saudi arabia food cuisine

Food staples in Saudi Arabian cuisine include lamb, grilled chicken, falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), shawarma(spit-cooked sliced lamb), mutabbaq and Ful medames.^[1] Arabic unleavened bread, or khubz (خبز), is eaten with almost all meals, and is often used as an edible utensil to scoop foods.^[1] Kabsa, rice with chicken and lamb, is very popular and is considered iconic. Traditional coffeehouses used to be ubiquitous, but are now being displaced by food-hall style cafes. Arabic tea is also a famous custom, which is used in both casual and formal meetings between friends, family and strangers. The tea is black (without milk) and has herbal flavoring that comes in many variations.

The same types of foods have been consumed by the Saudi Arabian people for thousands of years.^[1] Basic ingredients include wheat, rice, chicken, fava beans, yoghurt and dates.^[1] Saudi Arabia produces approximately 600 million pounds of dates annually.^[1] Per capita, Saudis consume the largest number of chickens in the world, at an average of 88.2 pounds of chicken per person annually.^[1] Lamb is served traditionally to guests and during holidays.^[1]

cambodia food cuisine

No two bai sach chrouks are ever exactly the same.

1. Bai sach chrouk -- pork and rice

Served on street corners all over Cambodia early every morning, bai sach chrouk, or pork and rice, is one of the simplest and most delicious dishes that the country has to offer.

Thinly sliced pork is slowly grilled over warm coals to bring out its natural sweetness. Sometimes the pork will be marinated in coconut milk or garlic -- no two bai sach chrouks are ever exactly the same.

The grilled pork is served over a hearty portion of broken rice, with a helping of freshly pickled cucumbers and daikon radish with plenty of ginger. On the side, you'll often be given a bowl of chicken broth topped with scallions and fried onions.

Try it at: 786 St. 474, Phnom Penh

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Where else can you get fish whipped into a mousse?

2. Fish amok

Fish amok is one of the most well-known Cambodiandishes, but you'll find similar meals in neighboring countries.

You won't find the same enthusiasm for the dish outside of Cambodia, though, or the addition of slok ngor, a local herb that imparts a subtly bitter flavor.

Fish amok is a fish mousse with fresh coconut milk and kroeung, a type of Khmer curry paste made from lemongrass, turmeric root, garlic, shallots, galangal and fingerroot, or Chinese ginger.

At upscale restaurants fish amok is steamed in a banana leaf, while more local places serve a boiled version that is more like a soupy fish curry than a mousse.

Try it at: K'nyay, Suramarit Boulevard between Sothearos Blvd. and St. 19, Phnom Penh; +855 23 225 225

A red curry that doesn't result in flames bursting from your mouth.

3. Khmer red curry

Less spicy than the curries of neighboring Thailand,Khmer red curry is similarly coconut-milk-based, but without the overpowering chili. It's much easier to enjoy.

The dish features beef, chicken or fish, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, fresh coconut milk, lemongrass and kroeung.

1. This delicious dish is usually served at special occasions in Cambodia such as weddings, family gatherings and religious holidays like Pchum Ben, or Ancestor's Day, where Cambodians make the dish to share with monks in honor of their ancestors. Khmer red curry is usually served with bread -- a remnant of the French influence on Cambodia.

Try it at: The Empire, 34 St. 130, Phnom Penh; +855 89 383 817

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Finally, a salad that puts hair on your chest.

4. Lap Khmer -- lime-marinated Khmer beef salad

A refreshing dish that is more beef than salad, lap Khmer is popular with Cambodian men, who prefer the beef be nearly raw -- but at restaurants it's generally served grilled.

Khmer beef salad features thinly sliced beef that is either quickly seared or "cooked" ceviche-style by marinating with lime juice.

Dressed with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, Asian basil, mint, green beans and green pepper, the sweet and salty dish also packs a punch in the heul (spicy) department with copious amounts of fresh red chilis.

