My parents are Malaysian and I’ve spent a good number of years in Malaysia, so as a disclaimer, I may be a bit biased. I consider Malaysian food one of the underappreciated food jewels of South East Asia. Not to be confused with Singaporean food (allow me to enlighten you that Singapore was once a part of Malaysia, so the foods are similar, but better, in Malaysia), Singapore simply has better cleanliness and food safety regulations which is why their cuisine is more palatable to foreigners. Thai food is also overrated. Although good, it’s been done to death in North America. But Malaysian food? When will Malaysian food be sung of and lusted over? I’m going to highlight the three culinary pillars that fuse to make Malaysian food great: Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian foods. I predict that Malaysian cuisine will take the world by storm within the next few years, as Malaysian restaurants start popping up in major cities and foodies adventurously food trot other flavours of South East Asia. I’m already beginning to see this here in Toronto and have noticed New York City following suit! (or is it the other way around?)
1) Ethnic Malaysian Food
Ethnic Malay food is full of spices, curries, sambals (a spicy chilli paste), and flavours derived from multiple ethnic influences. Tastes vary in the different regions, but they generally use with the same ingredients. A traditional way to begin your morning is with Malaysia’s national dish called Nasi Lemak, a rice dish with steamed coconut milk rice, fried anchovies, peanuts, sliced cucumber, hard boiled eggs, and sambal; this is sometimes accompanied by curries or rendang (lemongrass stewed) meats for a larger meal. You can get this off the street corners by the plate or neatly wrapped up in a banana leaf package. Watch for food stalls operated by ethnic Malays, as they tend to be most authentic and flavorful. Please be sure to add Sotong Sambal (large deep sea cuttlefish) to your plate if you can! Are you in the mood for noodles? Mee Rebus provide a great tangy potato-sauce and a crispy prawn cracker for dipping. The starchy soup base along with the fried cracker with an unpeeled shrimp in the center is what attracts me to this dish. And finally the selection of Kuihs, jello-like bite-sized deserts usually made of colorful glutenous rice, are must try desserts. Kuih Talam and Kuih Lapis are two of my favorites: Kuih Talam is a two-layered kuih with the top section made of sweet milky coconut and the bottom section of green pandan leaf extract whereas Kuih Lapis is a rich multilayer of interchanging colors of white and pink that’s subtly sweet with hints of coconut milk. Kuihs should be spongy, soft, and moist when bitten into. The flavors should taste fresh, using real ingredients to get highlight the flavors. If the kuihs are hard, it’s stale and been out for too long. Now there’s a huge variety of kuihs, some that pop in your mouth, while others are exhibit colors of the rainbow. I’d err on the side of buying kuihs from the Nonya people, descendants from intermarried Chinese and Malays. They make the best ones and, in fact, the Nonya’s are famed across the country for their cuisine, a true fusion between Malay and Chinese cuisines.
2) Malaysian Indian Food
With roots in South India, Malaysian Indian foods use a lot of curries with coconut milk and curry leaves (not the same as curry powder, there’s a difference!) Of particular interest is the Mamak (Indian Muslim) version that has a unique Malaysian twist. Roti Canai is a flaky pastry that’s fluffy and slightly sweet can be dipped in curries or eaten by itself. Street eats like Maggi Goreng use a bag of Maggi instant noodles (Maggi is a brand of instant noodles popular in South East Asia) to stir-fry with curry, eggs, tofu, and meat. My favourite tea drink in the world, Teh Tarik, is made of evaporated milk that’s sweetened with condensed milk, and “hand pulled” from one mug to another to create a frothy and velvety texture that’s pleasantly satisfying for the mouth. Just watch them mix your teh tarik by pouring the mixture from one end to the other using cups. If you experience a velvety texture that leaves your mouth feeling dry (like when you drink a cup of rich steeped tea), then you’ve got a winner.
3) Malaysian Chinese Food
Though derived primarily from mainland China, Malaysian Chinese food has been influenced by local flavours and have evolved some dishes to become almost unrecognizable back on the mainland. The assortment of noodle dishes is what I find most unique about Malaysian Chinese food. Here are but a few dishes, though Wikipedia has a great list of must-try’s:
- Char Kway Teow: stir-fried noodle with prawns, eggs, bean sprouts, chives, Chinese sausage, and cockles.
- Hainanese Chicken Rice: slices of melt-in-your-mouth chicken with flavoured oily rice, soup, cucumbers, and chilli sauce. Whether or not it’s better than Singapore’s is an ongoing national debate.
- Curry Mee: a bowl of noodles in a spicy curry soup with coconut milk, dried tofu, prawns, chicken, and other ingredients. The important part is the sambal chili paste placed atop the bowl of noodles.
I’ve listed a few examples of Malaysian foods you should try at a Malaysian/ Singaporean restaurant near you. These are great signature dishes that any proper Malaysian restaurant should get right. Of course, many places don’t do the true thing justice, but a taste is all you need to understand why Malaysian cuisine is truly something special, despite often being ignored in South East Asia.
Don’t want to take my word for it? KYspeaks, a blogger from Malaysia, really highlights the country’s obsession for food! It’s a great site to check out should you decide to visit! If you’re in the Toronto area you can try some of my favourite restaurants for Malaysian food: Restauran Malaysia, Lion City, and Villa Malaysia. To learn more, you can also check out James Oseland’s book Cradle of Flavour on homecooking in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Food trotters, do you have any favourite Malaysian restaurants?
