Food and Drink in Malaysia: A Guide for Expats
Food is an important part of life in Malaysia, and the quality and choices are often rated highly by resident expats. Eating out is affordable compared with many countries, restaurants stay open late, and the sheer variety of food available reflects the country’s Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous communities, as well as generations of migration and international influence.
For newcomers, exploring Malaysian food can be one of the most enjoyable ways to understand the country. You can eat breakfast at a traditional kopitiam, have banana leaf rice for lunch, stop at a hawker centre for dinner and finish the evening at a mamak restaurant with a teh tarik.
Malaysia also has an extensive range of international restaurants, cafés, bars and supermarkets, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru and other major urban areas.
Malaysian Food
There is no single Malaysian cuisine. What people generally call Malaysian food encompasses many different culinary traditions.
Malay food often features rice, curries, sambal, coconut milk, herbs and spices. Well-known dishes include nasi lemak, rendang, satay, nasi kerabu, ayam percik and numerous regional rice and noodle dishes.
Chinese Malaysian food includes Cantonese, Hokkien, Hainanese, Teochew and other traditions that have evolved locally over generations. Popular dishes include chicken rice, char kway teow, wonton noodles, dim sum and bak kut teh.
Indian Malaysian food ranges from South Indian banana leaf meals and thosai to northern Indian curries, breads and tandoori dishes. Mamak cooking, developed within Malaysia’s Indian Muslim community, has become a category of its own.
Malaysia is also home to distinctive Nyonya or Peranakan cuisine, combining Chinese ingredients and cooking methods with Malay and regional flavours. It is particularly associated with Melaka and Penang. Sabah and Sarawak have their own indigenous and regional food traditions which differ significantly from those found in Peninsular Malaysia.
One of the pleasures of living here is discovering that many famous dishes vary considerably from state to state. Laksa in Penang, Johor and Sarawak, for example, can mean three very different meals.
Hawker Centres and Food Courts
Hawker food is one of Malaysia’s great attractions. A hawker centre brings numerous independent stalls together in one location. Each stall may specialise in only a handful of dishes, and sometimes just one.
Don’t be put off by simple surroundings. Some of Malaysia’s best-loved food is served from modest stalls which have been preparing the same dishes for years. Food courts can be found in shopping malls, commercial areas and markets.
Mall food courts are generally air-conditioned and easy for newcomers to navigate, while traditional hawker centres provide a more local experience. At some traditional centres, you order food directly from individual stalls but drinks separately from a drinks operator. In others, each stall handles
everything itself. Busy stalls are often a good indication of local popularity, so following the queue is not a bad strategy when you are unsure what to order.
Mamak Restaurants
Mamak restaurants are a Malaysian institution. Traditionally operated by Indian Muslims, they serve inexpensive meals and drinks, often from early morning until very late at night. Some operate 24 hours. Common dishes include roti canai, mee goreng mamak, nasi kandar, tandoori chicken, murtabak and various curries.
The standard drink is teh tarik, sweetened milk tea poured repeatedly between containers to create its characteristic frothy top. Mamak restaurants are also social spaces. Friends meet there, families stop for late meals and football matches can turn otherwise ordinary mamak restaurants into packed viewing venues.
For a newcomer, a neighbourhood mamak is likely to become one of the easiest places for a quick and inexpensive meal.
Kopitiams and Coffee Shops
Traditional Malaysian coffee shops are generally known as kopitiams, from the Malay word kopi and the Hokkien word for shop. A traditional breakfast might consist of kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and local coffee.
Many older coffee shops also house independent food stalls serving noodles, chicken rice, curry mee and other dishes throughout the day. Modern café chains have adopted the kopitiam concept, but traditional neighbourhood coffee shops are still common.
Local coffee can initially be confusing because there are numerous ways to order it. Useful terms include:
· Kopi: coffee with condensed milk
· Kopi O: black coffee with sugar
· Kopi O kosong: black coffee without sugar
· Kopi C: coffee with evaporated milk and sugar
· Teh tarik: pulled milk tea
· Kurang manis: less sweet
· Kosong: without sugar
· Ais: iced
Malaysia has a fondness for sweet drinks, so kurang manis is a particularly useful phrase for newcomers.
Restaurants and International Food
Malaysia’s larger cities offer an enormous range of international cuisine. In Kuala Lumpur alone, it is easy to find Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, French, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Mexican, British, American and many other cuisines.
There is a particularly large choice in expatriate-heavy neighbourhoods and central business districts. At the upper end of the market, Kuala Lumpur has an increasingly sophisticated restaurant scene encompassing fine dining, chef-led restaurants, rooftop venues and tasting menus.
