Malaysian Cuisine: 5 Amazing Breakfast Specialties
In Malaysia, the first meal of the day is usually salty as recommended by nutritionists. Thanks to the multiculturalism of Malaysian society and cuisine, there are many choices at breakfast or brunch time! Let's discover 5 amazing Malaysian specialties for breakfast.
1- The Nasi Lemak
A must-have specialty of the Malaysian cuisine, the Nasi Lemak can be found all over the country.
This national dish, consisting of rice cooked in coconut milk with hard-boiled eggs, chicken, cucumber, peanuts, dried anchovies and sambal sauce is rather hearty.
And yet, it is one of the 5 amazing Malaysian breakfast specialties as Malaysians usually eat it early in the day.
2- Roti Canai
Another of the 5 amazing Malaysian breakfast specialties is called Roti Canai and is closer to our Western tastes at this time of day.
It is a kind of puffed pancake that visually resembles Indian naan bread even though its texture is quite different.
Even for breakfast, Malaysians usually eat it with savory accompaniments, such as dhal or fish or chicken curry. In any case, roti canai is best eaten with your hands!
3- Noodle soup
Another of the 5 amazing Malaysian breakfast specialties comes from Chinese cuisine.
It is simply noodle soup or Noodle soup! This may come as a surprise for the first meal of the day, but it is one of the favorite breakfasts of Malaysians.
The people of Malaysia, whose culinary traditions are the result of multiple influences, do not hesitate to eat noodles with curry, fish or chicken broth or even a full noodle soup called asam laksa on this occasion.
4- Kaya toast
If you are looking for a menu in Malaysia that is closer to our French breakfast, you should try the kaya toast. This is one of the 5 amazing Malaysian specialties to discover for breakfast because you've probably never eaten this type of toast.
This toast, usually served with coffee, is simply spread with kaya, a kind of spread made of coconut milk, eggs and sugar.
With its creamy texture reminiscent of English lemon curd, kaya is a popular treat in Southeast Asia and particularly in Malaysia and Singapore.
This spread can have different colors: a nice caramel hue when plain or a surprising green color when flavored with pandan (but I want to point out that pandan is a plant giving a natural dye).
5- Dim Sum for Sunday brunch
Finally, if you want to have a Sunday brunch like the Malaysians, you must go eat dim sum at a Chinese restaurant.
These steamed ravioli served directly in bamboo baskets come in all sorts of fillings (with meat, broth or vegetables for vegetarians).
Dim sum is one of the 5 amazing Malaysian breakfast specialties as Malaysians flock to the restaurants that serve it every Sunday morning. If you want to follow the local tradition, you should definitely book the restaurant in advance!