Try it at: Romdeng, 74 St. 174, Phnom Penh; +855 92 219 565

Enjoy, just don't call it pho.

5. Nom banh chok -- Khmer noodles

Nom banh chok is a beloved Cambodian dish, so much so that in English it's called simply "Khmer noodles."

Nom banh chok is a typical breakfast food, and you'll find it being sold in the mornings by women carrying it on baskets hanging from a pole balanced on their shoulders.

The dish consists of noodles laboriously pounded out of rice, topped with a fish-based green curry gravy made from lemongrass, turmeric root and kaffir lime.

Fresh mint leaves, bean sprouts, green beans, banana flower, cucumbers and other greens are heaped on top. There is also a red curry version that is usually reserved for ceremonial occasions and wedding festivities.

Try it at: Russian Market, Phnom Penh

Also on CNNGo: 5 best Cambodian beaches

 

Kampot, the saffron of peppers.

6. Kdam chaa -- fried crab

Fried crab is a specialty of the Cambodian seaside town of Kep and its lively crab market, which is known for fried crab prepared with green, locally grown Kampot pepper. 

Aromatic Kampot pepper is famous among gourmands worldwide, and although it is available in its dried form internationally, you'll only be able to sample the distinctively flavored immature green peppercorns in Cambodia.

It's worth a visit to Kep and Kampot for that alone, butPhnom Penh restaurants bring live crabs in from the coast to make their own version of this delicious dish, which includes both Kampot pepper and flavorful garlic chives.

Try it at: 54 Langeach Sros, 15A St. 178, Phnom Penh; +855 17 455 454

Lose your insect virginity to this before moving on to skewered bugs.

7. Red tree ants with beef and holy basil

You'll find all sorts of insects on the menu in Cambodia, but the dish that is most appealing to foreign palates is stir-fried red tree ants with beef and holy basil.

Ants of various sizes, some barely visible and others almost an inch long are stir-fried with ginger, lemongrass, garlic, shallots and thinly sliced beef.

Lots of chilies complete the aromatic dish, without overpowering the delicate sour flavor that the ants impart to the beef. This meal is served with rice, and if you're lucky you'll also get a portion of ant larvae in your bowl.

Try it at: Romdeng, 74 St. 174, Phnom Penh; +855 92 219 565

You can't go wrong with anything served on a stick with dip.

8. Ang dtray-meuk -- grilled squid

In Cambodian seaside towns like Sihanoukville and Kep, you'll find seafood sellers carrying small charcoal-burning ovens on their shoulders, cooking the squid as they walk along the shore.

The squid are brushed with either lime juice or fish sauce and then barbecued on wooden skewers and served with a popular Cambodian sauce, originally from Kampot, made from garlic, fresh chilies, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar.

The summer flavor of the shore can be had even in Phnom Penh, where many restaurants bring seafood from the coast to make similar versions of this dish.

Try it at: Villa Khmer, 21B St. 294, Phnom Penh; +855 97 8985 539

Hot sticky summers call for sweet sticky snacks.

9. Cha houy teuk -- jelly dessert

After school in Phnom Penh, young people crowd around street stands serving Khmer desserts for 1,000 riel, about US$0.25.

Some have sticky rice or sago drenched in coconut milk and topped with taro, red beans, pumpkin and jackfruit. One of the most refreshing is cha houy teuk, a sweet jelly dessert made with agar agar, a gelatin that is derived from seaweed.

The jelly can be brightly colored in pinks and greens, making it especially popular with children. Combined with sago, bleached mung beans and coconut cream, cha houy teuk is usually served in a bowl with a scoop of shaved ice.

Try it at: 45E Mao Tse Tung Blvd., Phnom Penh; +855 16 384 188

 Also on CNNGo: Cambodia: No longer a one-temple pony

Sounds like an interpretive dance performance.

10. Fried fish on the fire lake

Fresh coconut milk isn't used in every day Khmer cooking. Instead it is saved for dishes that are served at special occasions.

