It blends a wide variety of culinary traditions, from Chinese to Portuguese. Moreover, in this cosmopolitan country you can taste the cuisines of all the peoples of Southeast Asia, and, if you wish, of all the other peoples of the world.
ANY TRIP TO Malaysia invariably turns into a gastronomic journey. And no wonder: in Southeast Asia, food is one of the most intense sensations and freshest impressions for tourists. And when it comes to food in Malaysia, one could compile a whole encyclopedia of local dishes, many of which turn out to be traditional for the most diverse corners of the region. They came here with settlers - Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Indonesians, Burmese. Europeans - Portuguese and English - also contributed to the Malay diet. Nevertheless, such a concept as "Malay cuisine" exists. It grew on the same basis as in neighboring countries - on the basis of rice, fish and seafood, tropical fruits and vegetables. Unlike their neighbors, Malays add much more chili pepper to their dishes, which is called "lombok" here. Therefore, Malay cuisine is the spiciest in the entire region. However, this is not a problem at all: if you are not a fan of fiery dishes, just do not forget to ask the waiter to make the dish not spicy.
The two main gastronomic places in Malaysia are its capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the island of Penang. The first restaurant in the capital was opened by the Chinese. They were followed by Malays, English, and representatives of various other peoples, who also began to open restaurants. As a result, today in Kuala Lumpur you can find Italian pizzerias, Spanish bodegas, American steak houses, English pubs, Latin American clubs, McDonald's, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, and even a Russian bar.
Chinese rice
In the geographic and culinary center of the city is the Chinese quarter - Chinatown. Every evening, Jalan Petaling Street is closed off from the rest of the world with green striped curtains and turns into a night market and restaurant. An endless line of carts with braziers lines the street. True, you can only eat dishes whose ingredients are obvious: local Malays say that eternally hungry Chinese do not disdain dogs and cats, and use snake meat and brains of live monkeys as delicacies. But this applies only to street carts. In the small restaurants of Chinatown, you can safely try Chinese laksa, Teochew porridge, Hainanese chicken with rice, Hakka meat with bean paste "yong tau", and Hokkien mee - this is fried vermicelli with pieces of meat, shrimp, and shellfish.
Of course, Kuala Lumpur also has high-class Chinese restaurants. Most of the chefs in these restaurants are from Canton, so an abstractly Chinese establishment will most likely feature Cantonese cuisine. The most delicious local dishes are abalone with mushrooms and braised shark fins.
Peranakan and Portuguese
In Malaysia, you must definitely try dishes that can only be found in this country. They belong to the cuisines of non-existent peoples. To trace their origins, one must take a moment to look into the history of Malaysia. This history consists of an unbroken sequence of conquests and migrations. The locals never argued with anyone, so conquerors appeared, quickly conquered everyone, and dissolved into the local population. In addition to conquerors, refugees and adventurers came: Chinese coolies, Indian traders, Sumatran princes, Portuguese sailors, Dutch spice lovers, English colonizers.
The cuisine of foreigners, which is a strange derivative of Mediterranean dishes with Malay spices, can be tried mainly in Malacca, in the restaurants "De Lisboa" and "San Pedro", and in taverns near the Portuguese Square. Here they serve grilled fish, seafood, excellent roast beef and pork, and rice with shrimp.
The most original Malay cuisine is called "nonya". It appeared thanks to the Peranakans. Chinese Hokkien who became "Peranakans" married non-Muslim women of various nationalities, who were called "nonya". It was in this environment that "nonya cuisine" was born - a synthesis of traditional Hokkien noodles, spicy Malay spices, and Portuguese sweets. Its most famous dish is pongteh. This is chicken with fried pork, soy sauce, and potatoes. No less tasty is ayam goreng lada - fried chicken with white pepper. In nonya cuisine, seafood is used in intricate forms. For example, large shrimp are baked with spices, and lobsters are decorated with a complex sauce and surrounded with pieces of pineapple.
Paradise Islands
The second gastronomic place in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur is the island of Penang. Here, just like in the capital, different nationalities are mixed, so the local cuisine in Penang is very diverse: Chinese, Indian, Thai, Burmese. Sometimes Malay is found. The actual Penang Malay dishes can be tried in small family establishments. The main delicacies are turtle soup and fried monitor lizard with herbs.
