Introduction
It’s July 2023, and I’m in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with my wife, Cathy, on a mission to explore a trend that has quietly taken root in the city’s dining scene: robot waiters. Once a futuristic novelty popping up in social media feeds, these mechanical servers have begun to settle into the everyday rhythms of Malaysian restaurants. From bustling open-air mamak stalls to chic modern cafés, robots are growing from curious sidekicks to mundane workhorses—delivering drinks, clearing dishes, and garnering only the occasional passing glance.
Over several days, I visited five different eateries across KL and the neighboring suburb of Petaling Jaya, each with its own cast of robots and human staff. While my expectations were anchored in novelty—surely robots were still an attraction—I discovered something a little less sensational and far more interesting: technology that’s quietly blending into the daily grind.
1. A stalled debut at Kanteen Mont Kiara
Address: Mont’ Kiara Banyan, Lot GF2, 28, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Kanteen Mont Kiara is nestled in a suburb popular with expats—its stylised interior designed for the Instagram age. My first impression was of a single robot near the counter with glowing orange lights around its base. It sat motionless, almost as an afterthought rather than a star attraction. Ordering here required a bit of old-fashioned hustle: scanning a QR code on the table got me nowhere, so I had to approach the counter.
After half an hour, the robot still hadn’t moved. Only when a curious six-year-old girl decided to play “push the robot” did it even budge from its spot. Nobody seemed particularly concerned that a child was dragging the machine around, except for the child’s mother, who gave her a stern look until the girl reluctantly pushed it back into place.
Eventually, I asked for a muffin and inquired about the robot. A staff member shrugged, suggesting it might be broken—but they’d give it a try anyway. To everyone’s mild surprise, it finally rolled out to deliver my muffin. The mechanical voice, politely instructing me to take my order, clashed with the soft pop music overhead. After I lifted the muffin from the robot’s tray, I pressed a button on its screen, sending it back to its station. For most patrons, it blended into the background as just another piece of restaurant equipment.
2. Four robots on break at Restoran Nasi Kandar Shaaz
Address: 1, Jalan PJS 11/20, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Switching gears from café culture to an open-air mamak setting, I visited Restoran Nasi Kandar Shaaz on a rainy Monday evening. Situated in the backstreets near the Sunway Pyramid Mall, this eatery had four robots—two for drinks and two for food, according to a staff member. However, when we arrived at 5pm, they were all on charge, waiting for the dinner rush around 7pm.
Undeterred, we ordered two Coke Zeros, prompting a staff member to boot one robot up early. It rolled toward our table, paused, spun around, and displayed a screen with a COVID-19 mask-wearing diagram—evidently a relic of the pandemic era. We grabbed our drinks, tapped the “Send robot back” button, and it deftly navigated its way back, choosing a longer path to avoid weaving between tables.
The restaurant is big and breezy, with six TV screens showing the Premier League. There’s also a sign boasting “Astro Premier League DI SINI,” indicating live football as a customer draw. According to Google reviews, people used to rave about how “cool” these robots were, but opinions have become more practical now. One reviewer even griped that the place was pricey because “you pay labour cost for the robots,” while others noted that they’re great—until you want to order something else and can’t find a human server.
It’s a microcosm of the robot phenomenon in Malaysia: initially exciting, then sometimes overshadowed by real-world concerns like food quality and speed of service.
3. Methodical drink deliveries at Q Bistro
Address: 2, 2-A & 6, Jalan Dwitasik, Bandar Sri Permaisuri, 56000 Kuala Lumpur
Next stop: Q Bistro, a spacious restaurant with large concrete columns and an open-air design. Two Bellabots (a popular robot waiter model) were stationed by the drinks counter. One was charging, while the other stood ready to ferry beverages.
Seated within sight of the drinks station, I noticed that staff often dispatched the robot to far-flung tables loaded with glasses of teh tarik or fresh juices. The robot navigated the corridor with ease, stopping neatly beside its destination and announcing the table number. Diners would remove their drinks, and a big button on the screen would send the robot back.