Fried Fish on the Fire Lake is one such dish -- it's traditionally made for parties or eaten at restaurants in a special, fish-shaped dish. A whole fish is deep-fried and then finished on a hotplate at the table in a coconut curry made from yellow kroeung and chilies.

Vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage are cooked in the curry, and served with rice or rice noodles. The literal translation of this dish is trei bung kanh chhet, fish from the lake of kanh chhet, a green Cambodian water vegetable served with this dish.

hong kong food cuisine

1. Hong Kong-style French toast

Unlike its more restrained Sunday brunch counterpart, Hong Kong-style French toast is for when you're stressed out and looking for a warm, deep-fried hug. It's two pieces of toast slathered with peanut butter or kaya jam, soaked in egg batter, fried in butter and served with still more butter and lots of syrup. Too much of this will send you to an early grave, but it's the perfect comfort-food combination of simple flavours and textures: sweet and savoury, soft and crispy.
Try it at Lan Fong Yuen, 6 Gage Street, Central, tel +852 2850 8683. 

2. Scrambled egg sandwich

On paper, an egg sandwich doesn't sound very noteworthy. After all, it's just fried egg in between two pieces of soft white bread. No big deal, right? Ah, but that would ignore the genius of a good Hong Kong line cook, who can somehow turn an egg into a fluffy, finely-layered gem of stomach-warming goodness. A classic egg sandwich should be plump, full of eggy flavour and light, not greasy.
Most people swear by the Australia Dairy Company, 47 Parkes Street, Jordan, tel +852 2730 1356,Australia Dairy Company Appreciation Group Facebook page, but our favourite is the Kwong Sing Café, 10 San Shing Avenue, Sheung Shui, tel +852 2670 4501.

3. Stinky tofu

No doubt you will have heard or read about the stench emanating from one of the strangest foods to come out of this part of the world. But nothing can really prepare you for the stink. Smelly tofu, like durian, is one of Asia's most iconic 'weird foods.' The stench is a result of fermentation of the tofu and it is such an overpowering smell you'll be hard-pressed to shake it off for months to come. But Hong Kongers really love that stink. Well, most Hong Kongers.
Follow your nose to Delicious Food, shop 10, G/F, 30-32 Nullah Road, Prince Edward, tel +852 2142 7468.

4. Hong Kong style-cheeseburgers

Dirt-cheap, kitschy and consistently delicious, Denmark Cake Shop’s Hong Kong-style cheeseburgers are reminiscent of the good old days pre-McD domination. The rundown eatery’s HK$9 burgers don’t fit the burger archetype, but it’s just as good, if not better: it’s palm-sized, minimalist (ketchup, home-made mayo, half a slice of processed cheese) and is encased in a slightly sweet Hong Kong-style butter roll. The patty is heavily seasoned and moist, attracting lines of schoolchildren since the shop opened in 1972. Denmark Cake Shop, G/F, 106 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, tel +852 2576 7353.

5. Sweet tofu soup

Sweet tofu soup is one of those deceptively simple dishes whose potential for satisfaction far outweighs the complexity of its ingredients. One of the best places to try it is Kin Hing, a lean-to stall in the countryside of Lamma Island that is run by an elderly couple who serves nothing but 'dau fu faa'. It's smooth and soft, doused in a lightly sweet syrup and sprinkled with yellow sugar; the sharp sweetness of the sugar complements the musty soya flavour of the tofu.
To get there, walk from Yung Shue Wan towards Hung Shing Yeh "Powerplant" Beach.

6. 'Pineapple' bun

The boh loh baau (literally meaning 'pineapple bun') is the holy grail of what may generously be termed the Hong Kong school of baking. It's firm on the outside, soft on the inside and topped by crunchy, sugary pastry. Popular enough to have been exported around the world -- step into a Chinese bakery in Toronto, Taipei or Tianjin and you're likely to find one -- it's ubiquitous in Hong Kong. It's the perfect complement to milk tea, especially if you have it with butter, a variation known as boh loh yaau.
Try it at two Mongkok cafés that are known for their buns: Kam Wah, 47 Bute Street, Mongkok, tel +852 2392 6830 and Hong Lin, 143 Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, tel +852 2391 8398.

