Tapak Urban Street Dining: Hipster night market in KL with food trucks selling monster burgers, crazy milkshakes, jumbo Indomie and more!

Written by Beverley Lennon

Do you love food but hate having to hit the malls on the weekend? Ugh, pesky crowds and civilization – I hate you!

The eternal question at home is “what do we eat and do tonight?”. It’s been hard for me to find some kind of night entertainment around KL City Centre (except from bars, clubs, cafes and movie theatres).

So every Friday, we make our way to the nearby mall and argue for 20 mins over what we shall eat at dinner. Your kinda scene? Not any more friends! You can now enjoy the lively ambience and atmosphere of Bangkok’s night markets right here in Kuala Lumpur – within 10 minutes’ walk from KLCC!

Come before 6pm and the space is set as a mere carpark, but once the sun sets, things take a lively turn and transforms into Tapak Urban Street Dining – until 12 am! Here, you get rows of food trucks (over 30 of them) selling the most hipster food (read: giant Indomie, titanic burger, jumbo mango smoothie, monster churros and more!) as you enjoy good music from the live bands and stunning views of the KL Twin Towers!

So if you’re up to skip your usual fast-food chains and ready to hop on to the bougie food truck craze, here are some must-haves at Tapak Urban Street Dining!

1. Feast on big, juicy, oozy, cheesy titanic burgers! – The Sailor and 8th Street Cafe

First thing first – you will need your group of friends to be able to finish up one of these monstrous burgers because heck yes they’re real giants!

Forget those thin, grey patties as you’ll be served with a tower of meat (beef and chicken) stacked between burger buns and slathered with oozy, cheesy sauces that turn it into a giant, sloppy yet delicious mess! I personally preferred the chicken patty, it was juicy and tasted fresh!

It took the five of us to be able to finish one of their titanic burgers before we sighted on yet another legend – a Mac’ N Cheese burger which was from another food truck. And with real burger fans among us, we could not simply pass by this hipster creation and felt the obligation of ordering one too – it is basically a burger with a spoonful of Mac’ N Cheese as a topping.

So, are you ready to conquer these real beasts?!

2. Treat yourself to sweet and sugary giant churros! – Exito Wok and Churroza

Seriously though, who does not love churros?! For some reasons, this sweet delicacy reminds me of amusement parks and happy childhood memories, so finding them at the night market was a guilty pleasure on its own!

What’s best; it isn’t your regular plate of churros as they come in jumbo cups and they’re in fact some of the biggest churros I’ve come across – you’ve got the chewiness from the fried dough, and the sweet taste of cinnamon sugar, before you dip it in warm melted caramel (or chocolate sauce)! I am drooling only from writing this down and luckily it is time for tea and cakes right now!

We’ve also come across another food truck at the very end of the market where you can try out stuffed churros – you get to fill them with sprinkles, Nutella and so much more!

3. And do you dare to try a plate of monster Indomie?! – Indo Supreme

Besides hipster food, you can also find some comfort meals at the night market. What a time to be alive right? You barely have to be on your couch to be able to enjoy a comforting plate of Indomie!

We haven’t personally tried them out but Indomie in a food truck is something quite special, right? Even more when it comes in supreme portions!!

4. Now, wash it down with jumbo mango drinks and colourful shakes like in Bangkok! – First Order and Mango Shack

If there’s something we also over-spend on in Bangkok, it surely is the mango drinks and dessert, right?! I can’t be the only one! Other than shopping for clothes, this is where all my 100 Baht fly to. Well now, I can get my hands on jumbo mango drinks to satisfy my craving right here in KL!

We tried both their fresh mango juice and smoothie – they were sweet and delicious and hear me; they tasted exactly like the ones in Bangkok! They range from RM 5-8 and are super worth it as the serving is very generous and the smoothie is also topped with fresh mango pieces!

They also have mango sticky rice on their menu, but those were not available when we visited (cry!).

But besides mango-based delicacies, you can also roam around other trucks to try out sinful concoctions like unicorn smoothies and chocolate shakes!

5. Chill with friends and sing along with live bands!

Yes!! Live bands right in KL and with a view of the KLCC Twin Towers – why even consider clubbing tonight? Once you grow old enough, you surely prefer chill nights with friends right? At least, that is the case for us.

It is quite rare to spot on live bands in open spaces around the city so having them here as you roam around the night market and munch from the multiple food trucks really adds up to the experience and ambience.

The live band performances change daily, as artists can sign up whenever they want so it will constantly differ, even though you decide to come back every day of the week. There’s a nice groovy ambience with cool acoustic music, nothing too noisy of course as the area remains residential after all!

6. Queue up for bubble tea out of a food truck?! – Summer Big Cup

We sure do know about the various bubble tea shops that have been opening up around KL and the bubble tea street in SS15 too but spotting on a truck that sells bubble tea in a night market is something rather special (even better when it is not a typical chain, ahem!). And the best bit? They serve the ever-so-popular ‘Brown Sugar Bubble Tea’!

7. Check out this barber in a container – Mike’s Barber and Clothing

Now, this is something that caught my eye when we stepped into the night market. This barbershop located within the night market itself is nicely placed in an up-cycled shipping container! Personally, I find it trendy and innovative. You’ll see it once you come in as it is elevated and overlooks the dining space.

So guys, here’s where you can turn handsome before a dinner date at the food truck night market; because why not?!

8. Shop out of a MyNews convenience truck – MyNews

This probably has to be my favourite out of the lot – a mobile convenience store! What a world we live in or what a time to be alive, right?! I just find this super cool and hipster!

If you live in Southeast Asia, you sure do know how convenient it is to find a 7-Eleven (Thailand), Indomaret (Indonesia) or MyNews (Malaysia) at every street corner but now it seems that you can even find them at night markets! Now, see who can save on drinks and snacks?! Or did you forget to run errands for your mom today? No problem, you’re safe now!

9. Fill your tummy until 12 am with Topoyaki, Chinese dishes, Taiwanese fried chicken, grilled tofu and more!

Other than our favourite listed above, there are plenty of other food options at the food truck night market. The best way to enjoy it is to come with a good bunch of friends so you can all try out from different trucks!

Ready to revolutionize your usual and typical nights out? Know of any more fun night markets around KL? Let us know below!

PLEASE NOTE: All the above information is correct at the date of publication. If you come across any changes or updates, please let us know and we will update the information accordingly. Thank you! Tell us

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