Street Food
Kaya Toast & Soft Boiled Eggs
Typical Breakfast in Malaysia
Toasted bread spread with kaya (a sweet coconut and egg jam) and butter, often served with soft-boiled eggs and coffee or tea.
Roti Canai
Similar to naan
It's known for its soft, chewy interior and crispy exterior, often served with curry, but also enjoyed with sweet toppings like condensed milk.
Nasi Lemak
Malaysia's National Dish
The national dish, consisting of coconut milk rice served with sambal, anchovies, peanuts, and boiled egg.
Laksa
Hot Noodle Soup
A spicy noodle soup with many variations, most notably the tangy tamarind-based Assam Laksa and the creamy coconut-based Curry Mee.
Beef Rendang
Dry Curry
Beef rendang is a rich, tender slow-cooked curry. It consists of beef braised for hours in coconut milk and a spice paste until the liquid evaporates, leaving the meat coated in a caramelized, concentrated sauce.
Satay
Meat Skewers
Malaysian satay is marinated meat skewers grilled over an open charcoal fire to create a charred flavor profile. The meat is heavily spiced with aromatics like lemongrass, turmeric, and cumin, providing a savory-sweet taste.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Cold Chicken & Rice
Poached chicken served with rice cooked in chicken broth and fragrant ginger-chili sauce.
Char Kway Teow
Like Chow Fun
Char kway teow is a popular Southeast Asian street food featuring stir-fried flat rice noodles with a savory and smoky flavor. Key ingredients include flat rice noodles, prawns, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and chives, all stir-fried over high heat with garlic, soy sauce, and chilli paste.
Penang Hokkien Mee/Har Mee
Prawn Noodles
My personal favorite dish! An iconic Malaysian noodle soup featuring a rich, spicy, and savory broth made from prawn shells and pork ribs. Served with yellow noodles and/or rice vermicelli, it is topped with prawns, sliced pork, boiled eggs, water spinach, and fried shallots. The dish is famous for its intense aroma and spicy sambal.
Bak Kut Teh
Meat Bone Tea
Bak kut teh ("meat bone tea") is a popular pork rib soup from Malaysia and Singapore, made by simmering pork ribs in a broth of herbs and spices like star anise, cinnamon, and garlic.
Cendol
Dessert
Cendol is a popular Southeast Asian iced dessert featuring green, worm-shaped rice flour jellies (flavored with pandan), coconut milk, and palm sugar syrup served over shaved ice.
Apam Balik
Crispy Crepe or Pancake
Apam balik is made with a batter consisting of flour, eggs, coconut milk, sugar, and baking soda. The batter is cooked in a round pan and slathered with butter before being topped with a variety of different ingredients like cheese, jam, condensed milk, bananas, crushed peanuts, and chocolate.
Kopi = Coffee
Some Drinks come in Bags
Kopi in Malaysia is a traditional, strong coffee brewed with Robusta beans roasted with sugar and margarine, usually served in kopitiams (coffee shops) with sweetened condensed milk. Lots of different combinations to order, here are some: Kopi: Coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Kopi O: Black coffee with sugar. Kopi C: Coffee with evaporated milk and sugar. Kopi Cham: A mix of coffee and tea, creating a smooth, bitter-sweet taste (My Fav) Teh Tarik: "Pulled" tea with condensed milk. Peng/Ais: Added to indicate an iced version