7. Chicken feet

So it looks awful, but once you get over that, what is there not to love about chicken feet? Just like head cheese or coq au vin, Cantonese-style chicken feet is a perfect marriage of thrift and culinary genius. Euphemized as 'phoenix talons' in Chinese, the chicken feet are typically deep fried then stewed in a blackbean sauce. The cartilage softens to a melt-in-the-mouth consistency and great practice is needed to spit out the little bones in that dainty manner perfected by grandmas in dim sum restaurants across town. Lei Garden skips the deep-frying and stews their chicken feet in abalone sauce, resulting in a wholesome, more texturized treat.
Multiple locations, see website for details www.leigarden.hk.

8. Miniature wife cakes

As much as we love traditional Chinese pastries, their heavy combination of lard and sweet pastes made from various beans and roots don't exactly make for easy snacking. Luckily, Hang Heung has come up with a solution to that problem: miniature wife cakes. Wife cakes have a flaky skin made from pork lard and a firm, chewy filling made with almond paste and winter melon. The combination of the pastry and mellow winter melon sweetness makes them particularly tasty, while their bite size makes them particularly digestible.
Hang Heung, 64 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, tel +852 2479 2141

9. Ginger milk curd

Spicy, creamy, soupy -- this is wintertime dessert at its best (though it's good in the summer too). Made by gently simmering sweetened milk and then mixing it with fresh ginger juice, which causes the milk to curdle, 'geung tsap dun nai' has a soft pudding-like texture not unlike tofu. The local branches of Macau's Yee Shun Milk Company make a mean version of this timeless Cantonese treat.
Yee Shun, 506 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, tel +852 2591 1837, and various other locations. 

10. Five-layer roast pork

A great piece of 'siu yuk' should have a top layer of crackling skin, then alternating slivers of fat with moist meat, and a final salty-spiced layer at the bottom. Euphemised as 'five-layer meat,' the morsels are served with sharp yellow mustard to cap off an overwhelming experience of textures and flavors all rendered from a humble slice of pork belly.
Lei Garden's siu yuk hits the spot every time. Multiple location, see website for details www.leigarden.hk.

vietnam food cuisine

1. Cheap can be tasty too.

1. Pho

What list of Vietnamese cuisine would be complete without pho? It’s almost impossible to walk a block in Vietnam’s major cities without bumping into a crowd of hungry patrons slurping noodles at a makeshift pho stand.

This simple staple consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of herbs and chicken or beef, features predominately in the local diet -- and understandably so. It’s cheap, tasty, and widely available at all hours.

Just look out for a mass of people on plastic stools -- or try a tried and tested favorite: Pho Thin, 13 Lo Duc, Hai BaTrung District, Hanoi; +84 43 821 2709

 Also on CNNGo: World's 50 most delicious foods

2. A food so good they named a street after it.

2. Cha ca

Hanoians consider cha ca to be so exceptional that there is a street in the capital dedicated to these fried morsels of fish.

This namesake alley is home to Cha Ca La Vong, which serves sizzling chunks of fish seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric and dill on a hot pan tableside.

Cha Ca La Vong may be the busiest but the service is a bit gruff and the food overpriced. Instead make your way toDuong Than in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district, where you’ll find plenty of more affordable but just as tasty options

3. A crepe you won't forget.

3. Banh xeo

A good banh xeo is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, plus the garnish of fresh herbs that are characteristic of most authentic Vietnamese dishes.

To enjoy one like a local, cut it into manageable slices, roll it up in rice paper or lettuce leaves and dunk it in whatever special sauce the chef has mixed up for you.

