Malaysian Cuisine

Malaysian cuisine is one of the great food cultures of Asia, a delicious melting pot where Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions have blended and cross-fertilised over centuries. Its unofficial national dish is nasi lemak, coconut rice with spicy sambal and accompaniments, alongside fragrant laksa noodle soups, skewered satay with peanut sauce, Indian-influenced roti canai, char kway teow, and the distinctive Peranakan Nyonya cooking, all at their best and cheapest at a bustling hawker centre.

What you actually see

• Nasi lemak - the coconut rice with sambal, the national dish.
• Laksa - the fragrant, spicy noodle soups in regional styles.
• Satay and roti - the grilled skewers and Indian-influenced flatbreads.
• The hawker centres - the food courts of many stalls and cuisines.

When to go

Year-round; the best and cheapest food is at the hawker centres and kopitiam coffee shops, buzzing from morning to late night, and regional specialities, especially in Penang, reward seeking out.

Honest expectations

The sheer variety and the hawker-stall format can bewilder newcomers, so following the crowds to the busiest stalls is the best guide to quality. Some dishes are spicy, so ask. Street and hawker food is a highlight and generally safe from busy, high-turnover stalls. It is a genuine food paradise, especially in George Town, Penang.

Nearby

Penang is famed as the food capital; every region has its specialities.