Malaysian cuisine, like its population, is multi ethnic, with roots in Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai dishes. It owes its variety to Malaysia’s intricate and often turbulent history, which has seen it become part of many European and South Asian empires during the last 2,000 years.
Malaysian dishes are typically a medley of rice or noodles infused with chilli peppers. Meats include beef, pork and chicken, and seafood is particularly popular, especially along the coast where you can find the freshest fish. Sauces often stem from Chinese origin and often soy based, though sweet, sour and spicy pastes are common. Naan breads often accompany Malaysian dishes, which is testimony to Indian influence, whilst western white bread is also widely available for any fussy eaters.
Malaysian cuisine is often as visually engaging as it is tasty, best demonstrated by banana leaf rice; curried meats served with white rice in an exotic banana leaf and traditionally eaten with the hands. The rich dark soy sauces of Hokkien Mee, a fried pork dish with thick yellow noodles, are a stark contrast. Malaysians grill their food to perfection and satay meats are a popular choice, which come swathed in a rich peanut sauce.
Food is a fiesta in Malaysia and the Pasar Malam (night time markets) are filled with the inviting aromas of chargrilled meats, whilst huge steel woks bubble with dark viscous sauces. Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Alor comes alive every evening as a giant open air restaurant, while at the other end of the spectrum the city’s well to do flock to the high end and luxury establishments the capital has to offer.