Banh Xeo 46A has mixed reviews but judging by the crowds that swarm there each night they must be doing something right. Banh Xeo, 46A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

4. Soft, crunchy, sweet, spicy -- a bowl of contrasts.

4. Cao lau

This pork noodle dish from Hoi An is a bit like the various cultures that visited the trading port at its prime. The thicker noodles are similar to Japanese udon, the crispy won-ton crackers and pork are a Chinese touch, while the broth and herbs are clearly Vietnamese.

Authentic cau lao is made only with water drawn from the local Ba Le well.

Try Morning Glory, 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An; +84 510 224 1555

Also on CNNGo: 40 delicious Singapore foods

6. A spring roll that jumps out.

5. Rau muong

Some might call it river weed -- with good reason -- but that doesn’t stop the masses from scarfing down platefuls of morning glory, usually stir-fried and seasoned with slithers of potent garlic.

Rau muong is common at Vietnamese restaurants and beer gardens.

Chung Den Bia Hoi, 18B Hang Cot, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

7. Roll, dunk, bite, repeat.

6. Nem ran/cha gio

Vietnam’s bite-sized crunchy spring rolls might not enjoy the same popularity as their healthier fresh equivalent, but they deserve a special mention.

The crispy shell with a soft veggie and meat filling dunked in a tangy sauce gets the gastronomic juices flowing before a main course. In the north these parcels go by the name nem ran while southerners call them cha gio.

1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

7. Goi cuon

These light and healthy fresh spring rolls are a wholesome choice when you’ve been indulging in too much of the fried food in Vietnam.

The translucent parcels are first packed with salad greens, a slither of meat or seafood and a layer of coriander, before being neatly rolled and dunked in Vietnam’s favorite condiment -- fish sauce.

Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi; +84 43 942 8162

8. Bun bo Hue

Central Vietnam’s take on noodles caters to carnivores with its meaty broth and piles of beef and pork. The thick slippery rice noodles also make for a heartier meal than noodles found in the north and south.

You don’t have to go to Hue to enjoy this dish; if in Ho Chi Minh City try Tib Express, 162 NguyenDinh Chieu, District 3, HCMC; +84 8 3822 5038

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9. Banh khot

This dainty variation of a Vietnamese pancake has all the same tasty ingredients but is a fraction of the size. Each banh knot can be scoffed in one ambitious but satisfying mouthful.

The crunchy outside is made using coconut milk and the filling usually consists of shrimp, mung beans, and spring onions with a dusting of dried shrimp flakes on top.

Co Ba Vung Tau, 59B Cao Thang, District 3, HCMC

10. Ga tan

Got the sniffles? Opt for ga tan, a broth that’s Vietnam’s answer to the proverbial cup of chicken noodle soup. Sure it’s not quite how your mother used to make it, with its greenish tinge from the herbs and hunks of chicken parts, but it’s worth a try if you’re needing a Vietnamese tonic.

indonesian food cuisine

The king of condiments -- a foodstuff all to itself.

1. Sambal

While technically more of a condiment, the chili-based sauce known as sambal is a staple at all Indonesian tables.

Dishes are not complete unless they have a hearty dollop of the stuff, a combination of chilies, sharp fermented shrimp paste, tangy lime juice, sugar and salt all pounded up with mortar and pestle.

So beloved is sambal, some restaurants have made it their main attraction, with options that include young mango, mushroom and durian.

Try the sambal at Pedas Abis (Waroeng Spesial Sambal; Jl.RM.Said No.39 Solo) or fresh sambal mata at Le Seminyak (Pacific Place, level 5; +62 (0)21 5140 0610)

Most underrated part of great satay? The stick.

2. Satay

These tasty meat skewers cook up over coals so hot they need fans to waft the smoke away.

Whether it’s chicken, goat, mutton or rabbit, the scrappy morsels get marinated in turmeric, barbecued and then bathed in a hearty dose of peanut sauce.

Other nations now lay claim to sate, but Indonesians consider it a national dish conceived by street vendors and popularized by Arab traders.

