Malaysian Food – Wong Eats

Malaysian Hawker/Street Food 1

During my recent trip back to Malaysia and reunion with my immediate family to celebrate my parents’ Golden Anniversary, we took this opportunity to catch up on foods that we cherished as we were growing up in that part of Southeast Asia. I recently blogged about the wonderful dinners and banquets, whether Chinese or Peranakan/Nyonya, that we relished in while back there. Equally delectable are the hawker or street foods that one finds on the streets or the informal coffee-shops that most locals patronize for their daily meals. Hawker or Street food from this part of the world is renown and well-written about by gourmands and food writers. Here is the run down of some of the dishes available.

The following dishes are usually served for breakfast:

1) Dim Sum: It was a change to see these Cantonese small bites being cooked and served roadside, and not in the restaurants, as it is served in the city. These small dishes were equally tasty and full of variety, and the way Malaysians enjoy these bites is with some sweet Hoisin sauce and vinagery chili paste, very Southeast Asian. It is a pity that such street-food tradition is quickly dying out in these fast times.

2) Char Tau Kueh: This is another common breakfast item usually found in markets during the morning time. Rice cake squares are fried with some garlic, salt pickled vegetables, bean sprouts and eggs, seasoned with some light and dark soy. My mother would frequently bring this back from the morning market, and we always enjoyed it with some sour chili sauce.

3) Rice Porridge/Congee: This common Chinese breakfast staple is basically a rice gruel made with cuts of meat or seafood. This reminds me of my maternal grandmother who would take me early in the morning to an alley in town to savor a version made with slivers of fresh fish and ginger. Such a simple meal only needs a touch of soy sauce and some white pepper – nothing else.

4) Fish Ball Noodle: Another mild tasting, but not short in flavor, breakfast item is this bowl of noodle soup. Fine strands of rice noodles are paired with some minced fish meat balls, and moistened with a rich but clear fish stock. A few salted vegetable pickles are usually added for some flavor. A mild but satisfying start for the day.

5) Roti Chanai/Murtabak: Most Malaysians do not live on mild dishes alone living in this part of the world infused with different culinary traditions. Here we have a South Indian breakfast item of wheat flour dough stretched and layered with drops of ghee (clarified butter), much like puff pastry, before being cooked on the griddle. The accompanying sauce is a fragrant and spicy sour curry (usually made with fish head) that adds all its flavors to the mild bread. Another type is the stuffed version, Murtabak, as in this case made with minced meat, onions, and green beans. An exciting and tasty start to the morning indeed.

6) Bah Kut Teh: A Malaysian favorite is a pork stew consisting of ribs or pig feet cooked in a heady soup made with garlic, cinnamon, star-anise, licorice and lots of Chinese dried herbs. This fragrant mixture is usually served with rice, but on this occasion, the meal came with some parboiled egg-noodles, adding a wonderful twist to this common staple usually served for breakfast or after a late-night out.

7) Fish Head Noodles: This noodle soup dish is similar to the fishball noodle soup, but in this case, pieces of fish head are served instead. The bony bits add a stronger fish flavor to the broth, and Malaysians are very adapt in finding the flesh in between the bones and cartilage. I must say that I quite enjoyed this dish despite not having eaten it much in the past – definitely not for the mild and meek breakfast taker.

The following dishes are usually served for lunch and dinner:

1) Rojak: This is a refreshing start for lunch, a salad consisting of fresh Jicama/Bangkuang, bits of mango and cucumber, and some parboiled vegetables. But what ties the ingredients together is a thick sweet and salty sauce made with dark soy and savory shrimp paste. A topping of nutty crushed peanuts seals the deal here – completely irresistible.

2) Poh Piah: This Peranakan/Nyonya standard fare consists of thin rice crepes stuffed with cooked Jicama/Bangkuang, Chinese sausage, egg strips, crab meat, and some shrimp, seasoned with fried shallots, crispy pork lard, raw garlic, and some Hoisin and chili sauces. This time-consuming dish is especially beloved by my family members since it was prepared by my grandmother often. My auntie is always kind enough to invite us over for this meal every time we are back visiting, and we feel obliged to stuff ourselves silly with it. This dish is to this day served and eaten in the port of Xiamen, Fujian, China, from which many Peranakan ancestors come from. It was truly a rare sight to come across this Poh Piah crepe maker in public when walking around in Penang.