At the opposite end of the price scale, it remains possible to eat very cheaply at hawker stalls, kopitiams, mamaks and local restaurants. This means eating out in Malaysia can range from a meal costing little more than the equivalent of a few US dollars to international-standard fine dining
Halal and Non-Halal Food
Understanding halal food is important when living in Malaysia. Halal means food and drink prepared in accordance with Islamic requirements. Pork and alcohol are prohibited, and there are rules governing ingredients, food preparation and meat.
Many restaurants prominently display halal certification. Malaysia’s official halal certification system is overseen by JAKIM and the relevant state religious authorities. The official Halal Malaysia system can be used to check the certification status of food premises and products.
However, newcomers should understand the difference between halal-certified, Muslim-friendly and simply pork-free. A restaurant saying it does not serve pork is not necessarily halal-certified. It may serve alcohol, use uncertified ingredients, or operate a kitchen that does not meet halal certification requirements.
Non-halal restaurants are also common, particularly in areas with large Chinese and expatriate communities. These may serve pork and alcohol and will generally make their status clear. If halal status is important to you, look for recognised certification rather than relying solely on descriptions such as “no pork”.
Vegetarian and Vegan Food
Vegetarians generally have plenty of choice in Malaysia, although it is worth checking ingredients carefully. Indian restaurants often provide extensive vegetarian selections, while Chinese vegetarian restaurants are also common. Many modern cafés and international restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan options.
The difficulty is that a dish which appears vegetarian may contain ingredients such as shrimp paste, anchovies, fish sauce or meat-based stock. For example, sambal frequently contains belacan, a fermented shrimp paste, while some vegetable dishes may be cooked with dried shrimp or oyster sauce. People following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet should therefore ask rather than assume.
How Spicy Is Malaysian Food?
A great deal of Malaysian food contains chilli, but not everything is very spicy. Tolerance varies considerably, and Malaysians sometimes describe food as “not spicy” which may still seem quite hot to someone unused to chilli.
If you prefer milder food, say, Tak pedas: not spicy or Kurang pedas: less spicy
It is not always possible to remove the chilli because sauces and spice mixtures are usually prepared in advance.
Alcohol
Alcohol is available in Malaysia, particularly in major cities, tourist destinations, hotels, restaurants, bars and non-halal supermarkets. Beer, wine and spirits are readily available in areas with significant non-Muslim and international populations. Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching all have established bar and restaurant scenes.
However, Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country and alcohol is treated differently from food and ordinary beverages. Availability can vary substantially depending on location and establishment.
Some restaurants do not sell alcohol but may permit customers to bring their own wine, sometimes subject to a corkage charge. Always check first. Alcohol can also be expensive compared with neighbouring countries because of taxes and duties. Langkawi, which has duty-free status, is a notable exception. Visitors and expatriates should also be respectful about where and when alcohol is consumed, particularly in more conservative areas.
Eating During Ramadan
Ramadan affects the rhythm of eating and drinking in Malaysia. Muslims fast between dawn and sunset during the month. Many Malay-Muslim restaurants may have reduced daytime hours, while restaurants serving non-Muslims generally continue operating normally.
Towards late afternoon, Ramadan bazaars appear throughout the country, selling a huge variety of food for buka puasa, the breaking of the fast at sunset. These markets are well worth visiting regardless of your religion and offer an opportunity to sample dishes which may not normally be available in one place.
Restaurants can become extremely busy around sunset as families and groups gather to break their fast, so reservations are advisable at popular restaurants. Non-Muslims are not expected to fast, but showing consideration to people who are fasting is appreciated.
Eating Out with Children
Malaysia is generally an easy country in which to eat out with children. Families commonly bring children to restaurants, food courts, cafés and hawker centres, and the atmosphere tends to be relaxed. Shopping malls are particularly convenient because they combine restaurants with parking, air-conditioning, baby-changing facilities and other amenities.
Western children’s menus are common in international restaurants, although local restaurants may simply provide smaller portions or dishes suitable for sharing.
Food Delivery
Food delivery has become part of everyday life in Malaysia. GrabFood and foodpanda both provide extensive restaurant delivery services, and their apps also offer access to groceries and other everyday items in many areas. Many individual restaurant chains also accept direct orders.
Delivery fees, minimum orders and promotions vary, so it can be worth comparing options.
Condominium residents should check their building’s procedure for deliveries. Some developments allow riders into designated areas while others require customers to collect orders from the lobby or guardhouse.
Tipping and Service Charges
Malaysia does not have a strong tipping culture. At hawker stalls, mamak restaurants, kopitiams and casual local establishments, tipping is generally not expected. Many restaurants and hotels add a service charge to the bill, so check before leaving an additional tip. Voluntary tips are still welcomed for particularly good service, but there is no expectation that diners calculate a fixed percentage as they might in the United States.
