Malaysians are so into food that most of us are willing to make a road trip just to satisfy our cravings for our favourite dishes! We’ve compiled a non-exhaustive list of the must-have famed Malaysian food and where you can sample the most authentic versions.

Kai See Hor Fun (Thean Chun Coffee Shop, Ipoh)

Kai See Hor Fun

We’ve scoured the country over and discovered that no one makes Kai See Hor Fun (Flat Noodle with Shredded Chicken) quite like the Ipoh chefs do. The key to a good kai see hor fun is the rich chicken stock boiled with prawn shells that give it a sweet, distinctive flavour. The springy and juicy bean sprouts that only Ipoh-sourced water can produce adds to the marvellous-ness of the dish. Other restaurants that offer great Kai See Hor Fun are the ones along Jalan Bandar Timah.

Bah Kut Teh (Yeoh’s Bah Kut Teh, Klang)

Bah Kut Teh (Photo courtesy of Lee Lian)

On rainy days and days when you can tell your diet to go hang, the glorious Bah Kut Teh is your best friend. The deliciously warm herbal broth can soothe your tummy and the yau char kwai pieces beg to be dipped into the broth before they are eaten. The juicy chunks of richly marinated meat served plain or with tau fu pok and mushrooms will certainly satisfy a hungry stomach. If you run out of the delicious broth, flag down the serving staff to ask them to top it up.

The Klang version has a richer, thicker broth compared to the ones in Petaling Jaya or Kuala Lumpur, which is just the way we like it. Other restaurants that serve awesome Bah Kut Teh include the ones in Teluk Pulai, Jalan Stesen and Taman Rashna.

Laksa Kahwin (Jonker 88, Melaka)

Laksa Kahwin

Is it asam laksa? Is it curry laksa? No, it’s Laksa Kahwin – a combination of the two famous dishes! The broth is very flavourful yet not too spicy (pedas) and has nothing of the sourness in the asam laksa.  Topped with crispy fu chok (tofu skin), half a boiled egg, fish balls and a couple of fresh, huge prawns, this is a hearty and uber delicious dish to dig in at any time of the day.

Satay Celup (Ban Lee Siang, Melaka)

Satay Celup (Photo courtesy of Lee Lian)

When evening descents the Satay Celup restaurants light up the streets of Melaka. Long queues during weekends is a norm, it’s advisable to go as early as possible to snag a table. Once you are safely ensconced inside the restaurant, take your time to choose from a plethora of vegetables, meat and other yummy goodies displayed on the side of the restaurant to dunk into the simmering and bubbling spicy peanut gravy pot situated in the middle of the table. Cooking time varies depending on the items you are cooking so you’d want to check the condition of your food before they disintegrate into the broth (maybe that’s why it’s so rich and yummy!)

Chicken Rice Balls (Famosa Chicken Rice Ball, Melaka)

Chicken Rice Ball

This unique dish found its roots in Melaka and while other states have attempted to recreate it, we find that only in Melaka can we find rice balls that are tiny in size yet so well-formed with a slightly bouncy texture. The rice balls are so delicious that rice lovers should definitely order more to go with the steamed or roasted chicken and fish ball soup.

Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah (Village Park Restaurant, Damansara Utama)

Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah (photo courtesy of Lee Lian)

Amber Chia loves her nasi lemak and adding the deliciously flavourful fried spiced chicken just elevates this dish to the next level. The nasi lemak at Village Park Restaurant is so good that it can be a challenge to brave through the long queues and find an empty seat in the shop. We recommend that you order take away or to go at off-peak hours to enjoy this hearty and savoury dish.

Paper/Ghee/Rawa Thosai (Kanna Curry House, Petaling Jaya)

Paper Thosai (Photo courtesy of Lee Lian)

For consistently well-made Thosai, visit Kanna Curry House. The Paper Thosai is so crispy throughout and maintains its delicious texture when we take our time to savour the dish. The server left the huge, deep containers with chutney, dhall and curries on our table, giving us the opportunity to slather generous portions of the delicious gravy and sauces onto the thosai.

What are your favourite Malaysian dishes that you feel should be listed and where can we find them? Let us know in the comments below!