Taste Malaysia

The breadth of Malaysian food is legendary. Stovetops from Langkawi to Malacca bubble with the combination of Malay flavours and dozens of other culinary traditions, as the diverse population incorporates their heritage into new dishes. Let your appetite lead the way on your journey through Malaysia, and make sure you’re hungry!

All countries hold their populations’ stories in their cuisine, and none more so than Malaysia. Flavours flow in and out of Singapore, there’s a crossover with Indonesian cuisine, and dishes from Chinese, Indian, Arabic, British and other culinary traditions find new homes in Malaysian kitchens. Malaysians relish their varied culinary heritage and are also first in line to try something new.

The peninsular’s Peranakan population pours their Chinese and Malay heritage into the region’s unique Nyonya cuisine. Born in home kitchens, Nyonya dishes have become staples of Malaysian comfort food, and they nourish body and soul. The exact recipes vary between cities, absorbing different influences and ingredients, from the tamarind-tangy mackerel asam laksa in Penang, to the rich, coconut-infused laksa lemak in Malacca. Try Nyonya food in unassuming cafes and side-street pop-ups, and soak up the tales within the taste.

Alongside these traditional dishes, Malaysia’s cities are bursting with other ready-to-eat treats. Amble through Georgetown, which is often touted as the best place to eat in Malaysia, trying a kaleidoscope of culinary delights including rich char koay teow noodles and meaty lok-lok skewers. Further north in Langkawi, between hours spent basking on the beach, you can navigate your way through a smorgasbord of local grab-and-go foods including chicken satay, ikan bakar barbequed fish, and heaps of other super-fresh seafood.

In the capital, these street food choices step up a level and some of the best street snacks in Kuala Lumpur can be found at the Hutong food court inside the Lot 10 mall. Yes, really! In a fantastically shrewd move, the mall invited well-loved local hawkers to set up shop on its bustling ground floor, which has proved a mutual success. Spend an afternoon stuffing yourself on stir-fried hokkien mee noodles, herby hong kee fish porridge, heady durian ice cream, giant chewy dim sum and Cantonese-style roast duckling. 

Malaysian food isn’t about getting beneath something to find ‘authentic’ roots - it’s about realising that it’s all authentic. The alphabet soup of ancient and modern, home-grown and imported, local and commercial, makes Malaysia the vibrant place it is. Flavours bend and flow as they arrive in different corners, and these fluctuations, additions and chef’s choices show you the country’s deeper character. Eat with gusto, ask for recommendations, and talk to the cooks when you can: their dishes are doorways into the details of Malaysian culture.