Must eat in Malaysia — 15+ most popular, famous dishes & best street food in Malaysia

January 26, 2024

The first thing you should know about Malaysians before coming here is that they have an endless passion and love for food. Malaysia has inherited a series of dishes bearing cultural imprints from many places around the world and transformed them into its own. That’s why, if you come here, you will realize that a series of dishes in Malaysia are completely different, unlike any other dishes in the world and are worthy for you to try once. Malaysia is also referred to as the “New York of Asia”, as it has dishes that do not originate from Malaysia but have become symbols of a rich and diverse culinary culture. difference in this country.

5-best-street-food-penang — Street food along Gurney Drive in Penang, Malaysia

street_food_penang_best_things_to_do_when_traveling_to_penang_malaysia2 — Penang street food | best street food in malaysia

Street food Kuala Lumpur Malaysia — Rojak – a unique Malay mixed fruit and vegetable salad | best street food in malaysia

So, what food is Malaysia known for and what to eat in Malaysia? Let’s check out our best Malaysia food blog with the suggested 15+ best food in Malaysia, best food to eat in Malaysia, famous food in Malaysia, best street food in Malaysia, famous dishes in Malaysia, best food to try in Malaysia, most popular food in Malaysia as follows!

Dishes served in banana leaves (# best street food in malaysia)

One of the wonderful culinary cultures originating from South India that we can choose to eat every day is none other than Chettinad cuisine.

Chettinad culinary culture includes dishes originating from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. If you are someone who has a strong love for rice in particular and dishes made from rice in general, then you certainly will not be able to ignore dishes that combine rice or other products. made from rice but wrapped or served in banana leaves, also known by the popular name banana leaf rice.

In banana leaf rice, rice cooked from white rice will be served on a large banana leaf, along with vegetables, meat or fish, pickles and extremely addictive papadum.

However, most of the year if you come to Malaysia and want to enjoy banana leaf rice, you will only be served curry sauce and no meat, because banana leaf rice is a traditional vegetarian dish of the Indian people. However, if you are not a vegetarian, then you can enjoy red lamb curry or dry chicken curry, depending on whether the place you visit serves it or not.

Most people think that eating banana leaf rice is quite careless because traditionally, this dish is eaten directly with bare hands. However, if you are a person who is skilled at eating with bare hands, then don’t worry, feel free to enjoy this unique Malaysian dish, we are sure you will enjoy it, satisfied.

Nasi Dagang (# must eat in malaysia)

You will not be considered to have enjoyed a traditional Malaysian meal if you come here without eating Nasi Dagang. Nasi Dagang is a dish with a wonderfully delicious, unique flavor, with the ingredients served including rice cooked with coconut milk to create a rich, greasy flavor, along with fish curry and accompanying side dishes, such as stir-fried coconut, solok lada, a boiled egg and some pickles.

Nasi Dagang is considered a famous breakfast dish in states on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, such as Terengganu and Kelantan. Terengganu’s most famous Nasi Dagang originates from a place called Kampung Ladang – an area in Kuala Terengganu district. Although we have not had the opportunity to enjoy this special dish, according to the shared tips, the Nasi Dagang dish served in the Kampung Ladang area is famous for being the most delicious in Malaysia. If you have the opportunity to come to this country, you should try to see if our revelation is true or not.

Bak Kut Teh (BKT) (# most popular food in malaysia)

Kepong-Shang-Pim-Bak-Kut-Teh — The bowl of meat bone tea is delicious with soft ribs and sweet fragrant broth. | best street food in malaysia

This name Bakuteh, if translated literally, means rib meat tea, and the ingredients of the dish with a unique name that stimulates visitors’ curiosity are fatty pork ribs simmered in a broth of Typical, traditional Malaysian herbs and spices, including anise, cinnamon, cloves, dong guai, fennel seeds and garlic. The longer Bakuteh is simmered, the more delicious it will taste, so restaurants that serve this dish always simmer the dish as long as possible, even overnight so that the meat is tender and the broth is more delicious, sweeter.

