Eating street food (also called Hawker Food) is one of the best experiences when traveling in Malaysia and Singapore. Here are some more examples and descriptions of Malaysian and Singaporean street food.
Nasi Lemak is a Malay dish that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and aromatic leaf called pandan. It is served with cucumber garnishes, small fried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts and a hard boiled egg (or fried egg). It is considered a national dish of Malaysia.
Nasi Lemak
Roti Chanai is a South Indian flatbread usually served with a dal (yellow lentils) sauce. Often other types of sauces including a tomato-based spicy sauce or spicy sauces thickened with coconut milk and small pieces of meat are available. You can also order Roti Telur which means they will fry an egg with the bread.
Roti Chanai
Satay is a Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat served with a spicy peanut sauce. The meats that are used in satay can be chicken, beef, goat, mutton (lamb), or even pork.
Satay
Ais Kacang (Ice Kacang) means “ice with red beans.” It is a popular and traditional Malaysian / Singapore dessert where shaved ice is mixed with various ingredients. Red-colored syrup and often evaporated milk is poured over the dish. Ais Kacang ingredients include attap seeds (from a type of palm tree), red adzuki beans, sweet creamed corn, grass jelly, roasted peanuts and cubes of agar agar (almost tastes like gelatin but has a firmer texture).
Ais (Ice) Kacang
Curry Mee is a spicy noodle soup. It consists of yellow wheat plus rice noodles in a spicy coconut milk broth. Common toppings include chicken, prawns, boiled egg, tofu, cuttlefish, cockles and mint leaves, and often pork blood. Curry mee is usually served with a side of spicy chili dip.
Curry Mee
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of poached chicken and seasoned rice served with chili sauce and cucumber slices and herb garnishes. It is considered one of the national dishes in Singapore and is widely available in Southeast Asia.
Chicken Rice
Bak Kut Teh translates as “Meat Bone Tea” and it is a favorite dish among the Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore. Pork ribs and other parts of the pig including trotters and intestines are slowly cooked in a broth with medicinal herbs. Bak Kut Teh is usually served with rice as well as cooked vegetables.
Bak Kut Teh
Murtabak is a pancake of thin layers of dough stuffed with bits of meat and onions. When browned from the heat, murtabak is then folded and cut into squares or triangles. The meats are typically chicken, beef, or mutton. It is served with spicy sauces and onion relish.
Murtabak
Popiah is a fresh spring roll filled with an assortment of cooked jicama, carrots, green onions, and bits of pork or chicken. The rice flour wrapper is not fried unlike typical spring rolls. The dish likely originated from the Hokkien people and it is popular throughout Southeast Asia. Popiah is usually served with a dipping sauce.
Popiah
Wan Tan Mee is a noodle dish of Cantonese origin and it is a common Malaysian and Singaporean street food. It is sometimes spelled “Won Ton Mee.” The dish consists of egg noodles served in a hot broth, garnished with leafy vegetables, roast pork slices and wonton dumplings. The dumplings are usually filled with minced pork and sometimes shrimp. Chinese leaf mustard is the typical vegetable used for topping along with green onions. A dry version of this noodle dish comes with the broth on the side.
Wan Tan Mee
Dim Sum is a meal of various small dishes that is traditionally served for breakfast or brunch in Chinese restaurants. It includes a large range of small dishes such as shrimp and pork potstickers, tofu, rice buns filled with meat, noodles and vegetables.
Dim Sum
Banana leaf rice is a popular and traditional meal in South India and Malaysia where the rice is served on a banana leaf. The long green leaves are laid down as a surface on which to eat, and white rice is served in the center, then side dishes that are typically vegetarian are added. Typical side dishes include dal sauces, coconut and mint chutneys and stewed cabbage and carrots in a spicy sauce.
Banana Leaf Rice
See November 3rd blog post regarding -