Planning to visit Malaysia soon? You may have heard about the country’s rich culture and its amazing food scene. Well, with Malaysian cuisine encompasses so many types of dishes, cultures, and customs you may find it confusing as a newcomer. So we’ve made it easy for you and narrowed down the most iconic Malaysian dishes and where you can find them.
The most iconic Malaysian dishes that you may have heard of
Malaysian cuisine can be broadly broken down based on the ethnography of the nation. The food in Malaysia comes from the main ethnic groups: the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Minangkabau, Kadazan, and Iban. The dishes chosen blend the respective cuisines of each ethnic group into dishes that are uniquely Malaysian.
So, whether you’ve heard of the iconic Nasi Lemak or would love to savour a bowl of Laksa, these are dishes you simply cannot miss out on when visiting Malaysia. Fortunately, most of the dishes here are accessible and affordable. Even if you missed the chance to try out our recommended spots there will be tons of alternative choices to indulge.
Grab your notes and dive into YouTube research as we give you the most iconic Malaysian dishes you cannot miss out on during your visit to Malaysia!
The top 12 most iconic Malaysian dishes you must try when visiting
Nasi Lemak
Malaysia’s national dish, Nasi Lemak, is our most popular dish. So much so that it has become a cliche of Malaysian culture. It’s simple bowl of coconut milk rice, sweet and spicy sambal, a delicious chunk of fried chicken, cucumber and peanuts. Yet this humble dish has taken on a iconography of it’s own.
Nasi Lemak is a popular option for Malaysian’s as it’s one of the only dishes in this list that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The dish is also versatile as you add eat it with fried chicken, but you can also have it with rendang, sambal squid, or ayam masak merah. This dish is so loved that Malaysian brands have also turned it into an ice cream flavor, a cake, and a macaron flavour.
For the best Nasi Lemak we have to recommend Village Park in Uptown and Restoran Tanglin in Bukit Damansara. Nasi Lemak Bumbung in Sea Park is also a cheap and cheerful option.
Char Kuey Teow
The most popular noodle dish in Malaysia, char kuey teow is stir fried flat noodles with prawns, eggs, cockles, and a lot of wok hei. Originating from Chinese labourers, the dish was mixture of noodles, seafood, and vegetables that would make a quick and satisfying meal. Hundreds of years and many flavorful woks later, this dish is a staple in Malaysian cuisine and has variants for all ethnic races to indulge.
To have the most authentic char kuey teow we would recommend going to Swee Kong Coffee Shop Penang. But if you are Klang Valley-bound, Robert’s in Seksyen 17 is what many consider to be the gold standard. Note that this dish like others in this list are highly coveted by taste, meaning everyone thinks their favourite is the best.
Laksa
The ultimate Malaysian comfort food, a humble bowl of noodles in spicy coconut milk soup. Laksa is a dish that seems simple on the surface but is dish with the most variants based on Malaysia’s states and the most difficult to prepare. The broth of laksa is the heart of the dish and takes hours to boil right and generations to master.
If you want a bowl, you can’t really ask, “Which laksa is the best?” as there is curry laksa, Johor Laksa, Nyonya Laksa, Asam Laksa, and many other variants. But if you want the standard Klang Valley laksa we would point you to try the classic Madras Lane Curry Mee.
Ipoh Chicken Rice
Yes, chicken rice is a Malaysian dish. And you don’t need to go to any other neighboring region to get it. Chicken rice is the food of the everyday Malaysian, looking for a balanced meal with carbs and protein (and three cucumber slices). The dish may seem simple but it takes a lot of skill to get it right. To achieve the perfectly cooked buttery rice, the complementing chilli sauce, and of course the juicy succulent steamed chicken.
If you want the best of the best, and we mean Michelin-starred chicken rice we would suggest visiting to Nam Heong Chicken Rice in KL city.
Satay
Marinated meat skewers grilled over an open flame, Satay is a Malaysian delicacy that is best enjoyed hot and fresh. Satay is commonly available in Kopitiam restaurants and Malay gerai’s. Available in chicken and beef and is commonly served with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. The dish is also paired with sliced cucumber and onions as condiments.
