There’s no doubt about it: Malaysian Street Food is definitely the best in the world! And it’s no secret why since Malaysian Cuisine is the epitome of Fusion Food. It’s a perfect mixture of Malay, Indian, and Chinese influences. There’s even a touch from our other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia.
And no one loves Malaysian Street Food more than Malaysians themselves! In this article, we rank the best of Malaysian Street Food, all according to local Malaysians.
List of the Best Malaysian Street Food According to Local Malaysians That are a Must-Try!
1. Nasi Lemak
It’s a mystery how Nasi Lemak still hasn’t been made the official national dish of Malaysia. But there’s no doubt that this dish is the #1 go-to food for Malaysians at any time of the day.
Basically, Nasi Lemak is rice cooked in rich coconut oil, and depending on where you are in the country, the sides have a lot of variety. Most often you will see a hard-boiled egg, peanuts, vegetables, lamb/chicken/beef curry, seafood and sambal (chili-based sauce).
Best Place to Eat Nasi Lemak:
- In Malaysia, almost any Hawker Food Stall has good Nasi Lemak. But if you want to be specific, you should try Village Park at Damansara or Yati Nasi Lemak at Petaling Jaya.
2. Mee Goreng Mamak
Mee Goreng is an Indian Muslim dish of stir-fried noodles with either beef or chicken, shrimp, soy sauce, vegetables and eggs topped off with a bit of chili. Basically, it’s Street Food heaven. You can try to cook this at home, but nothing beats the Mee Goreng Mamak you’ve tried in a Hawker Stall or Mamak Restaurant.
Best Place to Eat Mee Goreng Mamak:
- Any Hawker Stall or Mamak Restaurant, but Penang always makes the best plateful of Mee Goreng Mamak.
3. Laksa
Laksa is one of the staples of Malaysian cuisine. In fact, Laksa Eateries are popping up left and right not just in Malaysia, but in Asian neighbors such as Bangkok, Shanghai and others.
Laksa has a lot of variations. Most of the time, the way it’s cooked greatly depends on where it’s located.
Penang Asam Laksa has a sour and spicy fish broth. This is one of the specialty dishes in Malaysia’s food capital Penang.
Johor Laksa, on the other hand, uses spaghetti noodles instead of the usual rice or egg noodles.
Curry Laksa, from its name, has a base of coconut-based curry broth. It’s most famous in Malaysia and hawker centres in Singapore.
Sarawak Laksa comes from the East Malaysia State of Sarawak. Its made with sambal belacan chili, coconut milk, tamarind and rice vermicelli noodles.
Best Place to Eat Sarawak Laksa:
- Of course, in Sarawak! But also at Poh Lam’s Laksa at Chong Choon Café and Choon Hui Café.
Special Mention: Nyonya Laksa
This type of Laksa has a base of coconut made all the way from Melaka. It has a special sweet and spicy taste influenced from Malay and Chinese cuisine.
4. Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar is rice served with toppings of your choice. Most of the time these toppings will be curry, fish, egg, and veggie okra! Locals can pick out whichever topping they’d prefer to put into their plate, but Nasi Kandar is also served a la carte style as well.
Nasi Kandar Eateries are very popular in Malaysia. Almost all are open 24 hours a day!
Best Place to Eat Nasi Kandar:
- You’ll enjoy just about any Eatery serving this dish. But if you want to have a special experience, munch down on Nasi Kendar in Penang. Nasi Kandar Beratur and Line Clear Nasi Kandar are nice outlets serving the dish in Malaysia’s food capital.
5. Roti Canai
True to Malaysian food being the ultimate Fusion Food, Roti Canai is a flatbread that’s influenced from Indian cuisine. Its made with flour and butter, but some will also include some condensed milk to sweeten things up a bit.
It’s then flattened, folded, oiled and then cooked in a skillet. The result: a fluffy flatbread that’s crispy on the outside!
It’s delicious to eat on its own, but it’s also used to eat with some curry. Yum!
Best Place to Eat Roti Canai:
- Valentine Roti in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been a fan-favorite go-to place for eating Roti Canai that does not disappoint.
6. Satay
Satay is basically a Southeast Asian barbecue. Its origins are said to come from either Thailand or Indonesia, but every Pasar Malam in Malaysia has Satay in its food stalls.
The grilled meat can be either chicken, beef or pork, though of course Muslims only eat chicken or beef. Although its sauce can each have different variations depending on your location, it can’t be denied that nothing makes it better than peanut sauce.
Best Place to Eat Satay:
- Most Malaysians say they should try Satay in Ipoh, while others say that Kuala Lumpur also manages to hold their own.
7. Char Kuey Teow
Char Kuey Teow literally translates to “stir-fried rice cake strips”. It’s influenced from Chinese cuisine, and is made with flat rice noodles. The noodles are then cooked with pork lard, soy sauce, chili, bean sprouts, prawns, eggs, and Chinese chives. Not surprisingly, Penang also makes a good Char Kuey Teow.
Best Place to Eat Char Kuey Teow:
- Hawker Stalls in Penang have some of the best cooked Char Kuey Teow in the world.
8. Apam Balik
And to end things on a sweet note, we the Malaysian dessert Apam Balik. This is basically the country’s own version of a street food pancake, its also stuffed with sugar, peanuts and sometimes a bit of corn. Like Char Kuey Tow, this Malaysian Street Food is inspired by Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine.
If you’re out and about in Malaysia, try playing a bit of Malaysian online casino while eating Apam Balik.
Best Place to Eat Apam Balik:
- Kuala Lumpur
Stall at Taman Segar Pasar Malam, (in front of Gold Car Care Services), Jalan Manis 7, Cheras
- Petaling Jaya
Stall at SS2 Pasar Malam (next to the Medan Selera), Jalan SS2/61
How did you find our list of the best Malaysian Street Food? If you liked it, share this article with your Malaysian friends and family!