3) Ho Chien: This small bite consists of tiny oysters cooked with a rice flour and egg mixture, much like an omelet, and served with a vinegary chili sauce. Eating this dish always brings back memories of visiting my father’s hometown of Malacca, and relishing this dish by the seaside. Just like the above dish, this dish is also commonplace in Hokkien communities in Thailand, Fujian and Taiwan.

4) Char Kueh Tio: This Malaysian favorite can be found in nearly all coffee-shops or food courts in this part of the world. Wide rice noodles are stir-fried with some shrimp, Chinese sausage, cockles, eggs, Chinese chives, and bean sprouts to produce a heavenly result that the Malaysians always seem to be on the hunt for the best version. The traditional use of lard and crispy pork fat takes this dish to gastronomic heights. Yumm!

Asam Laksa

5) Asam Laksa: This noodle dish hails from the Penang Peranakan culture. Round rice noodles are bathed in a sweet and sour broth made fragrant from lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric, meaty with shredded mackerel, and sour from the use of tamarind. The sprinkling of fresh pineapple, fresh cucumber, and fresh mint add the necessary refreshing elements to each slurp. The spoonful of dark shrimp paste sauce is de rigueur as it adds another level of savoriness to the already superb broth.

6) Hainanese Chicken Rice: This chicken dish hails from the Hainan culture which is renowned for their superb cooks. It is a simple dish but difficult to master as the cooked chicken still retains its collagen after a complex boiling process, producing a moist and silky-smooth meat. The rice is cooked with the chicken fat and broth to give the simple grain lots of flavor. A side of chicken broth is usually served along with some chili sauce for the plain chicken pieces – a favorite of many Malaysians which we savored a number of times on this trip.

7) Nasi Kandar: This rice dish is served by the Mamak community, Indian Muslims. Here we have rice made yellow and fragrant from lots of heady spices, served with any sides to the diner’s desire. On my plate I chose some chili shrimp, fried fish, along with some okra, cabbage, and cucumber slices. The variety of toppings to choose from can be mind-boggling, but the result is a tasty and satisfying rice dish.

8) Har Meen: Penang is famous for this noodle soup dish, which was where I had this bowl. Noodles are paired with a spicy and fragrant shrimp stock along with cooked shrimp, chicken, boiled eggs, and bits of vegetable. What makes the dish sing is the quality of the stock made from shrimp shells, and this version was one of the best I have ever tasted, while sitting next to the beach for dinner – not a single drop of that tantalizing broth remained at the end. The side of cooked chili paste adds some depth along with some more spice heat to the dish.

9) Wat Tan Hor Fun: This noodle dish is a Malaysian Cantonese staple. Wide rice noodles are covered with a thick egg white sauce filled with bits of seafood and meat. The slippery consistency of the dish is a texture that most in this part of the world enjoy with their noodles. The side of pickled green chilies is typically served since Southeast Asian sensibilities search for spicy and sour elements to act as a foil to rich flavors, as is in the case with this dish.

10) Saté. Most Westerners have probably tasted this Malay dish but not in its original version. Here we have short skewers with small pieces of well-marinated meat on them, and charred on top of burning charcoal. To keep them moist, they are occasionally doused with a mixture of coconut milk and oil with a crushed lemongrass as the basting brush. The side peanut sauce is another element that can make the dish a hit. The pieces of cut white onion and cucumber provide the refreshing relief to the rich flavors.

11) Sweet and Spicy Shrimp: Pieces of large unshelled shrimp are coated with thick sweet and spicy sauce before grilled until the shells are crispy and completely edible. The side of crispy noodle with a bare sauce accentuates the crispy nature of the dish and making this seafood dish complete.

Here is a quick run down of foods and drinks to cool down with:

1) Seasonal Fruits: Without fail, you will come across a vendor selling fresh-cut seasonal fruits, as in this case, watermelon, papayas, bananas, and rambutans.

2) Sugarcane Juice: The sight of the sugarcane press is not evident in the city much these days but I was glad to come across this stall in Little India, Penang, and I could not resist getting a glass full of this sweet juice to cool down from the sweltering sun.