Besides the “main character” of the dish which is the ribs, depending on the place of sale and taste, other types of offal can be added to Bakuteh, along with mushrooms, choy sum (a vegetable in Malaysia) and a piece of tofu.

malay Bak-Kut-Teh — | best street food in malaysia

Warming and Unforgettable Bak Kut Teh | best street food in malaysia

According to Malaysians, almost everyone agrees that the place that sells the best Bakuteh here is Yik See Ho restaurant (Address: 20, Jalan Landak, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/Hours: 9:30 AM–10 PM/Monday: Closed). The restaurant is located in the neighborhood, close to Pudu fresh food market, and this is a favorite stop for people in the capital Kuala Lumpur in particular and Malaysians in general.

Hokkien Mee (# must eat food in malaysia)

Hokkien Mee are yellow noodles fried in the Chinese style. This noodle dish originated from a community of Chinese immigrants to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. The noodles used to make Hokkien noodles are thick, yellow noodles, fried and served with a thick soy sauce, along with pork, squid, fish balls and cabbage and decorated with a little fried pork rind on top.

Almost everyone agrees that the main ingredients of this dish are the parts of the pig, including the meat and fat.

People often eat this famous Hokkien noodle dish for dinner or other meals during the day. One interesting thing is that everyone says that if you have never eaten Hokkien noodles, also known as Hokkien Mee, it proves that you have not been able to experience all the special things in Malaysia.

Sang Har Mee (Fresh River Prawn Noodle) (# best food to try in malaysia)

One dish that we believe you should not miss if you have the opportunity to come to Malaysia is Sang Har noodles, also known as Sany Char Kuey Teow, which is a dish that uses a type of flat noodles as the main ingredient.

The broth of Sang Har noodles is cooked with fresh river shrimp in the Cantonese style with eggs, served with flat noodles or egg noodles, depending on the place of sale and the needs of the diners.

The orange meat in the shrimp head is soaked in, mixed with the egg sauce, giving Sang Har noodles an extremely delicious, appealing and unique flavor, not to be confused with other types of noodles. Besides, the crunchiness and sweetness of the shrimp meat combined with the chewiness of the noodles also helps Sang Har noodles become one of the 15 most delicious dishes in Malaysia that you can taste if you have the opportunity.

Satay

If you have a Malaysian friend, then after enjoying the flavorful Sang Har noodles with you, they will definitely invite you out to eat Sentul Satay.

Having similar ingredients and preparation methods, close to dishes like Yakitori originating from Japan, or Shish Kebab from Turkey or Sosatie from South Africa, or even Chuan originating from China, However, Malaysians have cleverly adapted it to supplement their diverse culinary collection with Sentul Satay.

Pork satay with peanut sauce make the tasty food | must eat in malaysia

Sentul Satay is actually meat that is skewered and grilled with charcoal in a BBQ style. Although quite simple, it brings an irresistible delicious flavor, making diners unable to stop eating. However, a unique ingredient that makes Malaysian Sentul Satay different from other grilled meat skewers is turmeric with its characteristic yellow color, making the meat skewers more delicious, attractive and eye-catching.

Satay Station Kampung Pandan (1) — Satay | must eat in malaysia

chicken-satay-with-spicy-peanut-sauce-sate-ayam-41949-2 — Chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce | must eat in malaysia

If you want to enjoy Sentul Satay, the seller will serve it with a spicy peanut sauce or peanut sauce, along with pickled onion and cucumber slices, along with an authentic Malaysian rice cake called Ketupat. With just that much, you can have a balanced meal of carbs, protein, fat and vegetables high in fiber but with an extremely delicious, eye-catching and irresistible flavor. Okay. What’s more seductive in this world than a delicious skewer of grilled meat, right? We believe that you won’t be able to stop eating Sentul Satay if you taste it once.

Nasi Kandar

If you are a lover of rice in particular and dishes made from rice in general, then we believe that Nasi Kandar is one of the top most delicious dishes in Malaysia that you should not miss if you have the opportunity to come here.

Nasi Kandar is a popular dish in Northern Malaysia, originating from the Penang area. A portion of Nasi Kandar served in Malaysia consists of white rice along with simple, light dishes, such as curries and other side dishes.

Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah Kedai Yong Suan — | must eat food in malaysia

nasi_kandar-langkawi-tours — Nasi Kandar | must eat food in malaysia

A portion of Nasi Kandar includes rice served with other side dishes, such as fried chicken, chicken gizzards, rolled lamb, cubed beef, fish eggs, fried shrimp or fried squid. The vegetables served are usually brinjal (eggplant), okra, bendi (a Malaysian vegetable) or bitter melon.

