Must-try Malaysian street delicacies in 2022
If you're planning a trip to Malaysia in 2022, read on! We've listed the top Malaysian street food dishes you should try during your visit. They are all delicious, affordable, and easy to find.
Introduction
If you're planning a trip to Malaysia in 2022, read on! We've listed the top Malaysian street food dishes you should try during your visit. They are all delicious, affordable, and easy to find.
Roti Jala
Roti Jala, the Malay pancake, is a delicacy you should try in Malaysia. This pancake is made with flour and water to create a flatbread. And put it on a skillet until golden brown, then serve hot with curry or spicy sauce for dipping.
Roti Jala is very popular in Malaysia as street food because it's so simple to make: mix up some flour and water, then fry it up! You can eat this delicious dish alone or with other foods such as curries or soups from your favourite restaurants.
Satay
Satay is one of the most popular Malaysian street food dishes. The dish is made from marinated meat on a skewer, and it's usually served with peanut sauce. It's a popular snack that you can find in many Malaysian restaurants.
Malay immigrants who brought their recipes to Malaysia and Singapore first created Satay in Indonesia. The name comes from the Javanese word "sate," which means "to fry."
Chicken Satay
Chicken Satay is made with a skewer of chicken marinated in a mixture of spices, then grilled over charcoal. It's served with peanut sauce and cucumber slices or on top of rice.
Murtabak
Murtabak is a delicious and filling dish from Malaysia. This dish is made by mixing beaten eggs with minced meat, onions, and spices such as cardamon seeds that are poured into a dough called roti canai (made from refined white flour). The dough is folded over itself to make it look like an envelope. The cooking method then involves frying both sides of the murtabak until golden brown on each side.
Murtabak should be eaten hot with spicy sambal chilli sauce for dipping, or you can have it with some sweet sauce. Try this street food if you want something tasty but not too spicy!
Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice)
One of the most popular dishes in Malaysia is nasi lemak, which means "fatty rice" in Malay. The dish consists of a bed of fragrant coconut milk-flavoured rice with a side dish of fish, chicken or beef (sometimes all three). It's served with spicy coconut gravy, fried peanuts, and cucumber slices. Nasi lemak is often eaten for breakfast or enjoyed anytime during the day.
Nasi Lemak has its roots in Singapore, where it was first introduced by Arab traders who travelled to Southeast Asia centuries ago. In Malaysian culture today, Nasi Lemak plays an essential role in family gatherings because it can be made with many different types of protein—including shrimp paste or anchovies—to suit everyone's taste buds!
Wan Tan Mee (Shrimp Dumplings with Egg Noodles)
- Wan tan mee (also known as wan tan meen or wantan mee) is a Chinese noodle dish. It's made with wheat flour, eggs and soy sauce. The noodles are cooked in chicken broth, topped with meat or seafood fillings and served with a spicy sauce on the side.
Wan tan mee is famous in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand; each country has its own take on this dish! You can try it at any Malaysian restaurant—just make sure you order it "dry" without a soup base added to your noodle bowl!
Char Kway Teow (Stir-fried Flat Rice Noodles)
Char kway teow is a noodle dish that originated in the Malaysian state of Penang. The name translates to "stir-fried flat rice noodles," It typically consists of flat rice noodles sautéed with shrimp, Chinese sausage (lap cheong), bean sprouts, chives and curry leaves. This dish can be found everywhere across Malaysia and Singapore.
The most common way to eat char kway teow is as a breakfast dish; however, you can also find it on menus during lunch or dinner hours. Many restaurants serve unique variations on this famous noodle dish: for example, some places will add extra vegetables such as mushrooms or eggplant slices, while others opt out of using Chinese sausage altogether in favour of ground pork.
Beef Rendang
Beef Rendang is one of the most popular Malaysian dishes. It's a stew that's usually served with rice and made with beef, coconut milk, and spices. The meat is first marinated in a mixture of lemongrass, galangal (a type of ginger), garlic and other herbs before being braised until it's tender enough to fall apart. Most rendangs are then served with a spicy chilli sauce called sambal belacan, which can be either hot or mild, depending on your preference. Try this dish if you're looking for something filling but not too heavy!