3) Malaysian Coffee/Lime Barley Drink: Malaysian are fond of their coffee, a unique roast of coffee beans with chicory in margarine to produce a rich but bitterless brew. For something cooler, I usually order the chilled sweet barley drink with a few squeezes of lime.

4) Calamansi Lime Drink: Here we have a drink made from squeezing of the local Calamansi, a very tart citrus, much like Key Lime. The addition of a salted plum adds more tartness to this refreshing concoction, as if it were not sour enough.

5) Nutmeg Juice: I had this drink in Penang which is known for its nutmeg plantations. It is quite sweet with a tartness from the nutmeg oil found in the flesh. It maybe too strong for some but I quite enjoyed it despite its astringent nature.

Whew. Did we eat and drink all of these? Yes, indeed, and we still couldn’t get enough of the dishes. Such tempting and delectable wide-variety of offerings has only one single effect on the receiving end – a food-obsessed gastronome, which most Malaysians are. We talk and think about food all the time, when and what is the next meal, and where to find the best rendition of these dishes, even when we are out of Southeast Asia. Most of my non-Asian friends are perplexed by such obsession but once they have visited this part of the world, they start to get a slight inkling of said nature. With the first dish, resistance becomes futile for the diner, and welcome to the club!

Malaysian Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner2

Cooking

To continue my series on Malaysian food that I managed to “catch up on” this summer which I have been writing about in the last couple of blogs, here are the other breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes that I savored on the course of my trip to Australia and Malaysia:

1) Soft-boiled Egg – This breakfast item is an all-time favorite of mine that was nearly wiped off the face of my memory bank. I was mildly surprised to be presented this egg dish one morning while staying at my auntie’s place. This delicately prepared and equally delicate tasting dish speaks of pure simplicity in the ingredient: a fresh golden-yolk egg that is barely cooked. With a couple of drops of soy sauce and a dash of white pepper, it makes the perfect “sauce” to dunk a piece of toast – the perfect morning bliss for me and for my mother who also shares her love for this.

2) Roast Duck – Walking around various neighborhoods in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, you will notice coffee shops everywhere that cater to the culinary needs of the residents in the vicinity and even to those from other neighborhoods, depending on the reputation of the food. One such place was this eatery that served roast meats and its renowned Roast Duck. What made this rendition superb was the complete rendering of the fat from the skin, which made it palatable, and the light seasoning of the flesh that had hints of 5 spice powder. The accompanying sauces augmented the various flavors and spices found in the meat itself. It was a good thing we got there just as the shop opened just before the huge crowd it tends to attract.

3) Satay – On my way to meet up with an old college buddy in Kuala Lumpur, I came across a Satay vendor who was cooking these sticks of meat the traditional way, over some coals outdoors. Although I had a serving of this in Sydney, I was rather disappointed by its lack of charcoal char and the rather weak peanut sauce. But passing by this sight reminded me of the real flavors of this Malay favorite among Malaysians and others. If weren’t for dinner plans, I would have taken a seat and placed an order of this sumptuous looking sight.

4) Butter Prawns – This is truly a Malaysian seafood classic. Unpeeled Prawns are deep-fried until the shell is completely edible. A topping consisting of whispy bits of egg white fried in butter (hence its name) provides a rich flavor along with its crispy texture. Slices of chili and curry leaves add the fragrant and spice elements to this dish that takes the dish to another level. This is a must-order from a good seafood restaurant when in Malaysia, or a Malaysian restaurant anywhere else, like what I had in Melbourne, Australia.

5) Sambal Kacang Panjang/Spiced Longbeans – Longbeans are a favorite among most Asians for its versatility and taste. Here it is cooked the Malay way with a spice paste consisting of shallots, dried shrimp and dried chilies. This condiment adds the spice heat and flavor elements to the rather bland vegetable that can hold up to some serious wok searing. The addition of fried dried whitebait fish (Ikan Bilis) brings a contrasting textural element to the softer vegetables as well as additional flavor to this already flavor-packed dish. Love my veggies cooked this way.