But proximity to the bar meant our own drinks were delivered by a human. Still, I observed the Bellabot diligently repeating its routine. Over the span of a meal, it made more than ten runs, weaving through foot traffic with only occasional side-eyes from customers. For better or worse, it felt like an ordinary part of the workflow, just another server on the team.
4. Polite visits at RESTORAN YI POH in Sunway Pyramid
Address: F1.AV. 147 & F1.AV. 195, First Floor, Asian Avenue, Sunway Pyramid Mall, Petaling Jaya
A Cantonese noodle restaurant tucked away in Sunway Pyramid Mall, RESTORAN YI POH operates with a semi–food court style approach. After ordering laksa soups at the front counter, I noticed a stationary Bellabot near the register. I assumed it would deliver our food.
However, ten minutes later, a human server emerged, carrying our bowls. When we asked why the robot wasn’t used, the staff amicably offered to send it over—albeit empty—to give us the “experience.” We snapped a quick video, but it felt more like a courtesy demonstration than genuine integration.
Over the next half-hour, the robot did make a few real deliveries to other tables. Most diners offered little more than a brief glance. A toddler pointed in fascination, but for everyone else, it was business as usual. Meanwhile, rumors buzzed that parts of the mall were closing down, overshadowing the robot cameo with talk of store closures. Technology or not, everyday commerce marches on.
5. A hoverboard and ten robots at Artisan’s Playground
Address: 1st Floor, Block H, Plaza Riverwalk, 1, Jalan Selvadurai, Jalan Ipoh, 51200 Kuala Lumpur
On a quiet Sunday evening, we ventured into Artisan’s Playground, an enormous dining concept spanning over 70 meters in length. The industrial-chic vibe includes multiple kitchens lining the space, with seating for hundreds. But with only three parties dining, it felt surreal—almost too big for its clientele that night. Jazz drifted through the near-empty hall.
A staff member zipped by on a hoverboard, while around us, at least four (later I learned there were ten in total!) Bellabots and a single Kettybot glided through the aisles. One robot delivered drinks, another served hot dishes. Despite the high-tech setting, staff would often follow or meet the robots at the table, transferring the plates themselves. It was a hybrid system: the robot bridged the distance from kitchen to table, but humans still provided the finishing flourish.
The mechanical “thank you” messages and repeated greetings quickly became white noise. I watched them make multiple trips to our table, delivering each dish as it was ready from different kitchens. Meanwhile, the only other major action was a table celebrating a birthday—where a robot tried to join the festivities, only to be politely waved off by the unimpressed guest of honour.
Conclusion: When the future becomes ordinary
Dining across Kuala Lumpur in July 2023 provided a fascinating snapshot of how robot waiters are settling in. Far from the hype of a few years ago—when people posted every robotic cameo on social media—these machines now often draw no more attention than a vending machine or a drinks dispenser. Kids might treat them like oversized RC toys. Staff might see them as an extra set of hands. And customers? Many simply shrug and take their food.
The fact that we can walk into a low-key mamak stall or a sleek modern café and see a robot (or four, or ten) stationed among the staff is telling. Robots in these restaurants aren’t just about novelty anymore—they’ve become a pragmatic solution for carrying items back and forth, occasionally offering comedic relief. More often than not, the real story is the mood of the room or the quality of the dish itself. The robots have merged into the background noise of daily life.
Still, each robot encounter reveals how technology can reshape human labour and everyday experiences—sometimes seamlessly, sometimes awkwardly. In Kanteen Mont Kiara, the poor dormant machine sparked curiosity only when it malfunctioned. In Artisan’s Playground, a fleet of busy robots navigated near-empty aisles. Across the city, they speak polite lines in a synthetic voice over the hum of traffic and clinking cutlery.
Will they stick around? Likely, though their true value lies in utility more than spectacle. In that sense, this July I witnessed the moment when futuristic robots transitioned into part of the everyday fabric of Kuala Lumpur’s dining scene—something that feels all the more futuristic precisely because everyone’s already getting used to it.
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