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Malaysian cuisine is certainly among the most diverse in Southeast Asia. This is mainly because influences from different countries and cultures naturally shape the food in Malaysia.
In addition to traditional Malay dishes, there are also influences from Chinese and Indian cuisine that turn Malaysia into a true food paradise. Whether spicy-hot, savory or sweet, Malaysian cuisine offers something for every taste.
Food in Malaysia: 21 Delicious Dishes to Try
Tip: To try the variety of food in Malaysia, the many street kitchens are ideal, which you can discover, for example, on a street food tour in Kuala Lumpur or on a food tour in George Town on Penang.
1. Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng is one of the best-known Asian dishes and is especially widespread in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Nasi Goreng literally means fried rice and you will find this dish in Malaysia on every corner. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Nasi Goreng is always a good choice!
In Malaysia there are many different types of Nasi Goreng with various ingredients and flavors. The usual meats are chicken (Ayam) and seafood, and pork is usually not available. Examples include Nasi Goreng Kampung (with anchovies), Nasi Goreng Pattaya (in an omelet), Nasi Goreng Ikan (M)asin (with salted fish), Nasi Goreng Kambing (with goat meat), Nasi Goreng Indonesia (Indonesian style), Nasi Goreng Thailand (Thai style) and many more.
2. Nasi Kerabu
This dish already stands out because of its color. The “Smurf rice” gets its blue color from the flower of the butterfly pea and is served with chicken and prawn crackers (Keropok).
Most of the time you will find Nasi Kerabu on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, but I have also eaten this special dish in Kuala Lumpur.
3. Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak is considered the national dish of Malaysia and is often enjoyed for breakfast. However, you can usually order it at any time of day.
Traditionally served on banana leaves, you get a portion of rice soaked in coconut milk and steamed in screwpine leaves (pandan), a big spoonful of sambal (homemade chili sauce), dried anchovies, cucumber, roasted peanuts and an egg. In the Nasi Lemak Ayam version, a piece of chicken is also served.
You can find Nasi Lemak in restaurants, warungs and also at street stalls, where it is sold as takeaway wrapped in pyramid-shaped banana leaves. It is especially popular with locals who need a quick breakfast to go in the morning.
4. Nasi Ayam
Nasi Ayam is basically a portion of rice with fried chicken. It may not sound particularly spectacular, but the special thing about the chicken is the marinade, which gives the meat a unique flavor.
The whole dish is then topped with the sambal sauce that is served with it, which can range from very spicy to extremely hot depending on how it is prepared.
5. Satay
This is probably the most famous dish in Malaysia, which actually originates from Indonesia. These small grilled skewers are ideal as a snack in between or as a side dish. In Malaysia you usually get chicken skewers (Satay Ayam), but there are sometimes other types of meat as well.
The real highlight of this dish is the sweet and spicy peanut sauce that is served with the skewers. A must-try!
6. Char Kuey Teow
This noodle dish has its origins in Chinese cuisine. The flat rice noodles are fried with chilies and a soy sauce that gives the dish its dark color. It is served with vegetables and bean sprouts. At Chinese stalls, Char Kuey Teow is also fried with pork fat, which is, of course, omitted at Muslim stalls.
You can eat Char Kuey Teow with different types of meat, most commonly chicken or shrimp, and less often pork.
7. Mee Goreng
Fried noodles with vegetables and a meat of your choice. In Western countries, this is often known as Bami Goreng. In Malaysia, chicken (Ayam) is the most common option, but there are also versions with seafood or that are completely vegetarian.
Mee Goreng is usually not very spicy. It is a dish I like to eat now and then as a change from Nasi Goreng. A popular variety of Mee Goreng in Malaysia is Mee Goreng Mamak, a version with Indian influence that includes curry.
8. Nasi Campur
With Nasi Campur you get a portion of white rice plus countless side dishes that you can choose yourself and then eat mixed with the rice on one plate. That is where the name comes from, as Nasi Campur means something like “mixed rice”.
For the side dishes, you can choose between egg (Telur), chicken (Ayam), vegetables (Sayur), shrimp (Udang), tofu (Tauhu) and much more. Be careful, as some of the side dishes can be very spicy.
When you order, you directly choose which side dishes you would like and the total price is calculated from that. The side dishes are already cooked and laid out buffet-style. Ideal if you need something quick.
9. Roti Canai
Roti Canai is one of my favorite dishes in Malaysia and I am happy every time I am in Malaysia and can eat Roti Canai again. It originated in India and is now found all over the Malay Peninsula.
Originally a vegetarian breakfast dish, you can also eat Roti Canai at lunchtime or sometimes in the evening. The flatbread is freshly baked on a large metal plate and then served with one or more curry sauces. Usually on a metal plate that is common for many Indian dishes. Absolutely amazing!
By the way, you are more than welcome to eat Roti Canai (like many other dishes in Malaysia) entirely with your hand. It is common there and the locals do it too. However, wash your hands beforehand and eat only with your right hand.
10. Laksa
Probably one of the tastiest soups in Southeast Asia! While laksa is especially popular in Singapore, you can also get this delicious soup dish in Malaysia.
The curry/coconut milk soup with chili comes in many different varieties. The Penang version, the so-called Penang Asam Laksa, is especially popular in Penang.