6) Char Tau Kueh – This Hokkien breakfast item cannot be classified as a noodle or rice dish although the main starch is made from rice flour that have been mixed with water and steamed until it has firmed up. It is then cut into square pieces and wok seared with garlic, egg, beansprouts, and dried pickled vegetables. The bits of rice cake are rather bland but the addition of soy sauce and the pickles add the necessary flavorings to this dish. This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes my mum would buy from the local morning market, and I glad I savored it a couple of times on this trip.

Fresh Tofu Salad – Malaysians have a penchant for tofu, especially in the fresh form. Staying at my auntie’s place in Kuala Lumpur, I was presented this cold dish for dinner which was served in my parents home weekly especially on our meatless Fridays. It is soft fresh tofu that is topped with oyster and dark soy sauces, aromatic crispy fried shallot rings and topped with some green onions, and/or coriander leaves like how I prepare it. This is truly a refreshing vegan dish and a true study of flavor and textural contrast.

8) Assam Fish – this dish was already featured in the previous blog, but I wanted to show that in Malaysia, it is common to serve the fish whole with the head and eyeballs intact. Most Asians are suspicious of restaurants that do not serve the fish in its entirety thus this common practice. For most Westerners, this can be rather off-putting with the huge eyeballs staring at you especially when the head is pointing towards such eater at the dinner table.

9) Tofu Mixed Vegetables – For most Malaysians, a meal would be incomplete if a dish made with fresh vegetables is not ordered. One of my favorite way of having the greens cooked is with a light sauce and with some fried tofu bits. The frying of the tofu firms up the soy cakes and provides a rougher texture on the outside. The addition of Chinese mushroom adds a depth in flavor to the sauce and a “meaty texture” to the quickly cooked and crunchy vegetable pieces. This is Vegan Heaven here.

10) Hor Chien/Oyster Pancake – When I was visiting my parents in Melbourne, we stopped at one of the many Malaysian eateries that dot their residential area – yes, they are never lacking in this culinary department. One of the specials for that day was a dish that I had not eaten for many years – Hor Chien. It is basically fresh small oysters that are fried in an egg/flour batter until the outside is slightly crispy and the interior still quite soft. The obligatory sour chili sauce provides the necessary foil to cut through the richness of this seafood pancake. This brings back memories of eating this during my childhood at seafood restaurants when my father used to take us back to his hometown in Melaka.

11) Sambal Bendi/Okra – Here, we have Okra, or Lady’s Finger as it is known in Malaysia, which in this case, has been cooked the same way as the above Longbean dish, with a chili spice paste that adds tremendous flavors to this mild vegetable. The secret to cooking this dish is to wok sear it very quickly so that the high heat cooks the okra bits while maintaining a slight crunch at the end. As a child, I would pick these “lady’s fingers” growing in the backyard for this dish. This is definitely not the slimy version that most Americans are used to and have an aversion for.

As you can see from this blog and the previous one, Malaysian Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner1, the food is a reflection of the bounty in a tropical climate: the abundance of seafood in its surrounding waters, the meat and poultry that are never lacking of feed around them, vegetables, herb and spices that grow without much effort that add the necessary fiery and flavorful complexity to the delicious dishes. With the influences of various culinary traditions arriving together at this intersection, the result is fresh food that is cooked in an unlimited number of ways that produce an amazing array of temptations. Resistance is just futile around this part of the world.

Malaysian Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner1

Cooking

Man cannot live on Noodles and Rice Dishes alone (see last blog), at least not for most Malaysians. Malaysia sits on a geographically strategic location in which historically it has received influences from different parts of the world due to trade from all directions and also stemming from being part of various empires, notably the South Indian Cholan and the Indonesian Srijavan empires, as well as its position as a Chinese vassal state for many centuries. Blessed with humid tropical climate in which literally anything will grow just by placing it in the soil, Malaysia is abundant with vegetables, fruits and herbs/spices that are incorporated into the cooking of an equally abundance of seafood, poultry and meat. Needless to say, Malaysian food is full-flavored, unique, and rather exotic even to some fellow Malaysians themselves. Here are the different breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes that I managed to delight in during my recent visit to this part of the world.

1) Roti Chanai – This South Indian dish is a breakfast staple not only for the Indian community but for most Malaysians. Layers of finely stretched dough have been separated by clarified butter or margarine, much like an Asian version of Puff Pastry. After spending time on the flat griddle, it is usually served with some cooked dahl lentils and a light vegetable or fish curry. This dish brings back memories of stopping by roadside shacks and having this along with some hot pulled tea. A spicy start to the morning.

