We've eaten so much amazing food in Malaysia, some of it in actual restaurants but much of it from hawker stalls, night markets, mom and pop shops, and the Malaysian version of food courts.
You've already seen pictures from a few of these in previous posts, but just for fun, here's a quick rundown on a few more. These are some of the most memorable dishes we've enjoyed, in some of the best budget eateries we've ever encountered.
1 - Jalan Alor night market in KL, famous for its street food. This fellow was serving up takoyaki, a sort of fried dumpling stuffed with a variety of fillings, like cheese, crab, chicken, etc. We tried the 6 pack of assorted flavours.
They came topped with some kind of savory sauce and maybe fried onions? Anyway, they were delicious.
2 - When looking for a place to eat, we always keep an eye out for the busy little spots full of locals, a sure sign that the food is good. This was one such place down a side street in KL. This family operation had various stations, each one preparing a different type of dish, and you went to the one offering what you wanted and placed your order directly with the cook.
In this case, we ordered a traditional rice noodle dish (yes, noodles for breakfast, how cool is that?!) called Char Koay Teow with the optional duck egg. It also had a bunch of other stuff in it, not all of which we could identify, but all of which was delicious.
3 - Amazing garlic naan bread at a sidewalk Indian eatery one evening in KL. Can't you just taste it???
Our hotel in Penang is literally surrounded by food courts, and we really enjoy eating in these. There are so many dishes to choose from, the service is quick, the food is cheap, and it's really good.
4 - Gerry opted for roast duck one night. Like all dishes in these spots, the meal was served on melamine plates (actually a step up from plastic, which is more common) with minimal flare, but the flavour was fabulous, the duck was cooked to perfection, and there was more than enough to share.
5 - One of my favourite breakfast foods is roti, that delicate, delicious, soft thin bread that can be served oh-so-many ways. This one came from a very tiny stall at one of our local food courts, Yummy Cottage, aptly named as everything we've had there has been very yummy indeed.
In this case, the roti is cooked on a grill, then smothered in a mild curry sauce and topped with a sunny side up egg. Breakfast of champions, if you ask me.
6 - The other day we enjoyed Dim Sum for breakfast at an open air spot just up one of the side streets across from our hotel.
7 - More roti for breakfast, this time at a super popular open air spot with an excellent view of the street. We both opted for the same thing, one roti filled with egg and onion, the another with cheese, and of course a side dish of delicious curry for dipping and dunking.
8 - And finally, tonight's supper, brought to you by Luca's Panzerotti, a charming little hole in the wall spot run by an authentic Italian import, Luca, and his lovely Malaysian wife. Luca makes every panzerotto by hand to order and they are the real deal. I had the beetroot dough, which is something new they're trying out. We returned later for some tiramisu, which was also very good, so good in fact that it disappeared before we could take a picture.
Finally, just to give you a better sense of what food courts look like in Malaysia, here's a picture of the inside of one near our hotel. They are typically warehouse-like structures, open to the street on one or more sides. The food stalls are all around the perimeter while the centre area is filled with tables and plastic chairs.
You order from one or more of the stalls, then sit at a table and wait for your food to come. Meanwhile, someone from the drink stall (there is always one and only one in every food court) comes to your table to take your drink order. By some miracle, the staff at the stall you ordered from always manages to find you.
Most food courts have very charming names, like the aforementioned Yummy Cottage, and are quite literally street-side.
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