While walking Johor Bahru today I found myself in the middle of nowhere and starting to get hungry. The only place nearby was a franchise restaurant and although it would not be my first choice of lunch place in a new country, I decided to go anyway. Great decision!

The people working in the restaurant were incredibly friendly and helpful, and one girl start to write down food I should try while in Malaysia. She disappears for a while and I realize she started to ask all her workmates for more examples of Malaysian food. Later on she comes back to my table and starts a long explanation about every single dish on the huge list she wrote down for me.

So, here is her Malaysian food list, with markings showing which country it originally came from. The Malaysian daily cuisine comes from several countries, matching the most common nationalities living here. These are Malay, Indian and Chinese (M / I / C on the food list).

Malaysian food:

Durian cendol (best in Malaka)
ArsKacang (ABC)
Pulut – M
Kuih lopes – M
Puteri mandi – M
Kuih lopis – M
Karipap – M
Kuih serunding – M
Kuih sambal – M
Nasi lemak
Roti canai
Satay
Laksa Johor
Curry mee – C
Mee soto – M
Lontong – M
Char kuey Teow – C
Tav fu (hot plate) – C
Briyani – I
Tosai – I
Chappati – I
Mee rebus – M
Nasi dagang – M
Har fun – C
Fried lotus – C
Fried rice – C

Malaysian drinks:

Teh tarik – M / I