Before coming to Malaysia, Vikram and many of his family members had really talked up Malaysian food, so I was actually a bit nervous that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. But rest assured, Malaysian food—and its street food, in particular—is pretty fantastic.

Here’s a summary of Malaysia’s greatest food hits, at least in my opinion!

Roti

Ah, roti. So simple yet so perfect. Roti is a type of Indian bread, reminiscent of naan but softer, flakier, and chewier. Traditional Malaysian breakfasts consists of this wonderful bread paired with sambar, a lentil-based vegetarian curry. Add in a hot or iced cup of coffee sweetened with condensed milk, and you’re ready for the day!

Indian Curries on Banana Leaf

A popular weekday lunch spot, banana leaf restaurants offer the unique experience (at least to Westerners) to eat savory, spicy Indian curries with rice spread over a large—you guessed it—banana leaf.

Most joints feature hearty vegetarian curries, though chicken, lamb, and fish dishes are also readily available. And to immerse fully in how the locals lunch, eat the rice and curries with just one hand, sans utensils!

Baba Laksa

This curry soup hails from Malacca, a Malaysian state with a unique Portuguese history, though this dish has Chinese origins. It’s a spirited, flavorful concoction of noodles, seafood, cucumbers, eggs, and a variety of spices.

Char Koay Teow

The ultimate fried noodle dish. It’s reminiscent of both pad thai and drunken noodles, but in a class of its own. I could eat these noodles every day—as well as for breakfast, which did happen one day for us!

These noodles can be found all over Malaysia, but if you want the best of the best, go to the state of Penang. The capital George Town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts being Southeast Asia’s street food capital. Wandering the streets, it’s hard not to find stalls whipping up anything from dim sum to samosas—and of course, char koay teow.

Wantan Mee

Another popular noodle dish from Penang with Cantonese roots. These noodles come in a black sauced and are served with pork, dumplings, and veggies. While in Penang, we stumbled upon the Chulia Night Street Market and were drawn to the wantan mee stall.

Only several weeks after did we learn that this exact stall was featured in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. We definitely understand why it was. (Note: The picture below is from another food stall in Kuala Lumpur, because we ate our Penang wantan mee too quickly before we could snap a photo of it!)

Just Some More Pictures of Yummy Food…