"Aidan Low's one-Michelin-star modern Malaysian counter and its ketupat — book the Mekar menu for a special-occasion dinner in KL."
About Akar
Akar means root in Malay, and that is the whole thesis. Chef-owner Aidan Low cooks a modern Malaysian tasting menu in a quiet room in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, and in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang it earned one star. Low trained in Osaka and Lyon, and that Japanese-French discipline shows in the precision, but the flavours are pointedly local: the menu is called Mekar, it costs RM508++, and the dish the MICHELIN inspectors singled out is his reinterpretation of ketupat — a humble woven rice parcel rebuilt as fine dining. This is Malaysian cuisine taken seriously on its own terms, not borrowed French food with a local garnish.
The Kitchen
Aidan Low's cooking runs Malaysian terroir through technique he picked up in Japan and France. The Mekar tasting menu opens with a trio of snacks and moves through dishes built on native ingredients and unusual methods — cooking in melted beeswax, dry-aging, searing in claypot. The signature is the ketupat, which arrives looking traditional and eats like something else entirely; another standout is a shark-fin-soup homage built from 300g blue swimmer crab with water chestnut, bamboo shoot and a hit of wild ginger (tuhau) oil.
Pricing is fixed and clear: the Mekar menu is RM508++ for dinner, with an optional wine pairing at RM300 on top. The kitchen leans on Malaysian larder ingredients — selom, finger lime, green mango, frangipani blossom — rather than imported luxury, which is part of why the star feels earned rather than bought. Expect a long, paced sequence of small, technically tight courses; this is a tasting menu in the modern sense, and the value sits in the ideas and the sourcing, not the portion size.
The Room
Akar is intimate and understated — a small dining room and counter in TTDI, lit low, with the focus on the plates rather than the décor. The sound level stays conversation-easy, tables are spaced for privacy, and the pace is unhurried because the menu is built to unfold over a couple of hours. Dress is smart-casual; KL does not stand on formality, but a collared shirt or neat dress fits the occasion. Reservations are essential — the room is small and the star has made tables harder to get — so book well ahead, and sit at the counter if you want to watch the kitchen work.
Best for a Birthday
Book Akar for a birthday or a milestone when you want a tasting menu with a point of view, because the Mekar sequence turns dinner into an event without the stiffness of old-school fine dining. The room is intimate, the cooking is genuinely original, and the story — Malaysian roots, Japanese-French technique, one MICHELIN star — gives the table something to talk about between courses. For more KL options, see our best tasting-menu restaurants worldwide, the best KL restaurants for date night, and the wider best restaurants for a birthday.
Not for
Not for big appetites or big groups. It is a small room serving a fixed, paced tasting menu of small courses, so come for the ideas, not for volume or a long table.
Frequently Asked
Is Akar in Kuala Lumpur worth it?
Yes. Akar earned one MICHELIN star in the 2026 Guide, and chef-owner Aidan Low's Mekar tasting menu is one of the most original arguments for modern Malaysian cuisine in KL — local ingredients and unusual techniques delivered with Japanese-French precision. At RM508++ it is a serious spend, so treat it as a special-occasion dinner. Book the counter, take the wine pairing if you can, and go in hungry for ideas rather than volume.
How hard is it to book Akar?
Book well ahead. Akar is a small room in TTDI, and the 2026 MICHELIN star has made tables noticeably harder to get. Reserve online or by phone at +60 3-7733 8528 at least a week or two out, and longer for weekends and counter seats. Note the kitchen serves a single fixed tasting menu, so confirm dietary needs when you book at 109 Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
What should I order at Akar?
There is one route: the Mekar tasting menu at RM508++, with an optional RM300 wine pairing. Highlights to watch for are the ketupat — the dish MICHELIN inspectors singled out — and the shark-fin-soup homage built from blue swimmer crab with wild ginger oil. Take the pairing if you want the full picture; the wine programme is built around the courses rather than bolted on.
What is the dress code at Akar?
Smart-casual. Akar is an intimate fine-dining room, but Kuala Lumpur is relaxed about formality, so a collared shirt, neat trousers or a simple dress is plenty — there is no jacket requirement. Dress comfortably enough to sit through a multi-course tasting menu over a couple of hours. The focus is firmly on the food, not on a dress code, so polished-casual is the right register.
Is Akar good for a birthday or anniversary?
Yes. The intimate room, the paced Mekar tasting menu and the originality of the cooking make Akar a strong choice for a birthday, anniversary or milestone in KL, and the one-star recognition adds occasion. Book a counter seat to watch the kitchen and take the wine pairing. See our best restaurants for an anniversary for more ideas.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Akar
Direct · single fixed tasting menu · book ahead
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Practical Information
Address109 Jalan Aminuddin Baki, TTDI, 60000 KL
NeighbourhoodTaman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI)
CuisineModern Malaysian tasting menu
MenuMekar RM508++ · wine pairing +RM300
Dress CodeSmart-casual
ReservationDirect · akarkl.com
RecognitionOne MICHELIN Star, 2026
