Malaysia is one of the countries with the greatest gastronomic culture in the world. Being one of the best in Southeast Asia. When you travel to Malaysia you will find all kinds of dishes, many with influences from neighboring countries, other dishes are influenced by travelers... but what are the dishes that you cannot miss in Malaysia?
These are the dishes you must eat in Malaysia!
WHAT TO EAT IN MALAYSIA
1. Hokkien Mee
This dish is some fried noddles that you will find in many places in the country. Especially in Kuala Lumpur. Although you can also find it in Singapore.
It is a delicious Fujian-style noodle dish. It is a pasta dish, sautéed with eggs, garlic, bean sprouts, prawns and calamari. There are several varieties, some include pork rind, beef... Sometimes they accompany the sauce with a little soy sauce. The good thing about this dish is that they don't usually make it spicy, since the original recipe doesn't have it, and they usually serve you a little bit of spice aside so you can add it if you like it. Something that is appreciated if you do not like strong dishes.
2. Nasi Lemak
It is a traditional Malay dish. And you can find it in Malaysia as well as in Singapore and Brunei.
There are similar dishes in other Southeast Asian countries, especially I have seen it in Indonesia.
Although at first glance it may seem like a dish for lunch or dinner, it is breakfast!
This is the typical Malaysian breakfast, made with rice boiled in coconut milk or cream and pandanus leaves, with roasted or fried peanuts, boiled eggs and raw cucumber. It is accompanied with a spicy sauce or sambal.
You can find it accompanied by crumbled fried meat or fried fish.
It is a dish that you can find in street stalls or restaurants throughout the day. It has evolved, and can be found accompanied by caramelized onion, fried vegetables...
3. Nasi Goreng
This dish is traditional in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine. It is a version of fried rice, which includes chicken strips, prawns or shrimp and is usually accompanied by fried eggs, vegetables, spicy (of course) peppers...
It is one of the tastiest dishes, and you can also find it in many ways, with different vegetables, with different meats... Although I warn you, it tends to be very spicy.
4. Mee goreng
This dish is traditional from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Although in each country you find it a bit varied.
They come to be delicious fried noodles, accompanied by different onions, chicken meat (although there are also beef variants), tomatoes, peppers, vegetables and eggs. It itches, it itches a lot. But it's great.
5. Want me
Wantan me or also named canton me is another style of fried pasta noodle dish. It is typical of Malaysia and Singapore. Although its origin is China. (As in many other dishes, Chinese immigration to Southeast Asia exerted a lot of gastronomic influence). Although it is also found, in another version, in Hong Kong.
Generally, the step is served dry, with soy sauce and/or oyster sauce, with green leafy vegetables and previously marinated slices of pork. And normally the wonton is served on a separate plate.
In Hong Kong this same dish is usually served in a kind of hot soup. Although the other ingredients are usually the same.
The pork meat has been previously marinated with spices and the whole piece is cooked. Then they usually serve it sliced, leaving some seasoned and more red edges.
6. Dumplings
Oh… the dumplings. I love them! Although they originate from China, they have spread throughout Southeast Asia and are cooked in different ways.
You will find them in various shapes and fillings. In the shape of a crescent, sachets, empanada... stuffed with pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, only vegetables, tofu... fried, boiled, steamed... in soup, dry...
Whenever I travel to any country in Asia I sign up for a cooking course, they fascinate me, and dumplings are the star dish.
7. Popiah
Popiah are very similar to spring rolls. They are made from a wheat flour pancake, with a filling that is usually green beans, bean sprouts, lettuce leaves... You can also find them with shrimp or meat. Although the original does not have it.
8. Satay
Satay is a traditional Indonesian dish. Especially from the islands of Sumatra and Java. Although it has become very popular in other neighboring countries, including Malaysia, which have adapted it as their own.
In Malaysia, satay is very popular during celebrations, although you can find it all year round throughout the country.
Depending on the country, the recipe usually changes a lot, but basically it is about skewers that can be made of beef, pork, chicken, venison, fish, prawns…. In some places I have even seen them as crocodile and snake.
The pieces of meat are usually previously marinated with coconut, soy sauce, oyster sauce and spices. Depending on what product they use, they are marinated in one way or another.
You can buy them in street stalls where they have just been grilled, or eat them in a restaurant where they are usually accompanied with some sauce, nuts, peppers...
9. Chicken Rice
Hainan Chicken Rice is a traditional Chinese dish that you will currently find in both Malaysia and Singapore.
The chicken is prepared in the traditional Hainan style, in a broth they boil the chicken with pork bone. This broth is later used to prepare the rice. This broth is not usually strained and they prefer it to be an oily broth.
They usually serve drained rice and boiled chicken. Sometimes, you can find that it has been boiled with some green leafy vegetable, or with lemongrass.
It is a fairly caloric dish, although it is rich and also is not usually cooked with spices. With what you do not tolerate strong spicy dishes very well, this rice is a good option.
10. Char siew rice
This traditional rice dish is typical in Malaysia and Singapore.
It is a dish with boiled rice, with a delicious barbecue flavored lacquered pork. The chicken fillet is seasoned and marinated for several hours, before the entire piece is cooked. Then they cut it into fillets and serve it on top of the rice. The pork is delicious!
11. Laksa
Laksa is a highly seasoned long noodle soup popular in Peranakan culture. A mix between Malay and Chinese.
And this dish is usually found in Malaysia, South China and Singapore.
There are some variants that you can find laksa curry and assam laksa.
Laksa curry soup is served with coconut milk, tofu pieces, fish, prawns, cockles, fresh bean sprouts…
On the other hand, Assam Laksa is a soup based on a fish broth, and contains julienned pieces of fish and vegetables. It can contain cucumbers, onion, red chilies, pineapple, lettuce, mint... and is generally served with thin long noodles (like spaghetti) with the broth.
12. Rujak
Rujak is a salad dish with fruits and vegetables.
There are several variants, the Mamak Rojak It also contains fruit paste, boiled potatoes, fried prawns, hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts... and all of this mixed with a spicy pineapple sauce.
On the other hand, you can find the Fruit Rojak, most popular in Malaysia, which contains; cucumber, pineapple, turnip, bean sprouts, taupol and fried pasta. Sometimes you add fruits like mango, apples and even fresh pineapple. The traditional dressing is made with belacan (shrimp paste), sugar, chili, lime juice and a little water.
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Malaysia a lot! On the blog you will find several articles and complete travel guides that can help you prepare your trip.
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A hug and see you soon!