In addition, if you choose Nasi Kandar, you will often see an image of a curry sauce mixture poured into the rice. And you can freely choose the type of sauce of your choice, for example, a sauce that combines fish and chicken with dhal, etc. A plate of rice soaked in rich sauce will definitely awaken your taste buds. and you won’t be able to stop letting go of the spoon.

All dishes are displayed in a glass case in front of the restaurant | must eat food in malaysia

Nasi kandar kuala lumpur — Nasi Kandar | must eat food in malaysia

The rice dish drenched in sauce is often called Nasi Kandar, helping the rice have more diverse and delicious flavors.

In addition, another special thing is that people often use Nasi Kandar with bare hands. And we guarantee that the sweet aroma of the dish will stay on your fingers for a long time afterward, even after you wash your hands thoroughly. This is an attractive thing, making diners want to be able to enjoy Nasi Kandar once if they have the opportunity to come to Malaysia.

Char siu rice

Char Siu, also known as BBQ pork, is another savory dish that we believe you should try to understand why it can make it into the top 15 best dishes in Malaysia.

Char Siu literally means “fork burn/roast”, which describes the fact that to prepare this dish, chefs often place delicious, attractive, long strips of boneless pork on a long skewer. then placed in an oven with a lid or water directly over charcoal fire.

The type of meat used to make char siu is usually lean shoulder pork, and is marinated with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu, dark soy sauce, and in some places, Hoisin sauce. Marinating with honey along with this layer of spices will give the outside of the meat a dark red color, different from other American grilled meats, giving the meat an eye-catching color, attracting more diners.

In addition, because it is marinated with honey, the char siu meat will look shinier and look much more delicious. In Kuala Lumpur, you can enjoy char siu meat with rice. The sweet taste and characteristic aroma of a succulent piece of meat combined with white rice will make you want to eat it forever.

Dishes made from Tanjung Tualang river shrimp

The area of Lung Seng, Tanjung Tualang, Perak in Northern Malaysia is considered by everyone to be the mecca of fresh river shrimp and crustaceans, ensuring you will have irresistible delicious flavors if you enjoy dishes made from river shrimp in Tanjung Tualang.

As long as the food is delicious, people living in the Kuala Lumpur capital area are not too concerned that they have to drive 2 hours to get to the Tanjung Tualang area in Perak just to enjoy it. Enjoy a meal made from fresh river shrimp that have just been caught.

To be able to enjoy delicious shrimp dishes, chefs will first put the shrimp in ice water for about five minutes with the purpose of stunning them before processing. This is also considered a quite humane way of cooking in Malaysia. At the same time, doing so will also help the shrimp meat become firmer and sweeter. If you come to Malaysia, then believe us, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy dishes made from fresh river shrimp in the Tanjung Tualang area, Perak. Although the distance is quite far, it is worth a try.

Nasi Lemak (# best food to try in malaysia)

If you come to Malaysia, you absolutely should not miss Nasi Lemak, a national dish of Malaysia. Because it is not natural that this seemingly simple dish is considered the “national dish” of this place.

Nasi Lemak is often prepared by soaking white rice in coconut milk, then cooking to create a rice with a delicious, attractive scent. The rice is then wrapped in banana leaves or served on a plate and eaten with other side dishes. Sometimes, rice will be cooked with a bunch of pandan leaves or ginger and lemongrass to get the typical flavor of this Malaysian dish.

kuala lumpur must eat food, must eat food in kl, must eat food in kuala lumpur, must eat in kl, must eat in kuala lumpur — Nasi Lemak, the national dish and must eat in Malaysia. | best food to try in malaysia

Nasi Lemak Tanglin malaysia must eat (1) — | must eat food in malaysia

Malaysian Nasi Lemak is served with rice, a hot spicy sauce, also known as sambal, soft-boiled eggs, a few slices of cucumber, ikan bilis – a type of small dried anchovies and roasted peanuts. In addition, you can add to your diet things like sambal squid, fried chicken, oysters, kangkong – a stir-fried vegetable dish or achar – pickled vegetables of all kinds or beef stewed in coconut milk and characteristic spices of local people.