Each vendor seeks distinction, but "sate madura" –- served with rice cakes (ketupat) and diced cucumber and onion -– is distinguished by its boat-shaped street carts.

For legendary satay that dates to the 1950s, try Sate Ragusa (Jl. Veteran 1 No. 10) and cleanse the palate after with Ragusa’s signature spaghetti ice cream. 

We're not always sure what's in it, but we're always sure we'll want more.

3. Bakso

A favorite among students, this savory meatball noodle soup gained international fame when U.S. President Barack Obama remembered it as one of his favorites during a visit to Jakarta last November.

It takes on many forms; meatballs –- springy or rubbery, the size of golf balls or bigger -– are made from chicken, beef, pork or some amorphous combination of them all. Sold mostly from pushcarts called kaki lima, bakso comes garnished with fried shallots, boiled egg and wontons.

For an authentic experience, grab a plastic stool near any sidewalk bakso stand or slurp away indoors at Bakso Lapangan Tembak Senayan, near Senayan City Mall.

Street comfort food.

4. Soto

This traditional meat soup comprises a broth and ingredients that vary across the archipelago.

Common street versions are made of a simple, clear soup flavored with chicken, goat or beef. In Jakarta, home of the indigenous Betawi, soto Betawi garners fame with its sweet, creamy, coconut-milk base.

Top it with crispy shallots and fried garlic, and as much or little sambal as your taste buds can take.

For stylish street food in air-conditioned bliss hit up Kafe Betawi (Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 1, Grand Indonesia; +62 (0)21 2358 0501). Or for an East Javanese version, try 

If you think this one should be the top pick, you're not alone.

5. Nasi goreng

Considered Indonesia’s national dish, this take on Asian fried rice is often made with sweet, thick soy sauce called kecap (pronounced ketchup) and garnished with acar,pickled cucumber and carrots.

To add an element of fun to your dining experience, try nasi gila (literally :crazy rice") and see how many different kinds of meat you can find buried among the grains –- yes, those are hot dog slices.

For a perfect oil-slicked entrée head to Menteng Plaza (Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto), where a gaggle of kaki limas and buskers provide entertainment. 

A favorite mix of taste and healthy ingredients.

6. Gado-gado

Literally “mix-mix,” the term gado-gado is often used to describe situations that are all mixed up -– Jakarta, for instance, is a gado-gado city.

As a food, however, it is one of Indonesia’s best-known dishes, essentially a vegetable salad bathed in the country’s classic peanut sauce.

At its base are boiled long beans, spinach, potato, corn, egg and bean sprouts coupled with cucumber, tofu and tempe.

Gado-gado gets sweeter as you travel eastward through Indonesia -- but Jakartans swear by the cashew sauce at Gado-Gado Boplo (Jalan Panglima Polim 4; +62 (0)21 724 8334). 

Because who doesn't love rice topped with melinjo nut crackers?

7. Nasi uduk

A perennial favorite among native Betawi, the meal revolves around rice cooked in coconut milk and includes a pinwheel of various meat and vegetable accoutrements.

It almost always includes fried chicken, boiled eggs and tempe (soybean cake) with anchovies and is topped with emping (melinjo nut crackers).

It’s cheap, fast and popular among lunchtime crowds.

Nearly four decades old and still going strong Nasi Uduk Babe Saman (Kebon Kacang 9; +62 (0)21 314 1842) packs in everyone from students to celebrities morning, noon and night.

Back off, Singapore. This one is ours.

8. Nasi padang

Singaporeans may say they can’t live without it, but nasi padang, named after its birth city in Sumatra, is 100 percent Indonesian.

Chose from among more than a dozen dishes -- goopy curries with floating fish heads or rubbery cow’s feet -- stacked up on your table. “It always looks so dead,” a friend once said.

Indeed, otak (brain) leaves little to the imagination. Chuck away the cutlery and dig in with your hands then wash the spice away with a sweet iced tea.

