Food reveals the soul and history of a nation and Malaysia's rich heritage leaves an indelible mark on Malaysian cuisine. It was the center of the spice trade and the amalgamation of the trader's influence into local cuisine is felt up to today. The myriad of different ethnic groups that make up the population of Malaysia and mixed cultures make our food unique.
Fancy or simple, the “Mamak” (Indian Muslims) restaurant or street-side stalls are the real favorite place for the locals regardless of race from all walks of life gather to eat and socialize. It is usually open from 7 pm to 12 am (exclusive few operates 24 hours), food is casual, tasty, and affordable. Some are equipped with a flat-screen television or projector.
It is heartening to observe that my favorite street hawker food truck, Rojak SS15 Subang Jaya has strategically moved to a new home at the corner lot shop on the ground floor at Subang Square. It is now located within the reach of offices, commercial hubs, residential areas, and universities. This rojak or pasembur and cendol restaurant is a popular hit despite its long queues to place orders. The main ingredients of rojak are shredded cucumber, sengkuang (Chinese turnip), blanched beansprouts, boiled eggs, potatoes, fried beancurd, and squid fritters. All these ingredients are mixed with a thick, sweet, and spicy peanut sauce. This is a local salad that is popular among Malaysians as tea-time treat.
The most popular drink accompanying rojak is a bowl of cendol, an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk, and palm sugar syrup. According to Wikipedia, it is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar. It is too sweet for me so to dilute it, I ordered coconut water to lower my blood sugar and it is good for my heart & kidneys. In recent years, coconut water has become a trendy beverage.
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