We Found The Best Pancakes In KL And We’re Not Keeping It To Ourselves

Let’s be honest, pancakes have been underestimated for a long time. Somewhere between the sad, rubbery stacks at hotel buffets and the overly Instagram-friendly towers drowning in syrup, pancakes lost their credibility.

But then we started paying attention. Turns out, Kuala Lumpur has a growing roster of spots that are taking pancakes seriously. The kind that make you reconsider every mediocre stack you’ve ever settled for. Whether you’re a pancake fanatic who’s always known they deserved better, or someone who’s never really thought twice about ordering them, this list was made for both of you. 

CONSTRUCT

Built by Haermana out of her own home, it started the way the best things usually do, not as a plan, but as a feeling. A spread of pancakes that kept bringing the people she loved back to the same table, until one day she stopped questioning it and just kept cooking. Everything here is homemade and personal, built from a recipe that carries something most cafe menus can’t manufacture, the feeling of being fed by someone who genuinely means it.

So trusting Haermana with your plate of pancakes isn’t even a question, it’s a given. The occasional gatherings and intimate events are just a bonus and a reminder that good food has always had a way of pulling people together without trying. But even on a regular visit, just you and a plate by the balcony surrounded by KL’s rare pockets of greenery, Construct has a way of making everything feel a little more like home.

Address: G5, The Stories of Taman Tunku, Jln Langgak Tunku, Bukit Tunku, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Operation hours: By reservation only.

^{Image credit: MONO Malaysia}

shikomi coffee

The pancakes here are fluffy and smoother than your skin on a good skincare day, and the real fun starts when you get to build your own plate. Sweet, savoury, or a chaotic but completely justified mix of both. Ice cream, hash browns, whatever calls to you, nobody here is going to question your choices. In fact, everyone at Shikomi has their own order, their own combination, their own thing they always come back for. That’s the kind of place this is. No wrong answers, just really good pancakes and the freedom to eat them exactly how you want.

Address: 5, Jalan SS 18/6, Ss 18, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

Operation hours: Sun-Thur: 9AM – 5PM | Fri & Sat: 9AM – 10PM | Closed on Wednesdays

^{Image credit: @shikomicoffee}

hot buns co. diner

For the ones who believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day and refuse to compromise on it, Hot Buns Co. in APW Bangsar is your spot. The breakfast menu only runs from 9am to 12pm, which means you’ll actually have a reason to get out of bed before noon for once.

The fluffy buttermilk pancakes here come with lightly crisp edges that give way to a soft, pillowy centre, topped with maple-soy glaze, honey-maple butter, and fresh strawberries and blueberries that make the whole plate look as good as it tastes. It’s breakfast that makes you feel like you have your life together, even if the only thing you did right that morning was show up here. It’s three hours, one menu, zero excuses.

Address:  B-04, 29, Jalan Riong, APW Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Operation hours: Wed – Fri: 12PM – 11PM | Sat: 9AM – 11:30PM | Sun: 9AM – 11PM | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

^{Image credit: @thingsi8today @hotbunsco @patties.dough}

alta cafe

There’s something about watching whipped butter melt right in front of you that makes a pancake feel like an event. At Alta Cafe, the Cast Iron Buttermilk Pancake arrives with whipped butter sitting on top, and before you’ve even picked up your fork, it’s already doing its thing, melting into every layer, pooling at the edges with the maple syrup like it was always meant to end up there. The edges are crisp in a way that makes the first bite genuinely satisfying, and the rest of the pancake is everything a buttermilk pancake should be. Simple, done properly, and something you’ll order again without even looking at the rest of the menu.

Address:  59-1, Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Operation hours: 8AM-6PM Daily

^{Image credit: @alta_cafe}

MOKKY’S PIZZA

Yes, you read that right. Mokky’s Pizza made it onto a pancake list, and before you scroll past, hear us out. While the pizza here has its own well-earned following, the pancakes are the kind of discovery that makes you feel like you’re in on a secret. The menu reads like a diner that fully committed to doing pancakes its own way. OG Pancakes, Chicken and Cheese Pancake, Tenders & Pancakes, Snow Pancake, Beef & Maple, and a full big breakfast with eggs, bacon and sausages for anyone who believes pancakes should come with a proper supporting cast. Everything is served diner-style, generous and unapologetic about it. For everyone who’s ever looked at a stack of pancakes and wished it came with something more substantial, Mokky’s just answered that.

Address: Multiple locations

Operation hours: Depends on the branch

^{Image credit: @mokkyspizza}

Pancakes have always been more than just breakfast food, we just needed the right places to prove it. And Kuala Lumpur, as it turns out, has been building a pancake scene worth paying attention to.