One of the best ways to experience Malaysia is through its food. Malaysian cuisine is an amalgamation of influences that include Malay, Chinese and Indian - and the result is a splendid array of mouthwatering food.
Here are the top 10 dishes that you should try at the Chow Luck Club Foodie Markets to take you on a Malaysian gastronomic adventure.
1. Nasi Lemak
Nasi lemak is the unofficial dish of Malaysia. It is rice cooked in coconut milk and comes with a variety of accompaniments like anchovies, peanuts, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, rendang and sambal chilli.
Eat it at: Ailimteh food truck.
2. Air Tebu (Sugar Cane Juice)
Sugarcane juice is one of the favourite and most refreshing drinks among Malaysians. Stalks of sugarcane are fed into a juicer grinder, and the sweet nectar from within comes out as a liquid, collected and served in a bottle. It’s not only great to drink, but fun to watch.
Drink it at: Rusi fresh sugar cane juice stall
3. Nasi Campur
Nasi Campur is basically rice served with your choice of toppings that include curries, fried chicken, egg sambal, rendang and stir-fried vegetables. In Malaysia, these eateries are extremely popular and some even open 24 hours.
Eat it at: Agak Agak Food stall.
4. Roti Jala
Directly translated from Malay to mean “net bread” this dish gets the name from its net-like look. It is a crepe that’s cooked by zigzagging lines with flour on a large skillet, and folded up and eaten with meat or chicken curry.
Eat it at: Sambal NZ Catering stall.
5. Roti Canai
This is a dish that comes with a show and a favourite meal that’s eaten at all times of the day back in Malaysia. Roti canai is made with flour, butter and water and the flat bread is flattened, flipped, tossed, folded, oiled and cooked on an oiled skillet resulting in a flat bread that’s crispy on the outside and soft inside. Best eaten dipped in curry, but some kids also prefer to have it with condensed milk.
Eat it at: Little Sabrina Kitchen stall.
6. Satay
Small pieces of meat skewered on sticks and barbecued over a charcoal fire. Satay has been described as Malaysia’s “most famous contribution to the culinary world”. They are served with cucumber wedges and onions and what makes it special is the spicy peanut dip.
Eat it at: Malay Tiffin stall.
7. Rojak
Rojak is a Malaysian-salad dish that is essentially has ingredients like pineapple, cucumber, fried dough fritter etc. The mixture is mixed and combined with a special and unique shrimp paste that is spicy, sour and sweet.
Eat it at: Pang & Lee Catering food truck.
8. Pisang Goreng
A popular street snack in Malaysia is fried banana fritters. The bananas are coated with a delicate and puffy batter, and deep-fried to bring out the natural sweetness in the banana.
Eat it at: Shelly’s Kitchen food truck.
9. Char Kway Teow
This is one of the most popular Chinese Malaysian noodle dish, where flat rice noodles are fried over high heat with ingredients such as prawns, chicken, chives as well as dark soy sauce and sweet sauce. They are then topped with a generous amount of crunchy bean sprouts.
Eat it at: Ipoh Malaysian Cuisine food stall.
10. Ais Batu Campur
Ais Batu Campur is also known by names like ABC and Ais Kachang, and is the most popular Malaysian dessert. This shaved ice dessert is served with ingredients like sweet red beans, cream corn, ground peanuts and grass jelly and drizzled with a generous amount of syrup, palm oil and evaporated milk. It is a perfect, refreshing dessert for a hot summer’s day.
Eat it at: Khema’s Kitchen stall.
Chow Luck Club Foodie Markets will take place at ParkCity, 261 Morrin Road, St John’s on Saturday 11 January 2025, and then every Saturday from 10am to 3pm. Stall operators may vary weekly.