There is a clear distinction between voluntary tips and mandatory charges on a bill. They are not the same thing. Menus at some restaurants show prices followed by “+” or “++”, indicating that additional charges or applicable taxes will be added. Always check the wording on the menu rather than assuming the displayed figure is the final bill.
Eating Safely
Food hygiene standards vary, just as they do in most countries.
The appearance of a restaurant is not always a reliable indicator. A very simple hawker stall may have excellent hygiene and rapid turnover, while a more expensive restaurant is not automatically risk-free.
Some sensible precautions include choosing busy stalls where food is prepared continuously, making sure meat and seafood are properly cooked, and being cautious with food which appears to have been sitting at room temperature for an extended period.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Health operates a national Food Safety and Quality Programme covering food premises and food safety controls. Many residents use filtered or bottled water for drinking at home. Ice supplied by established restaurants is widely used, although travellers with particularly sensitive stomachs may wish to exercise additional caution in very basic premises.
As elsewhere in the tropics, food should not be left unrefrigerated for long periods.
Grocery Shopping
Malaysia has everything from traditional neighbourhood shops to large modern supermarkets. Major cities have supermarkets carrying extensive selections of imported goods alongside Malaysian products. Imported cheese, wine, meat, cereals and specialist ingredients are readily available, although imported products can be considerably more expensive than local alternatives.
Premium supermarkets and grocers cater particularly well to expatriate customers.
At the other end of the spectrum, neighbourhood mini-markets and convenience stores are everywhere and are useful for everyday essentials. Asian ingredients are generally inexpensive and widely available, making Malaysia an excellent place for anyone who enjoys cooking.
Fruit is another highlight. Depending on the season, look for mangosteen, rambutan, langsat, cempedak, mangoes, papaya and, of course, durian.
A Word About Durian
Few Malaysian foods generate stronger reactions than durian. Known locally as the “king of fruits”, it has a powerful aroma and a rich, custard-like texture. Malaysians can become remarkably passionate about different durian varieties, and serious enthusiasts often have strong opinions about which ones are best.
During durian season, roadside stalls and specialist shops appear across the country. Be aware that durian is prohibited in many hotels, taxis, public transport systems and condominium common areas because of its smell.
Whether you eventually love it or avoid it completely, trying durian at least once is almost a rite of passage for newcomers to Malaysia.
Wet Markets and Night Markets
Traditional markets remain an important part of Malaysian life.
Wet markets sell fresh meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, herbs and spices, often at very competitive prices. They can be especially useful for ingredients which are difficult to find in Western-style supermarkets. Go early in the morning for the best selection.
Pasar malam, or night markets, operate in different neighbourhoods on particular evenings of the week. They usually combine fresh produce with cooked food, snacks, drinks, clothing and household items. A pasar malam is one of the easiest ways to sample unfamiliar Malaysian snacks without committing to an entire restaurant meal. Different neighbourhoods have different characters, so it is worth trying several.
Paying for Food
Malaysia has become increasingly cashless, particularly in urban areas. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted by restaurants, cafés and supermarkets, while QR and e-wallet payments are commonplace.
However, it is still sensible to carry some cash. Smaller hawker stalls, traditional markets and rural businesses may have limited electronic payment options, and some QR systems are easier for Malaysian bank-account holders to use than visitors.
Useful Ordering Tips
A few simple habits make eating out much easier. If you are unsure what to order at a local restaurant, asking the server what is popular usually works well.
Malaysian meals are also frequently designed for sharing, particularly at Chinese restaurants and seafood restaurants. Rather than everyone ordering an individual main course, the table may order several dishes to eat with rice.
Be aware that portions and terminology differ between restaurants. “Small” may mean enough for two or three people when referring to a sharing dish. It is also perfectly normal to ask questions about unfamiliar ingredients.
For people with serious food allergies, however, greater care is required. Kitchens may use shared equipment and utensils, and detailed knowledge of allergens is not always as standardised as it is in some Western countries. Explain the allergy clearly rather than simply asking whether a dish “contains nuts” or another ingredient.
Discovering Malaysia Through Food
It is difficult to understand Malaysia without understanding its food. Meals here are about more than eating. They bring families together, provide a meeting place for friends and reflect the country’s extraordinary mixture of cultures and traditions. Newcomers should resist the temptation to rely solely on familiar international restaurants.
Try the neighbourhood kopitiam. Visit a Ramadan bazaar. Eat at a hawker centre. Order something you cannot pronounce. Ask Malaysian friends where they eat rather than where tourists eat.
You will inevitably find dishes you dislike, but you are also likely to discover foods which become an important part of your life in Malaysia.
For many expatriates, that journey becomes one of the most memorable parts of living here.
For recent articles about the Malaysian food and drink scene, check out our online guide.