Top 5 Eats in Malaysia

The country of Malaysia has three distinct people group: the Malay, the Chinese, and the Indians. Due to this, food in Malaysia has strong influences from the three ethnicities. You can get a variety of yummy eats no matter where you go in the country and in this post, I will go over my top 5 eats in Malaysia!

1. Roti Canai

This Indian-influenced flatbread dish is found all over Malaysia. Often served as breakfast, this the most famous examples of Malaysian Indian cuisine. This dish can be savoury or sweet depending on the ingredients added into the roti such as eggs, bananas, coconut spread, and many more. Roti Canai also is usually served with dal (lentil) curry, but might be served with different kinds of curries such as chicken curry and mutton curry. My favourite is the roti canai with egg and chicken curry which is 8.3 MYR ($2.60 CAD) in Penang. The egg-filled roti is great to soak up the curry and to eat with the chicken. Such a great way to start your day!

2. Char kway teow

Take flat rice noodles, eggs, seafood, bean sprouts, Chinese chives and stir fry it around in soy sauce, chili and shrimp paste. What you get is delicious Char kway teow. This is Malaysia and Singapore’s version of a pad thai, and my opinion a better version too. Definitely try some in Penang as they add a piece of banana leaf to enhance the aroma on the noodles and can be had for only 5 MYR ($1.56 CAD)!

3. Nasi Lemak

This is the national dish of Malaysia for a good reason. The rice is not any plain white rice, but its cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf creating a really fragrant taste. It is usually paired with anchovies, peanuts, fried egg, cucumber, sambal, and some sort of meat. For those that do not know, sambal is chili paste mixed with shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, lime juice, and is common to the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. This mixed with the tasty rice, meat, egg together so well with the fresh cucumbers and the crunch of the peanuts and anchovies. It is found all over the country and can be had for around 7 MYR ($2.20 CAD).

4. Cendol Durian

This iced sweet dessert has a base that contains droplets of worm-like green rice flour jelly, coconut milk, shaved ice and palm sugar syrup. Then you can have additional toppings such as red beans,  sweet corn, diced jack fruit, or my favourite, durian! You get the creaminess of coconut milk, the custard taste of durian, sweetness from red beans and palm sugar, and the crunchiness from the shaved ice. This is such a great dish to cool you down on any hot day in Malaysia (which is most days)! This big bowl of cendol durian can be had for 13 MYR ($4.06 CAD)

5. Hokkien Mee

This noodle dish has its origins from the China’s Fujian (Hokkien) province. There are many variations in Malaysia, but the one that made it to this list is the Penang version which is egg (yellow) and rice (white) noodles with shrimp, slices of chicken or pork, squid, fish cakes, leafy vegetables and a side of sambal. This is all served with a spicy shrimp based broth. Its delicious, filling, and super cheap at only 4 MYR ($1.25 CAD) a bowl!

Other Malaysian foods I tried

• Asam laksa
• Claypot chicken rice
• Hokkien mee
• Hokkien char
• Wantan mee
• Air bandung
• Malaysian fried rice
• Curry mee
• Mutton biryani
• Honey char siew noodles
• Macau pork chop rice
• Kaya toast
• Thosai
• Paneer butter masala
• Banana leaf Indian meal
• Sweet lassi
• Steamboat meal (hot pot)

If you have been to Malaysia, I would like to know your top 5 eats in Malaysia!