Durian Muffin/Puff/Ice Cream/Cake
Durian is a fruit known for its pungent smell; once you've tried it, you'll understand why many people are hesitant to try it. But durian muffins and puffs are famous in Malaysia if you want something new and exciting to eat. Durian ice cream and cakes also exist, so get ready to try these delicious desserts!
Durian can be eaten raw or cooked—try the plain fruit first before moving on to prepared dishes like these sweet treats!
Chendol
Chendol is a popular dessert made from red beans, rice flour and palm sugar, and it is often served with coconut milk and ice. Chendol is a popular dessert during the summer because it's cool to eat.
Laksa
Laksa is a popular noodle dish in Malaysia that's usually served with a side of fish cakes. Laksa can be made with chicken, shrimp, or tofu—or any combination thereof—and comes in either clear noodles or rice noodles. If you want to try laksa for yourself, check out these restaurants offering the best versions of this Malaysian street food:
Lok-lok
Lok-lok is a type of snack food that is extremely popular in Malaysia. It consists of pieces of fish, vegetables and tofu wrapped in a banana leaf. The lok-lok can be served with either peanut sauce or a spicy sauce.
Rojak
Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad made with various fruits and vegetables like cucumber, bean sprouts, pineapple and water chestnuts. It's also served with a spicy sauce made from belacan (shrimp paste) and chilli pepper.
Rojak was initially sold by street vendors who carried their various ingredients on bicycles or trishaws. Today it's available at many restaurants with menus offering everything from the traditional rojak to modern takes, including roasted duck rojak or chicken satay rojak.
Otak-otak
Otak-otak is a Malaysian dish of fish cakes, ground coconut, onions and chilli. It's a popular choice at Indian weddings because it's believed to bring good luck. The fish cakes are made from dried anchovies soaked in water for one day, then boiled for about 10 minutes before being pounded into a paste. The paste is wrapped around hard-boiled egg yolk or tofu, coated with turmeric powder, and fried until crispy on the outside.
The dish has become quite popular recently due to its high protein content and low cost—you can buy it from hawkers or restaurants serving street food throughout Malaysia.
Hokkien Mee
Hokkien mee is a Chinese-Malaysian noodle dish. It is also popularly known as "Hokkien noodles" or "Hokkien mee", meaning noodles from Fujian province in China. Its popularity can be seen all over Malaysia, with hawkers serving it daily on their carts and hawkers selling it as fast as they can make them!
This dish is mainly served for breakfast or lunch, but you could find some stalls that do it all day long! The best way to eat this dish is with thin flat egg noodles, which are pan-fried with seafood like prawns and squid (or even chicken). In addition to these ingredients, bean sprouts and sliced onions are added before being served hot from the wok.
Ipoh Hor Fun
Ipoh is a city in Malaysia, located in the state of Perak. Ipoh Hor Fun, a dish made from rice noodles and served with a sweet and spicy sauce, is one that you should try.
Apom Balik
Apom Balik is a Malaysian street food that's similar in appearance to a giant-size cupcake. The sweet dessert is made with a flaky pastry crust and packed with red bean paste, which you can enjoy for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
Apom Balik is typically sold by street vendors with small carts holding the batter and fresh ingredients needed to make it new on the spot. You may be able to find Apom Balik at certain hawker stalls, too!
Be sure to try these items from the street food menu!
- It's a delicious alternative to expensive restaurants and great for sharing with friends.
- Street food has been a part of Malaysian culture since the 1940s. It was introduced by George Town locals inspired by hawkers in Singapore and Penang.
- The best way to eat Malaysian street food is on the go while walking around Kuala Lumpur or any other city you visit during your trip! But if this isn't possible, try sitting at one of the tables outside your favourite vendor instead—it's still super tasty either way!
If you don't like something on your plate: just ask politely for something else! You'll find that many vendors are happy to accommodate their customers' needs (though sometimes there are rules about what can be changed). So don't worry too much about asking for an alternative dish—just keep an open mind about trying things out before deciding whether or not they're good enough for second helpings!
Conclusion
So you see, if you're in Malaysia in 2022 and looking for some excellent street food dishes to try, then you should make sure that these are on your list. They're all delicious but very different from one another—there's something for everyone! So pack a bag and head out into the streets of Kuala Lumpur (or wherever else they might be available) to discover this unique cuisine. You won't regret it!