2) Ayam Buah Keluak – This dish is quite exotic even for some of my relatives as it hails from the Melaka Peranakan culture that traces its roots to Chinese migration to the area beginning in the 15th century. It is a stew that pairs chicken with the Keluak seed that grows in the island of Java. The seed is toxic in the raw form, but it produces a dark chocolate-like flesh after being cooked for some time. It can also be cooked with pork ribs, which my family prefers, or a firm flesh fish. I relish eating it when I am visiting my family since I do not get it anywhere else. This is soul food for me, despite its odd sounding description.

3) Asam Ikan – Again, like the above, this dish has its roots in the Peranakan culture, a subculture minority group that my family belongs to. It is fish that has been quickly simmered in a spicy and sour gravy made with tamarind along with a myriad of fragrant herbs and spices. The use of okra (Malaysia – “lady’s fingers”) is customary as well as eggplant at times. This reminds me of our weekly serving of this dish as I was growing up with my grandmothers, and the sipping of the sauce which we could not get enough of. Spicy and Sour flavors dominate many Peranakan dishes, as in this one.

4) Pongteh – A classic Peranakan dish. Pieces of Belly Pork are paired with potato and simmered in a rich fermented soybean paste sauce that is made fragrant with tons of shallots and garlic. This dish takes on many variations according to the cook – my paternal grandmother used to add bamboo shoots, and my maternal grandmother Chinese mushrooms. This was the must-cook dish that we were served by my auntie when we used to go down to visit her in my father’s village in Melaka. The dish brings back lots of memories and nostalgia when it is in my presence.

5) Yau Chow Kwai/Deep-Fried Dough – This breakfast dish literally translates as “Deep-fried Devils” since it resembles someone squirming in pain as the dough puffs and grows in the hot oil during the frying. This is a typical Chinese breakfast staple that is usually bought at the morning markets in the various neighborhoods in Kuala Lumpur, much like a slightly salty churro. The crispy exterior and soft inside make it the perfect vehicle for dunking into some strong chicory-brewed coffee. Another favorite way of eating it is by slathering some coconut jam (Kaya) on it. Or it is just perfect as it is.

6)Sambal Ikan – Again, this fish dish hails from the Peranakan culture, which shares a close affinity with the Malay group. Here we see a Malay style dish in which fish, in this case fresh mackerel, are fried with a spicy concoction of dried chilies, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, and candlenuts to produce quite a fragrant and fiery dish. The use of tamarind in the paste adds the sourness to elevate the dish beyond piquancy. I can recall my grandmother eating this with her hand, the traditional way, as she pried the rather firm flesh away from the whole fish.

7) Woo Tau Koh/Steamed Taro Cake – Another Chinese (Hokkien) breakfast staple. It is basically taro root (“yam” in Malaysia) that has been steamed with a flour mixture to produce a smooth potato-like savory cake. The seasonings are fried dried shrimp and shallots, with a topping of sweet hoisin and spicy chili sauces. Like most breakfast, this can be bought at the neighborhood morning market, which my mother would do on her frequent trips during the week.

8) Chinese Crispy Fried Chicken – this sumptuous poultry dish is the result of a whole chicken that has been evenly wok-fried to produce a crispy skin while keeping the meat moist and succulent. It is customarily served with both a white pepper/salt combination and a sweet plum sauce. The clouds of prawn crackers around it mimic the same crispness of the chicken skin. This is definitely restaurant fare and I thoroughly enjoyed it with my uncle’s and cousin’s families.

9) Steamed Fish – Seafood plays a prominent role in Southeast Asian diet, especially the fresh kind. Matter of fact, no one buys any of the frozen kind, maybe the odd foreigner living there. One of my joys of going back to Malaysia is to go to the open markets and look at the abundance of seafood that come from the local waters. The Chinese prefer to have their fish simply steamed with a few aromatics like ginger and green onions, along with a light sauce made of soy sauce, sesame oil, and some rice wine – this was the case with this dish when I sampled it.