The Malay version of the dish, commonly known as satay Kajang, is eaten with sliced ketupat (rice cubes). Meanwhile, Chinese versions of the dish can use pork as meat and are usually more crunchy. For the brave-of-stomach, you can also try grilled intentines, stomach, and tongue versions of satay.
Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar is basically mixed rice with gravy dishes. Essentially a blend between nasi lemak and nasi ayam, this time using thick curry and other sauces poured all over the rice. A common lunch or dinner for Malaysian’s the dish can be found at mamak stalls across the country. If you are calorie-conscious, we advise to control your portions and be clear to the Indian gentleman who will scoop the rice and dishes for you.
For the tried-and-tested nasi kandar place we would recommend Pelita’s as they have outlets all across the country. Otherwise, you can check out our full guide here.
Bak Kut Teh
The pork bone soup dish is the comfort food of many Malaysian Chinese foodies. Originating from Klang, Bak Kut Teh is a rich herbal soup boiled along tender cuts of pork and spare organs. The dish is served alongside oil-rice, vegetables, and a heaping amount of soy sauce, crushed garlic and chilli padi. The flavourful pairing of rice, soup, and pork has satisfied generations of Malaysian Chinese stomachs.
Which is also the reason why this dish is one of the most hotly debated as to which state serves the best Bak Kut Teh. To get a true taste of bak kut teh we highly advise to try Teluk Pulai in Klang. Make sure to order sliced Chinese breadsticks (youtiao) to dip into your soup.
Kaya Butter Toast
The quintessential kopitiam breakfast, kaya toast and half-boiled eggs washed down with strong black coffee. It’s Malaysian breakfast experience one must try at least once when visiting. Like chicken rice, the dish may seem simple, but it takes a lot of skill to get right. One must get the right bread, a sweet kaya spread, a slice of cold unsalted butter.
Kaya Toast has somehow become ‘gentrified’ that you can pay a pretty penny for a simple breakfast of bread and eggs. Well, if price is of no concern you can head to Oriental Kopi outlets across KL. But if you want a true kopitiam experience we would recommend Yut Kee Restaurant.
Roti Canai
Another quintessential Malaysian breakfast, roti canai or indian flatbread is a scrumptious dish served in most mamak stalls. A good roti will taste light and crispy but soft and the perfect pairing with dahl sauce and sambal. What you should look out for are places that make their own roti dough and servers that know how to knead and toss the dough to be perfectly cooked.
We would recommend going to Kanna Curry House in Petaling Jaya for good roti and also banana leaf rice.
Cendol
A bowl of shaved ice with coconut milk, gula melaka, and pandan jelly, Cendol is the ultimate Malaysian sweet treat. The bowls of shaved are are often topped with red beans, corn, or with durian. Usually sold by vendors on the roadside or in hawker stalls Cendol is pretty easily found. A trick to finding a good place is that the older the shaved ice machine looks, the better it will be.
Nyonya Kuih
The jewels of Baba Nyonya cuisine, kuih are small bite-sized pastries that can be cookies, dumplings, or cakes. There are hundreds of types of kuih from the popular pink and white striped kuih lapis to the iconic green burst of gula melaka with the onde-onde. The tough part about finding kuih in KL is that most of the best ones are in Melaka. The true masters of their craft don’t open stalls, people just know them and buy directly. So, you’ll need to talk around town to find the secret old lady who is a kuih master.
But if side-quests aren’t your thing, we would recommend visiting Aroma Nyonya’s stall in Lucky Garden.
Ramly Burger
The go-to Malaysian late-night snack, Ramly burger’s are commonly found in food trucks around town. What makes a Ramly burger different from an ordinary one? The patty in which it draws it’s name can be made from chicken, beef, or rabbit even. But the key difference is the grill and the sauce. A good Ramly burger has its patty sprinkled with spices as it is grilled and wrapped in a thin omelette. Finally served between two buns, sliced cabbage, and a whole lot of chilli sauce, mayo, and barbeque sauce.
For recommendations we would go with Brader John in Uptown, Petaling Jaya. For more suggestions read our full guide here.
(Hero image credit: Instagram/rasalemak / Feature image credit: Unsplash/Ainur Iman )