11. Curry Mee
Another highlight of Malaysian soup cuisine. A delicious fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian food.
As the name suggests, it is a spicy curry soup with mee noodles, refined with shrimp, tofu, a spoonful of sambal and fresh mint leaves.
If you love soups, you should definitely not miss curry mee and the laksa mentioned earlier!
12. Ikan Bakar
Grilled fish (= Ikan Bakar) is one of the simplest yet probably most delicious dishes in Malaysia. The fish is marinated and seasoned, grilled in banana leaves and then served with a tasty sambal sauce.
For me, there is no better fish in Southeast Asia than a good Ikan Bakar from Malaysia (or Indonesia).
13. Hokkien Mee
Hokkien Mee is a typical dish that spread in Malaysia through Chinese immigrants. You will mostly find it on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, especially in Penang. Many Chinese live there and accordingly the selection of Hokkien Mee is particularly large.
The Hokkien noodle comes from the province of the same name in China and is a thick egg noodle. Served as a dry, fried version (Hokkien Char Mee) or as a soup (Hokkien Hae Mee), this dish includes, in addition to the noodles, shrimp, pork (ideally crispy pork belly, also known as crispy pork), eggs and vegetables. And of course, what should not be missing in Malaysia is sambal, which gives the dish a delicious savory and sometimes spicy note.
The crispy pork that is so common in Thai cuisine was something we often missed on our last trip to Malaysia, so it was all the nicer to eat it in Malaysia as well.
14. Wantan Mee
Another dish in Malaysia that comes in 2 versions: dry and as a soup. We tried both and liked them both a lot.
The main components of this dish are, of course, the wonton dumplings, which you may already know from other Asian countries, and the red pork. In Thailand, the soup version is also known as Bami Kiaew Moo Daeng, which is pretty much the same as Wantan Mee.
A very tasty dish that you should definitely try. By the way, there is also a vegetarian version, although it is less common.
Keep in mind that you will usually only find all the dishes mentioned here with pork on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, as most of the Chinese population lives there. In eastern Malaysia, you will often search in vain for dishes with pork.
15. Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar was introduced to Malaysia by Muslim Indian immigrants, especially in Penang. What makes this rice dish special are the curry-flavored ingredients, such as chicken. Often you will find Nasi Kandar in the form of a buffet, where you can choose the side dishes yourself. The price is then calculated accordingly.
16. Lok Lok Steamboat
Lok Lok is not really a traditional dish but rather a way of preparing meat or fish skewers. The skewers are dipped into boiling water for a few seconds and then dipped into one of several sauces. Simple but super delicious! Even though you basically prepare the food yourself, that is exactly what makes it such a special experience.
You can try Lok Lok either as a street food takeaway option, for example in Penang, or in restaurants at the table with a boiling pot in the middle. The price at the end is calculated based on the colors used to mark the skewers.
17. Banana Leaf
You will mostly find banana leaf in Indian restaurants. As the name suggests, this dish is not served on a plate but traditionally on a banana leaf and, like many Indian dishes, is eaten with the hand.
Of course, as with most Asian and Indian dishes, the main component is white rice. As it is actually a vegetarian dish, you get tasty seasoned vegetables, pickles, a crispy small bread (papadum) and, depending on the restaurant and location, other small treats that you eat together with the rice.
In addition, you can also order chicken with banana leaf. However, note that some Indian restaurants are strictly vegetarian and do not serve any meat.
18. Sambal Udang
Now we are getting really spicy again and this is where Malaysian cuisine shows that it can be truly hot. We tried Sambal Udang for the first time on the island of Redang and, as fans of spicy food, we instantly loved it.
The shrimp refined with fiery sambal do not need many ingredients or side dishes. Just order a portion of rice and mix it with the Sambal Udang. An absolutely delicious, yet simple dish that you should only enjoy with caution if you cannot eat spicy food.
19. Cendol
After all the hot dishes, it is time for something cold for dessert. Cendol is not only known in Malaysia, as this dessert is found throughout almost all of Southeast Asia in various versions and under different names.
It consists of a very sweet coconut milk with ice cubes, in which green jelly pieces (made from rice) float. Sometimes the green jelly is also served with red beans or other ingredients.
A perfect and refreshing dessert if you have a sweet tooth.
20. Rojak
If you are more into fruit, there is also a suitable dessert for you. Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad that is drizzled with a sweet and spicy sauce.
There are several versions of rojak, including some with potatoes, tofu and other fried stuff. Personally, I like the fruit version best.
21. Teh Tarik
The last item on this list is not something to eat, but it absolutely should not be missing. Teh Tarik is a Malaysian tea with milk that you can order either hot (Teh Tarik Panas) or cold (Teh Tarik Dingin/Teh Tarik Ais).
Ideal as a cold version in between or hot for breakfast. Teh Tarik is a very special tea that you should definitely try.
Of course, these are by no means all the dishes that Malaysia has to offer. This is a selection of the tastiest dishes we have tried on our trips to Malaysia and we will certainly discover more delicacies of Malaysian cuisine on our future journeys.
What is your favorite food in Malaysia? Is there anything else that you think absolutely has to be on this list? Let us know!
Photos: Photo 2 (Nasi Kerabu): amrufm/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