10) Chili Crab – this is the classic way of cooking this crustacean that has become a signature dish of the region. When I visited a seafood restaurant with my uncle and cousin, there were large tanks of seafood being displayed from which the live creatures were scooped up and whisked off to the kitchen. Everything served in that restaurant was alive just a few minutes before. The crabs here are cooked in a slightly spicy and sweet sauce that is enriched by the use of egg. Upon service, it is customary to lick off the delectable sauce from the shells before breaking them open to get to the sweet flesh. A side order of bread is provided to mop up every drop of that wonderful sauce.

11) Poh Piah/Fresh Spring Rolls – My maternal grandmother used to make this labor-intensive dish for our Saturday lunches. On this trip, my auntie was gracious enough to cater to my request for this dish that traces its roots to the immigrants from the Fujian region of China. It is basically a fresh spring roll that is not deep-fried like the version most people know. The skin is a very thin sheet of dough that is completely cooked, and it is stuffed with cooked jicama along with some Chinese sausage and pieces of cooked shrimp, and the occasional crabmeat. The sweet sauce and chili paste on the other end of the crepe acts as the glue to seal the roll. I remember as kids, we would hold a competition to see how many we could roll without breakage and how many we could scoff our faces with. Unfortunately, I’m not able to consume as many, but not without the same amount of joy of yesteryear.

12) Hai Chou/Fried Pork, Fish and Shrimp Balls – During this last trip, I wanted to document some recipes that my maternal grandmother used to cook for us with the help of my auntie. One of the dishes was this surf and turf dish. It is basically meatballs consisting of minced pork, minced fish, and diced shrimp that have been rolled up into large sheets of tofu skin, steamed, and deep-fried. The use of cilantro, carrots, green onions, and water chestnuts adds crunch and fresh fragrance to the dish. It is customary to serve them with a sour chili sauce that cuts through the rich-tasting morsels. Eating this dish immediately erased its absence of 25 years from my diet since my grandmother last prepared it.

13) Leong Yee/Stuffed Fish – Another dish that was on my list of documenting my grandmother’s recipes was this fish dish. A delicate process has to be taken to remove the spine without tearing the fillets while keeping them intact on the fish. The fillets are scrapped of the flesh, minced with some pork, mixed with aromatics, then stuffed back into the fish cavity, and fried until fully cooked. The whole fish is simmered in a soybean paste, garlic and ginger sauce until it is tender and has absorbed its savory flavors. Like the above offering, tasting this took me back 25 years when I last had this dish when grandma was still alive. Lots of memories, indeed.

A second installment on the rest of the dishes will follow soon. Hopefully, this blog has whet your appetite for more Malaysian delicacies and the myriad of wonderful dishes.

Malaysian Noodle and Rice Dishes

Cooking

Some of you must have been wondering where I have been the last few weeks due to my lack of posting. I just got back from a month’s trip to visit my family, relatives, and friends in Australia and in my country of origin, Malaysia. It was a chance for me to reconnect with them and to reestablish relationships across waters after a long period of little contact. Equally important was the opportunity to catch-up on the food that I grew up on which I longed to savor after being away for a number of years from my “childhood home” that forms a big part of my psyche, the repository of an early gustatory conditioning that is deeply imbedded in my palate. Although I spent most of my time with family members in Australia, I was equally treated to good Malaysian cuisine there due to the large Malaysian immigrant population that made their way due to its close proximity to this Southeast Asian nation. In other words, I was never lacking of good Malaysian treats during my whole trip. Here is the run down of the Noodle and Rice dishes from the plethora of dishes that I savored:

1) Har Meen/Penang Prawn Mee: After dropping my bags off upon my arrival at Sydney, my sister took me out to a small Malaysian eatery and I had this noodle soup. The broth is a spicy and pungent shrimp stock paired with egg and rice noodles, bean sprouts, and topped with bits of pork and fresh shrimp. A dollop of cooked chili sambal is obligatory to add the extra heat and richness to this dish. A great start to my trip especially since I was arriving in the middle of winter Down Under.

2) Chow Kueh Teow/Stir Fried Rice Noodles: This is a favorite among many Malaysians and it is usually the litmus test of the kitchen’s cooking level. Broad rice noodles are stir fried with egg, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, and shrimp. The addition of light and dark soy sauces gives it the distinctive flavor, and the high heat searing in the wok results in the characteristic caramelization. In the old days, a sprinkling of crispy pork fat and the use of lard were standard, which add a certain unctuousness, but seldom practised these days – what a pity.

