Multicultural Snacking in Malaysia

Last Updated on December 6, 2019 by Audrey Scott

From stink bean squid sambal to giant prawns in huge buckets of satay sauce, Malaysia delivers an experience of culinary and cultural diversity. Here's a wee taste of the wide-ranging (Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian) bites you might find.

You know, the Chinese are funny people: so long as their eyes are open, they are looking for food.

— an ethnic Chinese Malaysian man sizes up the Malaysian appetite for street food

Truth is, this quote applies to just about everyone in Malaysia. And why not? Like many of its neighbors in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is home to the holy trinity of street food enjoyment: availability, quality and price.

Each region of Malaysia features its own culinary specialties. Here are a few favorites from our time in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Melaka.

Penang Eats

The key to effective dining in Penang: find a “hawker center” and start sampling. For the uninitiated, hawker centers are organized areas of street food vendors, outfitted with plastic chairs and tables.

Penang Curry Mee

A signature Penang soup that features yellow egg noodles (mee), vermicelli (bee hoon), bean sprouts, fried tofu and prawns – all simmered in a light coconut milk-based curry broth. Although curry mee may look similar to curry laksa, the curry mee broth is usually lighter and less heavy on the coconut milk.

Where to find it: Gurney Drive Hawker Center near Georgetown in Penang.

Char Kway Teow

Think Malaysia's version of pad Thai. Fried flat noodles, shrimp, fresh onions, bean sprouts, chili paste and a dose of scrambled eggs come together in this classic, delicious, and inexpensive Malaysian comfort food.

Where to find it: Gurney Drive Hawker Center near Georgetown in Penang.

Assam Laksa

Rice noodles, cucumber, onions, cabbage and chilies served in a fish broth and capped off with a spoonful of dark prawn paste (hae ko). Although we prefer traditional curry laksa or Penang curry mee, assam laksa is certainly worth a try, particularly if you are new to the Malaysian table.

Where to find it: New Lane Hawker Junction off of Macalister Road in Georgetown.

Chee Cheong Fun:

Fresh rice noodle rolls covered with prawn paste, peanut sauce and pepper sauce. Savory, zippy, nutty and sweet, this blend comes to the rescue of once bland-tasting rice noodles.

Where to find it: New Lane Hawker Junction off of Macalister Road in Georgetown.

Masala Dosa

A typical southern Indian dish composed of a flat, crispy chickpea flour pancake filled with potato and vegetable masala. Drench your dosa in vegetable sambar, and cilantro-mint coconut chutney – then roll up your sleeves and dig in…with your (right) hand.

Where to find it: Restaurant Daun Pisang – Sri Ananda Bahwan – at 55 Penang Street in Georgetown.

Indian snacks

Samosas (fried dough pockets filled with veggies and spices), chana masala (chickpeas mixed with spices and red onions), vada (spicy, savory donuts made of chickpea flour), and many other tasty Indian bites are available along the streets of Little India in Georgetown. Alternatively, try the friendly chana masala vendor next to the food court on Penang Hill.

Kuala Lumpur Eats

Although Kuala Lumpur has developed and gone high-tech, its people have thankfully not abandoned their street food roots.

Curry Laksa

The first thing out of our mouths when we checked into our guest house in Kuala Lumpur: “Where can we find the best curry laksa?”

It pays to know who to ask. One of the employees walked us to his favorite stand just around the corner. Curry laksa, another coconut milk-based curry soup, features thickness – thick noodles, fried tofu, roasted eggplant, shrimp, bean sprouts, and a Southeast Asian stew of tasty bits that we couldn't identify. Spicy, rich, heavenly.

Where to find it: A street stall at the corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Dim Sum

We are all about dim sum – anywhere, anytime of day. So when we passed by this stand with steamer baskets stacked high, we couldn’t help but stop for a bite, or two…or three.

Where to find it: At the street-side restaurants along Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Sambal Sotong

Rich, roasted, and chock-full of tender squid, this dish had us coming back for more. Sambal sauces feature varying degrees of heat and sweetness depending on what's inside. Generally, you'll find some combination of tomato, shrimp paste, tamarind, chili paste, garlic, and lemon grass.

Where to find it: The best we tasted: a restaurant along Jalan Bukit Bintang called 1+1 Restaurant.

Stir-Fried Greens:

After all the rich foods like curry laksa and sambal satong, a simple dish of quick-fried greens with crispy-fried garlic, a pile of fresh rice and a small bowl of chili sauce was exactly what we needed to balance out all the coconut milk coursing through our veins.

Where to find it: 1+1 Restaurant along Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Melaka Eats (Malacca)

It’s actually worth spending a couple of days in sleepy Melaka (Malacca), if only to sample the Nyonya culinary specialties fused from Malay and Chinese influences (dating from the intermarriage of these two cultures centuries ago).

Satay Heaven

There ain't no satay like Capitol Satay.

The sequence: choose your dumplings and skewered vegetables, meat, and tofu from a display case, then settle into your seat – for you are about to be served. Known as satay celup (steamboat satay), the style of satay service at Capitol Satay has a whiff of hot pot influence. Instead of steaming with broth, your pot bubbles with a spicy, peanut-laden satay sauce. As our pot evaporated, waitresses were quick to top us off with buckets of ground peanuts and spicy masala.

The clincher for this place to go down in the Uncornered Market eating experience hall of fame: when a gaggle of giggling waitresses delivered gigantic prawns to our table…for free.

Where to find it: Capitol Satay is located at 41 Lorong Bukit Cina in Melaka. There’s usually a line outside, so come early, pace yourself…and smile, for you too may be treated to a dose of giant prawns.

Laksa Lemak Nyonya

For every region of Malaysia, it’s own version of laksa. To our taste, Melaka laksa might just take the prize. A thick coconut milk soup loaded with fish balls, fried tofu, cucumber, spring onions, lime, and a dollop of chili sauce on top. Embarrassingly, we licked the bowl clean.

Where to find it: Donald and Lily's Corner for Nonya food on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street). This tiny place closes after lunch, so be sure to arrive early.

Tau Kua Rojak

Another typical Nonya dish featuring a balance of salty and sweet: fried bean curd (tau kua), cucumbers and pineapples topped with peanuts and rojak sauce (sweet and tangy, made from tamarind paste, shrimp paste, chili pepper, oyster sauce and brown sugar).

Where to find it: Donald and Lily's Corner for Nonya food on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street).

Cendol

The sweet send-off, cendol features finely crushed ice with gula melaka (or palm sugar) and coconut milk. The fluorescent gummy worm-like dough bits – themselves called cendol – are made from green pea flour and the pressed juice of the pandan leaf. Think of it as an exotic take on the snow cone.

Where to find it: The stand right in front of Donald and Lily’s Corner or at the restaurant directly across the street.