingly mild. Its flavour was reminiscent of old-school sambal — perfectly balanced with just the right touch of sweetness, leaving no unpleasant aftertaste. The texture was spot on too: neither overly smooth nor annoyingly chunky, so no pesky chilli bits stuck between your teeth!
Moving on to the rice — now, if you’ve followed my nasi lemak reviews, you’ll know I’m not the biggest fan of basmati rice for this dish. However, to my delight, the coconut rice was fluffy with the right amount of starchiness, elevated by the strong and rich taste of santan.
Ginger was the most pronounced note, but it was harmoniously balanced, never overwhelming the dish or clashing with the creamy santan. Sometimes too much ginger can ruin a dish, so I was really satisfied with the taste.
As the very picture of elegance, I decided to pop an entire piece of paru into my mouth — a risky move if it turned out to be chewy. Thankfully, it wasn’t! The paru was tender, infused with the flavours of the sambal, and free from the gaminess often found in poorly prepared versions.
The sambal jawa, a mix of green beans, vermicelli, tempeh, and tauhu stir-fried in sambal, was underwhelming. A touch more red chilli or seasoning would have made a world of difference. My only other complaint was the tough ikan bilis, likely a result of being left out too long.
That said, the nasi lemak as a whole was absolutely delicious. Each bite was juicy and moist, yet never too wet or runny — a crucial balance for those particular about texture. The perfectly cooked rice and sambal tied everything together beautifully. While no single component was overly spicy, combining them all did make me start sniffling — consider yourself warned!
I initially had my sights set on beehoon soto for my next dish, but they only had spaghetti noodles (primarily for laksa Johor), which I felt wouldn’t pair well with soto. So, I went with the Nasi Dagang Ikan (RM11) instead. The dish came with a generous serving of rice, a halved piece of gulai ikan tongkol, and a side of acar sayur.
From the first bite of the rice, I was amazed. The mix of perfectly cooked pulut and regular rice made it incredibly fluffy. Combined with the kuah gulai, it was simply divine. The halved fish portion was just right for the dish, bursting with rich, aromatic spices from the gulai.
As for the acar sayur — a mix of carrots, cabbage, and cucumbers dressed in vinegar with a hint of sugar — it was decent, though not particularly memorable.
Our final dish was Nasi Dagang Ayam (RM11). Like the gulai ikan, the gulai ayam — featuring 2 small pieces of chicken — was incredibly flavourful and tender. It was clear the chicken had been lovingly slow-cooked, as it effortlessly fell apart with just a nudge of my spoon, and the spices had infused deeply into the meat.
To end on a sweet note, I treated myself to a hot cup of Cham (RM4), a classic Malaysian coffee-and-tea blend. While it looked promising, it was overwhelmingly sweet and oddly resembled Milo more than Cham. Thankfully, adding some cold water (readily available for free) toned it down, making it much more enjoyable.
Final thoughts
While the Cham was underwhelming, the other dishes more than made up for it. I thoroughly enjoyed all 3, with nasi dagang easily taking the top spot. That said, tastes differ — my dining partner didn’t love the nasi lemak as much as I did.
The portions were impressively generous for the price, and the cosy, old-school ambience added to the charm. Sitting in a modernised warong, enjoying good food while listening to the talent of the day serenading on the mic, made the experience all the more delightful. This spot is definitely a must-try!
Expected damage: RM6 – RM12 per pax
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