3) Hainanese Chicken Rice – Another popular dish. Chicken is lightly simmered to a point which the collagen under the skin is still intact and not cooked out. The broth is used to make the rice and the soup that are served together with the meat pieces. The sauces also take a prominent role since they are instrumental in adding flavor to the rather bland pieces of chicken: ginger chili sauce and thick soy sauce. A perfect lunch.

4) Nasi Lemak/ Coconut Rice – This national dish’s main star is rice cooked with coconut milk and galangal root. The sides are usually dried whitebait and peanuts, cooked chili paste, boiled egg, fresh cucumber, chicken or fish curry. A simple version of this dish is usually a breakfast staple – a spicy start to the day! My flights on AirAsia to Malaysia had a delectable rendition of this national dish and I ordered it on both ways. Sedap! (Yummm)

5) Chee Cheong Fun/Pig Intestine Noodles – OK, these are not porcine guts! They are steamed sheets of rice noodles that are rolled up and cut to resemble that animal part. The sides of cooked soybean sheets stuffed with fish paste and a few fish balls make this quite a complete meal. The dousing of sweet hoisin and chili sauces add the sweet, salty and spicy notes to this breakfast dish. This brings back memories of my mother buying it from the morning market for our breakfasts.

6) Wat Ton Hor Fun/Cantonese Style Noodles in Sauce – Pan-seared rice noodles are doused in a light broth that has been enriched with egg whites, thus giving its name of “smooth egg sauce”. Bits of shrimp, squid, pork, and fresh vegetables make this dish well-balanced in flavor and as a complete meal. The addition of pickled green chilis aids in cutting through the savory sauce as well as providing the spicy note to this otherwise mild dish.

7) Kueh Chang Nyonya/Nyonya Stuffed Rice Dumplings – This rice dumpling comes specifically from the Peranakan culture to which I belong. It is glutinous rice stuffed with a savory and fragrant concoction of pork, chinese mushrooms, candied melon, and coriander powder. The dumpling is wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled until completely cooked with the dumpling having absorbed the aroma imparted by the leaves. The customary light blue coloring comes the use of a pea flower. This was a favorite of mine growing up and it reminds me of watching my paternal grandmother making these dumplings specifically for the Summer Solstice, June 22nd.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

8) Banana Leaf Rice – With a rather sizable South Indian population in Malaysia, many folks have taken a liking to this tasty meal that is served on Banana leaves. Servers will come around and pile on top of the rice scoops of curries, meat, fish, vegetables, pickles, and crackers. It is one of the rare opportunities when I get to “play” with my food with my hands and eat it with no utensils. Unfortunately, the use of banana leaves has fallen to the wayside and they have been replaced by paper made to look like the leaves themselves. Thanks to my college buddy, Vijay (yes, that’s him stuffing his face), and his wife, Yvonne, for taking me out for this great treat.

9) Thousand-Year Egg and Pork Rice Congee – This breakfast staple is a rather humble and simple dish that has been elevated to a more refined version found in Dim Sum houses. This rendition has a smoother texture that has been enriched by the use of meat stock and the addition of lean pork meat and the strong-tasting thousand-year egg. The addition of fried Chinese croutons adds the textural contrast to the gruel-like dish. This reminds me of a raw fish version that my grandmother used to take us to in Petaling Street for breakfast when I was a young child. Simple yet soulful.

10) Ngow Nam Meen/Beef Noodle – This famous dish has been served at the same location, Lai Foong Coffee shop (see first photo), for as long as I recall, on the edge of Chinatown. Slices of beef with beef balls are paired with noodles, salted radish, pickled mustard green, all tied-in by a rich beefy broth. The chili sauce side is mandatory to cut through the richness of the dish. However, during my last visit, I was a bit disappointed by the slight insipidness of the broth and the lack of the sour mustard green that I recall from yesteryear. But it was definitely worth the visit just for memory sake.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

11) Mee Suah – This dish hails from my Peranakan roots and I was pleasantly surprised by its presence for breakfast one morning at my aunt’s place. It is very fine vermicelli noodles cooked in a meat broth and served with some minced meat, white pepper and fried shallots. That morning, it was served with fluffy eggs mixed with dried shrimp, which was equally delectable. This was a rare treat for me and a great start for the day.