In the capital of Penang, Georgetown, there is also a Chinese quarter with cart-braisers called "bui-bui".
Most restaurants in Penang are in Georgetown and on Batu Ferringhi beach. They are located all along the road between these points, along the entire beach. Here you can find luxurious restaurants, chic restaurants, and simple local eateries. In the latter, everything will be no less delicious than in the luxurious ones, only the surroundings are simpler.
The most expensive and most famous local restaurant is called Eden. This huge, brightly lit ship-shaped building is located near the Holiday Inn hotel. First you enter a medium-sized oceanarium. All the sea creatures found in local waters swim and crawl in the aquarium walls. Each aquarium is equipped with a sign giving the Malay, English and Latin names of the inhabitants. And all this is not for general education at all. All this is for the gratification of the stomach, since any exhibit, at your request, will be instantly caught by the cook's assistant and eaten by you.
At the end of Ferringhi Beach, in the fishing village of Teluk Bahang district, there are excellent seafood restaurants. They open at six in the evening when the fishermen return with their catch. The freshest fish, lobsters and other seafood are served on the table.
Langkawi Island is also always ready to pamper its guests with delicious food. The island has been declared a duty-free zone, so alcoholic drinks are cheaper here than on Penang. On Langkawi you can have lunch Malay-style, Chinese, Indian, Thai, European. Most restaurants are located in the southeast of the island, between the airport and Kuah. The most famous seafood restaurants are Coco Beach Seafood on Coco Beach and Aquarium Seafood Garden in Aquarium. In Oriental Village there is a wonderful Chinese restaurant and a restaurant with Chinese opera.
The most beautiful sunsets on Langkawi occur on Coco Beach and Pantai Tengah. To enjoy the sunsets, there are wonderful seafood restaurants with a local flavor. But the most romantic restaurant is Kelong Seri Melayu. You have to take a boat there because it stands right in the sea, 200 m from the shore. This famous restaurant is located on the south coast, opposite the Berjaya hotel. No less romantic is dinner at the restaurant of the Tanjung Rhu hotel: they have a barbecue on the beach: a table for two is placed right by the water, in an open gazebo tent, and a bonfire blazes in the distance. Everything is as it should be: starched napkins, tall glasses, candles and flowers. Only underfoot instead of parquet is sand, and overhead instead of a ceiling is a extravaganza of sunset, fiery overflows giving way to a starry canopy of the night sky.
Food in Kuala Lumpur
Best Malay restaurants: Dondang Sayang in the Ming Port Vista hotel; Rasa Utara in the Bukit Bintang Plaza shopping center; Perun Emas and cafe in the MATIS tourist information complex; Sechya in the Suria shopping center in the KLSS skyscraper; Seri Angkasa in the TV tower.
Best Chinese restaurants: Bun Hua and Lai Po Hin in the Mandarin hotel; Celestial Court in the Sheraton Imperial hotel; Stary Pitai in Chinatown (Nyonya cuisine); Tai Thong and Overseas on Jalan Imbi; Ming Palace in the Ming Court Vista hotel; Overseas at the Central Market.
Japanese restaurants: Genki Sushi and Nippon Tei in the KLSS skyscraper; Tai Yo and Miyoshi in the Life Centre; Edo Kirin in the Regent hotel; Hanatei Japanese in the Shahzan tower; Kioka in the Istana hotel.
Indian restaurants: Bangles on Jalan Raja Laut; Bharath in the Suria shopping center in the KLSS skyscraper; Bombay Palace, Passage Thru India and Khan on Jalan Tun Razak.
Malay-style lamb curry
Cut lamb (800 g) into cubes of about 4 cm. If it is not lamb but a leg of mutton, first carefully trim the fat from it. Heat oil (1/4 cup) in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add cardamom (green, crushed pods - 6 pieces), chili 1 tsp, cumin 1 tsp, paprika 3 tsp, coriander 1 tsp, rattan bark (you can do without it). Fry the spice mixture, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, then add yogurt (1 cup), red curry paste (can be replaced with green or yellow if red is too spicy for you) and tomatoes (400 g), mix everything and bring to a boil. Add finely chopped onion (1 onion) and simmer for 4 minutes. Add the lamb pieces, mix thoroughly and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened.