Malaysia - My top 10 favourite local dishes

lorisolan
Dec 9, 2017
5 min read

Malaysia is renowned for it's diversity of food. Since travelling around South East Asia and living here in Malaysia, it has become obvious that food is a massive part of life. You cannot go 10 metres without seeing a restaurant or food stall which is fine by me. Eating out here is for everyone, you can find an incredible meal for as little as 4RM ($1.20) if you go where the locals go. As the population of Malaysia is mainly made up of Malaysians, Malay Chinese and Indians, you are guaranteed an array of choice and varied flavours. I have whittled my favourite's list down to ten dishes (in no particular order) however it really could be endless as you can't go wrong with food here.

1. Char Kway Teow

One of my favourite breakfast or lunch dishes in Malaysia is Fried Char Kway Teow. It's literal translation is stir-fried rice cake strips. It consists of thick, flat rice noodles, bean sprouts and seafood and served on a banana leaf which is used to help enhance the flavours. It can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei however it is a more popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore. Each vendor has their own way of making the dish unique and the flavour that is most predominant is always a secret recipe of theirs, so there is no way for me to find out how to make this simple yet extremely tasty dish. You can expect to pay between 5-12RM depending on the type of restaurant. It's perfectly matched with an iced Teh O' Limau.

Char Kway Teow at Restoran 31 (1, Jalan USJ 21/11, Usj 21, Subang Jaya, Selangor)

2. Chicken Rice

This dish is a culinary specialty that can be found all over Malaysia however it is particularly famous in Ipoh. The most recommended restaurant for this is Lou Wong's, found in the centre of Ipoh Old Town. We have been to Ipoh many times and the place is always so busy. Chicken rice is a simple arrangement of chicken flavoured rice served with chicken pieces (roasted or poached). It is accompanied with bean sprouts in the most delicious sauce along with a small bowl of chicken stock soup. A must try.

Chicken Rice at Lou Wong's Restaurant (49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh)

Chicken Rice at Restoran Meisek (12, Jalan USJ 14/1k, Usj 14, Subang Jaya)

3. Roti Banjir

Found in most Indian local restaurants, this is a must try. Literally translating to bread flood, that is exactly what it looks like. It is a messy but oh so delicious dish. Served on what looks like a hospital tray are 2 pieces of freshly made roti. You can see the chefs in the kitchen impressively toss the dough up and around their heads in style to air it out. These are then drowned with ladles of dahl and curry sauce, sometimes vegetables and topped with 2 soft boiled eggs. It is traditionally a breakfast meal but can be found in most places for lunch too.

Roti Banjir at Sri Melur (NO:2, Jalan USJ 17/2, Usj 17, Subang Jaya)

Roti Banjir at Devi's Corner (14, Jalan Telawi 4, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur)

4. Nasi Kukus

This is only a recent discovery of mine and my partners and is becoming a firm lunch favourite for many local people. It was introduced in the Klang area and luckily this is exactly where we got to try it first. There are a lot of restaurants offering this option and all with their own variations. It mainly consists of fresh steamed rice, crispy chicken along with crispy fried batter, gulai (curry sauce) and a fresh chilli dressing served with cucumber slices. YUMMY!

Nasi Kukus at Sue Tom Yam Seafood Restaurant (Klang)

5. Chicken Murtabak

This is originally an Indian specialty dish however can be found in many Malay restaurants as well. It is a roti parcel stuffed with chicken, egg, onions and garlic, topped with syrup-pickled onions and served with 2-3 types of sauces (usually curry and dahl). It is deceiving as it looks quite small but it is super filling so go easy on the extras!

Chicken Murtabak at Passembar Hussin (71, Jalan USJ 21/10, Usj 21)

6. Mee and Nasi Goreng

I have put these two dishes in the one bracket as they both have the same ingredients as one is just fried noodles (mee goreng) and the other is fried rice (nasi goreng). These are pretty much staple dishes and can be found in most, if not all Malay, Malay Chinese and Indian restaurants. This is the simplest form of both, the base is rice or noodles fried with chillies, garlic, shrimp paste, tamarind paste, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), vegetables, seafood and egg. Chinese cabbage is usually added to Mee Goreng. Top both off with a fried egg for the final touch.

Nasi Goreng at Rock Cafe (Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya) & Mee Goreng at Naught Nuri's (SS15)

7. Popiah

This is more an extra side dish rather than a meal. A popiah skin is a soft, thin paper-like crepe made from wheat flour. It It is eaten with a sweet sauce, soy sauce or hoisin sauce. It is also good dipped in a hot chilli sauce. The filling is mainly finely grated and steamed or stir-fried turnip and carrot which is cooked with other ingredients such as bean sprouts, French beans, and lettuce leaves. Different vendors have their own additions which can be in the shape of tofu or shredded omelette. You can also have pork or shrimp options.

Popiah at Asia Cafe (SS15 - now closed)

8. Banana Leaf Rice

Banana Leaf Rice is a local Indian dish which has found it's way to Malaysian and can be seen in Indian and Malay local restaurants. You are given a large banana leaf as your plate and served a portion of steamed or pilau rice with poppadums by one waiter. Then another will come along and add fresh cucumber, carrot and onion pieces in a tangy sauce along with fried gourd pieces. Next you will be given a choice of sauces mainly dahl and curry. It is a very quick and cheap meal choice. You will pay between 8-15RM depending on the restaurant you go to and the sides you opt for.

Banana Leaf Rice at Raj's (3, Jalan SS 15/4b, SS 15, Subang Jaya)

9. Roti Volcano

This is not a dish that you will find everywhere or at least it won't be called Roti Volcano. We are lucky enough that we live near a Malay restaurant that serves this. It is not too dissimilar from a pizza in terms of concept. It is a thick naan bread which is stuffed with sauce and chicken pieces and topped with tomatoes, chillies and cheese. This is then cooked in the tandoor and layered with raw red onion slices. Served with a side dish of mint yoghurt and lime, this is to die for. We usually get a bowl of curry sauce as this makes for a tasty alternative to the yoghurt.

Roti Volcano at Restoran Armaan Ali (E-01 GF, Garden Shop @, One City, 47100 Subang Jaya)

10. Pan Mee

Pan Mee is a Chinese dish that originated in Malaysia. It's direct translation is flat flour noodle. You can opt for this either to be 'dry' or in a 'soup' version. The soup is the most common choice. Both are equally delicious. Again like many dishes, there are always modifications depending on the vendor however the basics are thick and silky rice noodles, minced chicken or, fried anchovies, mushrooms and some form of leafy green vegetable. Alot of places will add a soft boiled egg to the 'dry' option and give you a small bowl of soup on the side. Traditionally this is not a spicy dish, however add some sambal to give it a bit of a kick.