12) Kari Mee/ Curry Noodles – Malaysians never get enough of spiciness especially the curries that have been influenced by the Malay and Indian cultures. Here, we see a marriage of a curry dish with Chinese noodles. But this version takes it another level with the addition of roast pork, cockles and braised chicken feet. Yes! I love chicken feet and most of you will be grossed out by this, especially the fact that I enjoy it for breakfast too. The squeeze of Kalamansi lime provides the citrus hit that cuts through the richness and spiciness.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

13) Lam Meen – My auntie took me to a coffee shop for breakfast after paying respects to our ancestors at the cemetery. This place is reputed to serve the best Lam Meen in town. It is thick wheat noodles, cooked al dente, enveloped by a thick tasty broth studded with pieces of chicken and shrimp. This reminded me of my maternal grandmother’s version that she would cook for our Saturday lunches – a classic Cantonese noodle dish.

14) How can you spot a Malaysian? By the amount of fresh-cut chilies that he/she is consuming with the noodle and rice dishes. A bowl of cut chilies is de rigueur with the meal and they are served in both coffee shops and high-end restaurants. My maternal grandmother even brought a jar of this condiment to Hong Kong years ago to spice up the rather mild Cantonese dishes. No doubt she inculcated the love for pickled green chilies in me – can’t get enough of them!

15) Nga Po Kai Fan/ Clay Pot Chicken Rice – This is one dish that was a must-have on my trip to Malaysia and they are served in local coffee shops around the city. Cooked white rice is served in searing-hot clay pots, topped with pieces of chicken, Chinese sausage, and seasoned with light and dark soy sauces. The mixture is mixed well before serving, while the heat from the pot crisps up the bottom of the rice, much like a Asian savory rice krispies. Bits of sweet raw onions and green onions provide the fresh flavors to this rich-tasting dish. I’m glad my cousin took me all the way across town when another eatery was not open during lunch.

16) Laksa Lemak/Curry Noodle Soup – The quintessential lunch noodle dish encapsulates Southeast Asian flavors with a spicy broth enriched by coconut milk, and spiced by lemongrass and Kafir lime leaves. The bowl I had while I was visiting my parents in Melbourne was replete with bits of squid, shrimp, mussels and fresh vegetables, which made it a seafood delight. Bits of fried tofu are obligatory in this dish that add a lightness to this rich dish.

17) Hokkien Mee – This noodle dish traces its roots to the Fujian area from which many Malaysian Chinese can claim their roots. It is thick wheat noodles and rice vermicelli that are wok-seared with lard, seafood and the distinctive dark soy sauce that adds a slight sweetness from the molasses flavored sauce. The addition of crispy pork fat adds the necessary richness to the dish, as how it was served to me in Australia. This dish brings back memories of my father driving to downtown Kuala Lumpur and parking on the main street as we waited for our late night supper, usually after a badminton game – such maneuver is not possible anymore with the crazy traffic nowadays.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

18) Chow Toong Fun/Fried Beanthread Noodles – This is a dish that I have not eaten much of but I appreciate its lightness due to the use of noodles made from Mung beans, those used to make bean sprouts. Again, like most noodles, we get Surf and Turf here with the use of Chinese sausage and shrimp. The addition of bean sprouts adds the necessary crunch to the delicate noodles.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

19) Assam Laksa – This complex tasting dish hails from the northern island of Penang where there is a strong Thai influence from its neighboring territories. The soup is spicy, fragrant, and sour from the use of tamarind as its base. The use of Spanish mackerel or sardines adds to the rich flavors, while the use of mint, pineapple and cucumber brings fresh qualities to this rather “dark” soup. It is a favorite of mine and I definitely miss my grandmother’s rendition that she would whip up for our wonderful Saturday lunches.

Oodles of noodles and plates filled with flavored rice. As you can see, we can’t get enough of these staples, considering the variety of dishes that they come in and the myriad of flavors that satiate the hungry eater. Just don’t forget to ask for another serving of fresh chilies or chili paste that will make this culinary experience both fiery and complete. When in Malaysia, eat like a Malaysian, which means with lots of chilies. No doubt!