8 must try dishes in Malaysia!
Malaysian cuisine is influenced by the rich, diverse communities who have settled in the country over the years. You will find that many Malay dishes use ingredients from Chinese cuisines, spices used in Indian cooking and even cooking methods that derive from the indigenous people.
Malay food is sweet, sour, spicy and aromatic. Rice (‘nasi’ in Malay) is often the base ingredient for most dishes. Noodles (‘mee’ in Malay) are another popular staple, especially amongst Malay-Chinese dishes.
We spent five weeks eating our way through this outstanding country. So for those wanting to know what to eat in Malaysia, below you can learn about some of the country’s most popular dishes and what we thought about them!
Nasi Lemak
This is the first thing you should try when pondering what to eat in Malaysia. Malaysia’s national dish, Nasi Lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk, pandan leaves and a range of spices. It is traditionally served with sambal – a spicy chilli sauce, crispy anchovies, roasted peanuts and cucumber. This rich, delicious rice is often served with a side of fried chicken, egg or even tofu.
We loved this dish and tried it many times on our travels! The best Nasi Lemak we tried was at Restauran Sup Hameed on a great food tour in Georgetown. It came wrapped in a banana leaf and egg on the side… A simple yet delicious dish!
Hokkien Mee
Hokkien Mee is a Chinese noodle dish that has been adapted by different regions in Southeast Asia to claim as their own. You will find popular versions Hokkien Mee in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
For foodies who have tried this popular dish in Singapore, you will find that KL Hokkien Mee is slightly different to its Singaporean counterpart. KL noodles are thicker which better soak up the rich flavours of the broth whilst cooking. It is typically cooked with dark soy sauce which gives the noodles a stronger and slightly sweeter flavour.
Penang Hokkien Mee, on the other hand, is identified as a spicy prawn noodle soup and consists of yellow egg noodles. It is served with special sambal sauce. People often call this dish Prawn Mee to make a clear difference from the KL version.
Funnily enough, we actually first tried KL Hokkien Mee in Singapore at Malaysian Food Street and the deep, full-bodied flavours we represented beautifully in this dish. It was sticky, sweet and very filling!
Roti Canai
Originally called Roti Paratha in India, this flaky, soft flatbread made its way to Malaysia along with the Indian traders. The Indian Hawkers made it popular by expertly rolling and folding the dough until it was the perfect thickness to cook and serve with a dhal. This dish is typically eaten in the mornings where it is made fresh and served hot.
We tried Roti Canai a few times. First in Kota Kinabalu at Maimunah Seafood Corner and again at Restauran Sup Hameed on our food tour in Georgetown, this time with a range of different curry dips which elevated the soft, tasty bread to another level.
Char Kway Teow
This classic street food dish must be on your list when discovering what to eat in Malaysia! It may be quick and simple to make, but this noodle dish takes great skill with a wok to perfect. Flat rice noodles are stir-fried at a high temperature along with soy sauce, chilli sauce and Chinese sausage. It is often cooked over charcoal to create a smokey flavour.
This dish was originally brought over by China’s Teochew and Hokkien people in the 19th Century, with ‘Char’ meaning stir-fried in Hokkien. Over the years, many ingredients have been added such as fishcakes, cockles and shrimp to become the Malaysian classic that we know and love today.
We tasted some wonderful Char Kway Teow around Malaysia. We tried this tasty dish with chicken (‘Ayam’ in Malay) at Zieleto Ikan Boulu Tanpa Tulang in Kota Kinabalu. Yet our favourite has to be in Georgetown at the Michelin recommended Penang Road Famous Laksa.
Murtabak
When searching for what to eat in Malaysia, you will find many options with origins from India. Murtabak is another Indian dish that emerged in Malaysia when Tamil Indian-Muslim traders arrived. Similar to a stuffed omelette, it is a thick bread layered with egg, chilli, onion and sometimes ground meat. It can be served with dahl and other Indian curries.
We tasted Murtabak in Kota Kinabalu at Api Api Night Food Market. This murtabak was covered in oozing cheese and served with a sweet soy sauce on the side. The flatbread was tasty, slightly chewy and flavourful!
Homy Seafront Hostel
Located in the heat of Kota Kinabalu this hostel offers modern accommodation with comfortable amenities such as free breakfast and a beautiful sea view.
The property offers a range of rooms from mixed dorms to female only dorms. It also offers a range of beds options to accommodate for both solo and couple travellers.
Assam Laksa
Are you wondering what to eat in Malaysia and love noodle soup? A strong and sour fish-based noodle soup, Assam Laksa differs from other Laksa’s due to the tangy tamarind added to the dish. The dish has Nyonya descent – ‘Baba-Nyonya’ refers to the unique transculturation which stemmed from the early Chinese and Malay marriages. From these unions, unique dishes were developed including the famous Assam Laksa. This version of Laksa has become one of the most popular dishes in Penang today.
This is probably our favourite Malaysian dish. The sharp laksa sauce is super flavoursome and tastes completely unlike any other dish we tried in Malaysia. We tasted an incredible Assam Laksa from Jonker 88 in Malacca, as well as a tasty bowl from Penang Road Famous Laksa during our Penang food tour.
If you’re interested in trying more forms of this dish, we recommend tasting Curry Laksa, also known as Curry Mee. We found this dish equally as delicious!
Popiah
Another pancake-like food, Popiah is a fresh spring roll that originates in the Fujian province of China and was brought over with the Hokkien and Teochew people. The spring rolls have a thin, chewy skin and they can be stuffed with a variety of delicious vegetables and meats.
Our favourite Popiah was eaten on the side of the street in Georgetown. It was full of stuffing which was bursting with flavour and covered in a sweet and sticky sauce. Totally mouthwatering … the perfect snack!
Cendol
This well known Southeast Asian dessert most likely originates from Indonesia, yet it can be found all over the continent. Each country presents the dish slightly differently: some drink it from a glass, whilst others eat it with a spoon. Some layer the ingredients, others mix all ingredients together. However it is prepared, the signature items in a Cendol dish include green rice jellies, red beans, coconut milk and crushed ice.
As much as we love savoury SE Asian dishes, our Western tastebuds couldn’t quite adjust to this Asian dessert. It was, however, fascinating to try the crazy mix of flavours and textures. We were recommended to taste it immediately after a sip of our Assam Laksa, which provoked an incredibly strange combination of flavours on the palette!
Finally…
This list is just a snippet of the incredible mix of delicacies in Malaysia (… we haven’t even touched on the range of drinks you can try!) Now you have an idea on what to eat in Malaysia, why not see what to expect when travelling in this country, or you can read some of the best places to eat in the Malaysian city of Malacca!