Nasi Lemak Malaysia street food around the world (1) — Nasi Lemak. | best food to try in malaysia

Although in terms of appearance, the form of the dish may not be very attractive and eye-catching, but try it, we believe you will be attracted by the delicious, unique, unmistakable flavor of Nasi Lemak.

Apam Balik

You cannot say you have experienced all the unique and diverse cuisine in Malaysia if you have never enjoyed the sweet desserts in this country.

Apam Balik is a pancake-style snack, consisting of coated pancakes combined with fillings such as fried eggs and amounts of sugar, peanuts and corn.

Nasi Kerabu

If blue rice is not special enough to pique your curiosity, then you are wrong, because almost people all over Malaysia are waiting in line to be able to enjoy this beloved dish. liked to originate from Kelantan. In the state of Kelantan in the north of peninsular Malaysia, Nasi Kerabu is an eye-catching dish made from Telang flowers that are crushed and mixed with rice, then cooked into rice.

Besides, the side dishes served with Nasi Kerabu are usually bean sprouts, fried coconut, then dipped in spicy budu – a type of fermented fish sauce.

And in Kelantan style, if you want to enjoy Nasi Kerabu properly and get the most realistic experience, then use your bare hands.

Rendang is made from beef, chicken or lamb

Although it is sometimes mistaken for a famous curry dish, true fans of Malaysian cuisine can still distinguish between curry and Rendang with its irresistible delicious taste from coconut milk and typical indigenous spices.

The way to prepare Rendang is also completely different from when preparing curry, which is to slowly stew for a long time, letting the meat absorb the spices, and at the same time letting the water gradually dry up, leaving only the meat.

Pia's the Padi langkawi (1) — Rendang at Pia’s the Padi

beef rendang malaysia (1) — The pungent spicy taste mixed with the tender beef and the sourness of lemon leaves served with hot white rice is really unforgettable.

Rendang is sold everywhere in Malaysia, especially during the festival season. If you come to Malaysia during major holidays, we recommend that you enjoy Rendang, you will definitely be surprised by the delicious taste of this indigenous dish.

Laksa

A “national treasure” of Malaysian culinary culture, the dish has gone beyond this country’s borders and appeared in other countries such as Bangkok, Shanghai, and even further afield, which is Laksa.

Laksa is the dish that has the most versions among the typical dishes in Malaysia, which is why it is in the top most delicious dishes in this country thanks to its flavor.

If you like spicy food, then a bowl of laksa cooked like curry will be the perfect choice for you. What if you like fish laksa, but others want to enjoy shrimp laksa? Don’t worry, because there are both fish laksa and shrimp laksa for you to choose from depending on your preference.

However, according to Malaysians, their favorite dish is still Asam laksa originating from Penang with a characteristic sour and spicy flavor cooked from indigenous tamarind, called asam, as the main ingredient.

Roti Canai

People often say that there are many types of Roti in Malaysia, but you absolutely should not ignore Roti Canai! This flat cake was born thanks to the introduction of Indian culinary culture into the Malaysian community, and is served with dal – a soup made from lentils or kari ikan – fish curry. And an interesting thing is that almost everyone uses bare hands to be able to enjoy Roti Canai in the most authentic local way.

Roti Canai is often sold at local Indian tea shops, such as Mamak – a famous shop specializing in serving Roti Canai.

roti canai kota kinabalu.3 — | most popular food in malaysia

Lan Roti Canai (1) — | must eat in malaysia

Besides, Roti Canai can also be modified depending on the chef’s preferences and eating habits compared to the original version of the indigenous people, and that variation is called Roti Kosong – a type of cake without filling made from eggs, chicken, lamb, tuna,…

What attracts you the most if you come to a certain tourist destination? Surely the local cuisine is extremely diverse and delectable! If you have the opportunity to come to Malaysia, don’t miss the top 15 most delicious dishes here that we just revealed to you.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to from Kuala Lumpur you can refer to

Photo: one day in kuala lumpur blog. — Bukit Bintang

Are you looking for more Kuala Lumpur travel guide and top things to do in Kuala Lumpur: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Kuala Lumpur 1 day itinerary — How to spend 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur?