Everyone claims their country’s cuisine is the best, whether it’s Italy, Greece, Portugal, etc. However, in the case of Malaysia, I’d have to agree. Malaysian cuisine is one of the best in the world, bringing Indian, Chinese, and Malay influences together to create rich, diverse, and delicious dishes. I lived in Malaysia for a few years and I still feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface with the food. As a tourist, especially if you’re staying in Kuala Lumpur, or staying in Penang, Malaysia’s foodie city, the best way to sample the best Malaysian dishes is to do a food tour.
Here are the most popular Malaysian dishes everyone needs to try at least once, with insider tips on where to find them, whether it’s at a sit-down restaurant or at a mamak (mamaks are open-air, sit-down casual eateries operated by the Tamil Indian Muslims in Malaysia).
One of the best Malaysian dishes to try is Nasi Lemak, Malaysia’s national dish. It consists of aromatic rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves, peanuts, crispy anchovies, sambal (a chilli paste), half a boiled egg, and is often accompanied by fried chicken.
Where to find nasi lemak in KL: Nasi Lemak is widely available everywhere, from food stalls and night markets where you’ll find the simple version (without chicken) wrapped in banana leaf, to sit-down restaurants.
My two favourite nasi lemak spots are
Mee means noodles, goreng means fried. While there are many versions of fried noodles everywhere, mee goreng is specific to Malaysia, and has a distinct flavour of savoury, sweet, and spicy mix. Made with yellow egg noodles, the mee is stir-fried and cooked with veggies, with add-ons like chicken and prawns.
Where to find mee goreng in Malaysia: the best mee goreng is usually found at mamaks, and one of my favourite mamaks in KL is Nasi Kandar Pelita (the one in Bangsar). I ate there regularly for years.
Roti canai (pronounced “chanai”) is a flaky, light roti where the dough is repeatedly stretched, kneaded, and folded to achieve multiple layers of crispy deliciousness. It’s usually dipped in curry or dhal, although it’s so soft that you can consume it without dipping into anything. There are multiple variations of roti canai: roti telur (eggs), roti cheese, roti milo (yes, that’s milo, the chocolate powder), roti pisang (banana), roti pratha, etc.
Where to find roti canai: you’ll find roti canai at mamaks. They’re usually consumed as breakfast, or a late evening snack.
Thosai (also known as dosa) are thin crepes made of fermented lentils and rice, which gives its tangy flavour. Thosai is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, and served with dhal and curry. It’s best to eat them as soon as they’re cooked, as they get soggy fast.
Where to find: you can find thosai at most mamaks.
Nasi means rice, and nasi goreng means fried rice. While nasi goreng is not necessarily one of the most popular Malaysian dishes, it still makes the list because it’s delicious and different to other types of fried rice, as it’s darker and spicier. A well-liked variation is nasi goreng kampung, kampung meaning “village”, and it comes with anchovies, a fried egg, and extra spice. Another popular variation is nasi goreng pattaya, where the fried rice is wrapped in a thin omelette.
Where to find: you can find nasi goreng and its variations at mamaks, food stalls, and many restaurants.
Nasi kandar is a dish consisting of rice and various types of curries, usually served with vegetables and seafood or meat. Nasi kandar is not one dish in itself, but represents a type of dish where you get a plate of rice and then choose the curry or sauce, and top it with a variety of vegetables of your choosing, along with the protein, whether it’s chicken, seafood, tofu, or red meat.
Where to find: nasi kandar dishes can be found at mamaks.
Although Singapore promotes chicken rice as its national dish, the dish comes from Hainan Island, China, and was brought over to Malaysia by Chinese immigrants (Singapore used to be part of Malaysia). The dish consists of chicken with bones served with rice, soup, chili sauce, and cucumber garnish. The chicken can be steamed, boiled, or roasted. The roasted one has more flavour, and the mix of the sauce from the roasted chicken, with the chili sauce and aromatic rice, is incredibly flavourful.
Where to find: you will find chicken rice at restaurants that specialise in chicken rice, such as The Chicken Rice Shop.
Char kway teow consists of large flat rice noodles cooked on high heat in a wok with dark soy sauce and oyster sauce (often with a dash of fish sauce too), vegetables, and meat or seafood.
Where to find: char kway teow can be found in many restaurants, such as Madam Kwan’s, but are also a popular item at Chinese-Malaysian hawker stalls.
Satay is grilled pieces of chicken on a stick, served with peanut sauce. It’s a delicious snack on its own, or can be eaten as a starter dish.
Where to find: satay can be found at many restaurants like Madam Kwan’s, and at food stalls and night markets.
Curry laksa is a noodle soup dish made of creamy, coconut broth, and tastes of sweet, savoury, and with a touch of umami flavour.
Where to find: you can find curry laksa at many food stalls, night markets, and at a few restaurants.
Assam laksa is also known as Penang laksa, as it originates from Penang. It’s a tangy, sour fish-based noodle soup dish made with thick rice noodles.
Where to find: although originally from Penang, you can find assam laksa all over Malaysia at food stalls, night markets, and restaurants.
When you say “banana leaf rice” in Malaysia, it refers to a very specific dish of rice served on a banana leaf with potato curry, cucumber raita (cucumber in yogurt), papadam (crispy crackers made of legume flour like lentil or chickpeas), and deep-fried bitter gourd. It’s common to accompany this vegetarian dish with chili chicken, which is boneless chicken bites marinated in a special sauce and topped with chili flakes. Despite the name, chili chicken is not actually that spicy.
Where to find: there are specific banana leaf rice restaurants and casual eateries all over Malaysia, including the popular “Sri Nirwana Maju” in Bangsar in KL, and the chain restaurants “bananabro” at various malls.
Kuih ketayap (also known as dadar gulung, particularly in Indonesia) is a green pandan-leaf flavoured crepe with coconut and sugar filling. It’s often consumed with coffee and as a snack or for breakfast.
Where to find: you can find kuih ketayap at most kopitiams (a casual coffee shop), at night markets, and food stalls.
Apam balik is of Chinese origin (Fujian), and it’s a thick, fluffy pancake with crushed peanuts and sugar inside, and folded in half after it’s cooked. The exterior is usually crispy while the interior is soft and chewy.
Where to find: apam balik is usually found at night markets.
Kek lapis is a multi-layer cake, often with jam between layers. Some versions are quite colourful, while others are brownish. It’s usually quite pricey because it’s time-consuming to prepare. Kek lapis is said to originate from Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era, though Sarawak in East Malaysia has developed its own version.
Where to find: kek lapis is usually made during special occasions, but you can find them at some bakeries like Lavender.
Kuih is a broad term that means bite-sized colourful desserts made of glutinous rice and tapioca starch. Kuih does not keep long, and is usually consumed on the same day, or should be kept in the fridge, as it can go bad quickly in Malaysia’s humid and hot climate.
Where to find: kuih can be found at food stalls and some bakeries.
Kaya is a sweet spread made of coconut, eggs, and sugar. It’s usually eaten on toast for breakfast.
Where to find: you can buy kaya at any supermarket. Some bakeries also sell their own homemade version.
Ais kacang, also known as ABC, is a dessert consisting of shaved ice and syrup with a variety of toppings like jelly, red beans, sweet corn, and sometimes ice cream.
Where to find: you can find ais kacang at food stalls and at malls.
Similar to ais kacang, cendol also comes with shaved ice, but doesn’t offer a variety of choices for toppings. Cendol contains coconut milk, palm sugar syrup, green jelly strands, and toppings like beans or corn.
Where to find: you can find cendol at small shops at the mall or at food stalls.
