I ate at the only Taco Bell in Malaysia's 'Silicon Valley.' The experience left much to be desired.

The Mexican-inspired fast-food chain opened its first restaurant in Cyberjaya — the first in Malaysia — in April 2021. Today, Taco Bell has at least a dozen locations around the country.

The city of Cyberjaya is located 30 minutes away from the capital, Kuala Lumpur. It was designed in the late 1990s with the goal of becoming the country's tech hub, but reports from media outlets and think tanks alike indicate that endeavor has largely failed.

Today, Cyberjaya is a low-density city with pockets of deserted districts where very few people live or operate businesses. The city has more than 100,000 residents, but they live in an urban sprawl that measures 2,800 hectares, or 10.8 square miles. In comparison, Jersey City has a land area of around 14 square miles and three times the population of Cyberjaya.

Late last month, I traveled to Cyberjaya from Singapore to find out more about what it's like to live in the city — including what residents love eating. Dozens of residents have posted about their Taco Bell experiences on Tiktok, and it's one of my favorites whenever I visit the US, so I decided to have lunch at the Cyberjaya outlet.

I've covered food in Southeast Asia for Insider for about a year now, and have written about US chains like McDonald's, Shake Shack, and Starbucks. Unlike other parts of Southeast Asia, Singapore does not have a Taco Bell outlet — which made me especially excited to try it in Malaysia.

The Cyberjaya outlet has an average rating of 4.2 stars on Google from over 1,500 reviews, with diners saying everything from "it's worth a try" to hailing the food as "great."

Before visiting the outlet, I asked one Cyberjaya resident what he thought of the local Taco Bell. The man, who declined to be named, said he liked dining at Taco Bell on the weekends as it's "tasty" and not as crowded as other fast food chains, like McDonald's.

Taco Bell Malaysia did not immediately reply to my requests for comment for this story.

The tastiest thing about the quesadilla was the stringy, melted cheese. Compared to the one that I had in Los Angeles, the quesadilla was bland. It was edible but not one I would try again.

The soft taco was a simple dish consisting of chicken, lettuce, and cheddar cheese. Like the quesadilla, it was underseasoned and average at best.

Again, the dish fell short of its California counterpart in terms of temperature and taste.

The rice bowl was made up of seasoned rice, ground beef, black beans, salsa, and sambal, a sweet and spicy sauce. I'm a huge fan of sambal, and eat it religiously. Malaysia has some of the best sambals in the region, so I was excited to discover what a crossover between Taco Bell and local condiments would taste like.

One thing that immediately stood out to me was the texture — it was way mushy and soft. The ground beef and black beans had the texture of baby food. The sambal was extremely sweet and had barely any heat or spice.

The chips still weren't enough to enhance the flavor, and I struggled to finish the bowl.

The teh tarik was sweet and creamy. An iced version might have made for a more refreshing treat in Cyberjaya's humid weather, but it was still a good substitute for diners who don't enjoy soft drinks.

It fell short of the flavor I expect from Taco Bell, but I can still see why it's so popular with locals. The ambience at the restaurant felt upscale and cozy, service was efficient, portions were big, and it wasn't absurdly expensive.

Total spent: 34.10 Malaysia ringgit, or $7.75 (with taxes)

Best part of my order: Quesadilla

Worst part of my order: Rice bowl

Words to the wise: Skip any meal with rice in it — opt for the classics.