Try out any Sederhana or head for Garuda Nasi Padang; 

IFC could be a worthy rival for KFC.

9. Ayam goreng

The key to Indonesian fried chicken is the use of small village birds, whose freedom to run around the yard makes them tastier than the big chunks of meat at KFC.

Variations on that chain have cropped up across the country -- rumor has it that Wong Solo was founded by a polygamist, so franchisees must have multiple wives.

For a famed old recipe try Ayam Goreng Nyona Suharti (Jl. Kapten Tendean No. 13; +62 (0)21 525 4595).

Carb load, Indonesian style.

10. Bakmie goreng

Noodles compete with rice for carbohydrate of choice in Indonesia, ranging from broad and flat (kwetiau) to scrawny vermicelli (bihun).

The best are bakmie -- pencil-thin and, in this case, fried with egg, meat and vegetables. Vendors add their own special spices for distinction, but the iconic Bakmie Gajah Mada garners a cult following.

More modern outlets now make noodles from spinach and beets.

malaysian food cuisine

The dynamic mixture of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines are just a few of the popular influencing flavors.  Throughout my stay in Malaysia and a number of recurring visits to Kuala Lumpur, I developed an acute addiction to the powerful tastes of Malaysian foods.

Roti Canai

1. Roti Canai

A roti canai is made from thin dough, cooked into a pasty like bread, and dipped into a fragrant curry sauce for a burst of tastiness. A roti canai makes a flavorful treat anytime of the day, but it is commonly eaten for breakfast along with a cup of milky tea (teh tarik).

Chili Pan Mee

2. Chili Pan Mee

It all begins with a foundation of freshly cooked noodles followed by a handful of ingredients like minced pork, fried garlic, a runny half poached egg, and a sprinkle of green onions. The signature dried flaky chili sauce is what truly makes chili pan mee one of the great Malaysian dishes, a flavor so delectable that it’s impossible not to boast about.  Super Kitchen chili pan mee is one of the best Kuala Lumpur restaurants to eat the dish!

3. Malaysian Satay

Usually made with beef or chicken, Malay satay’s are mildly marinated and lightly barbecued. They are enjoyed best with a tangy peanut sauce that literally melts in your mouth. Be careful, before you know it, you will have eaten countless skewers without even noticing!

Grilled Stingray

4. Grilled Stingray

It’s a fish that can be fatal in the waters, but is nothing short of pure pleasure when it reaches the grill. Wrapped in a banana leaf with a combination of spices, the stingray sops up all of it’s fish juices and retains the brilliant taste of the marinade.

5. Char Kuay Teow

Char kuay teow is a wonderful mixture of stir fried rice noodles along with a choice of meat or seafood and flavored with dark soy sauce. Often an egg is added to the dish, coating the noodles with an even more brilliant taste!

Nasi Campur

6. Nasi Campur

There are few things that I get more excited about in life than Nasi Campur. It’s literally an all out feasting competition involving a few of the most powerfully flavorful dishes in the Malay food repertoire. You are given a plate of plain rice and instructed to pile on whatever pre-made dish that suits your liking. I tend to go straight for the chili fish, spiced eggplant, jack fruit coconut curry, and fried okra!

Nasi Kandar

7. Nasi Kandar

Especially famous in Penang, Malaysia, Nasi Kandar is a dish that consists of rice and a choice of different fried meats or Indian style curries. There’s usually an option to order other Malay-Indian delicacies like daal, naan, biryani, or tandoori chicken to accompany a nasi kandar feast!

8. Nasi Lemak

Known as one of the national dishes of Malaysia, nasi lemak is a comfort food and a dish to truly look forward to. There are a number of variations to the dish: the traditional triangle of rice wrapped in a banana leaf (kind of as a snack) and a meal version served on a plate. The plate begins with a scoop of fragrant coconut rice and is accompanied by sides such as dried anchovies, hard boiled eggs, fried chicken, roasted peanuts, and another Malaysian chili sauce to die for!