THE BEST MALAYSIAN AND SINGAPOREAN FOOD IN LONDON

Article by Londonist

The first thing you need to know about good Malaysian and Singaporean food in London is that you’re unlikely to find it in a Chinese takeaway. No matter what the menu says, Singapore fried noodles are as Singaporean as ‘spag bol’ is Bolognese.

So what makes food Malaysian or Singaporean? It's hard to come up with a single definition that sums up the flavours of nasi lemak (coconut rice served with fried anchovies and sambal belacan), laksa(yellow egg noodles in a tangy curry soup) or beef rendang (dark, caramelised beef stew). After all they're influenced by almost every major Asian cuisine — Malay, Chinese (and also the Straits Chinese), Indian, Indonesian, a sprinkling of Thai even.

Geography has a lot to do with this gastronomic confluence. In their early days, the British developed both countries as a trading crossroads in the East and early immigrants who flocked to the states of Malaya brought with them all manner of foods and spices. Perhaps what comes closest to describing the culinary culture of the region is the Malay word rojak, which means mixture (and interestingly also lends its name to a hodgepodge dish of fruit and vegetables coated in a thick peanut sauce).

Intrigued? Here are some places to get your fill of Malaysian and Singaporean food in London. And if you're around Trafalgar Square this Friday also check out Malaysia Night, a yearly smorgasbord of Malaysian food and culture.

Rasa Sayang, Chinatown

This Chinatown stalwart does all the staples solidly — nasi lemak, beef rendang and char kway teow(wok-fried flat noodles in a dark soy sauce). If you’re feeling adventurous, have a go at the Singapore chilli crab: that’s juicy crab meat covered in a sweet, savoury, eggy sauce. And don’t be put off by the name — it’s not that spicy.

C&R Cafe, Chinatown

To find this cramped, cafe-style joint you’ll have to make your way down the narrow Rupert Court alley (on a busy day, you’ll spot the queues first). Guardian food critic Jay Rayner has given a ringing endorsement to the seafood laksa here, while Singaporean and Malaysian visitors tend to go for the humbler but equally satisfying Hainanese chicken rice (tender poached chicken served on a bed of pandan-flavoured rice).

Hainanese chicken rice. Photo by Su-Lin on Flickr.

Sedap, Old Street

This decent spot is primarily a lunchtime place with a good selection of Malaysian curries. Try the beef rendang or more unusual curry tumis which has a sharp kick of tamarind.

Roti King, Euston

Roti canai is a type of Indian flatbread that’s served with a dipping bowl of curry. Making it is an art in itself — a ball of dough is spun into a thin, elastic disc that’s crisped up on a hot plate. If you’re lucky, the folks at this Malaysian-style greasy spoon will make your roti fresh in front of you.

You can get your roti plain, or stuffed with lamb or chicken. Or just for the sake of it, in the shape of a cone that's drizzled with chocolate sauce. (Yes, that’s actually a thing.)

Makan, Notting Hill

More a pit-stop than a restaurant, here you choose from a selection of rice and curry dishes from the bar. Try the curry puffs (curried chicken and potatoes in pastry) or ayam goreng (fried chicken).

Satay House, Paddington

A popular haunt amongst Malaysian and Singaporean students, Satay House has a big menu of traditional dishes, from its speciality satay to mee goreng. Nasi campur, an all-in-one dish of lamb, chicken or fish curry with steamed rice, salted fish and vegetables is another crowd pleaser. (Also close by is Pak Awie, which does similarly reliable comfort food.)

Sticky Satay.

Nasi lemak: Malaysian breakfast. Photo by Su-Lin on Flickr.

Malaysian Deli, Brockley

If you’re venturing south of the river, this hole-in-the-wall eatery does good nasi lemak and beef rendang, plus a very reasonable buffet.

Three other tips...

If you fancy a bit of heat, ask for sambal belacan, a spicy chilli condiment made from shrimp paste, to go with your food.

Teh tarik, a sweet and frothy tea made with condensed or evaporated milk, is another must-have.

And if you have Malaysian friends, get them to take you to Malaysia Hall, a canteen at the Malaysian High Commission that’s (sadly) only for Malaysian citizens.

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

THE start of a new school year brings about a new wave of expatriates arriving and settling in Kuala Lumpur as their base of residence for a number of years.

As with any other country, Malaysia has its share of quirky practices that foreigners find different from what they are used to.

Dining out, for example, is a very enjoyable adventure to engage in.

The food choices are astounding; the price range is diverse, from the very low budget to the very high end.

There is no such thing as 1Malaysia when it comes to food, and I mean that is good.

The varying Chinese restaurants offering a wide selection of dishes from Cantonese, Hokkien and dim sum, to the northern and southern Indian cuisines, and of course the Malay kitchens with its signature generous use of spices has its origins from -- or should I say -- marriage with Indonesian cuisine mainly from Sumatran and west Kalimantan parts.

It is already dizzying.

Then there is the fusion of Chinese and Malay, which gave rise to the Nyonya cuisine.

And these are just the local choices.

Whether you are in search of molecular gastronomy, German bratwurst or Japanese fine dining, name it, Kuala Lumpur has it.

The Malaysian capital city in particular also has a very rich cafe culture, lots of French bakeries and patisseries – a couple or three are close to authentic – and endless brunch places to indulge those weekend mornings.

But before you begin your culinary journey, it is helpful to know that not all restaurants are alike in the way they conduct their services, or businesses.

To illustrate, when you walk into an Italian restaurant, in Italy or in any other part of the world, you are usually offered a small basket of bread, served with olive oil and balsamic to quell those hunger pangs, or just as an accompaniment to your aperitivo while you are going through the menu and deciding what to order.

And that is free. As in gratis. You do not need to pay for that.

Here in Kuala Lumpur, when you walk into a Chinese restaurant and they immediately serve you “tidbits” like boiled nuts or any other dim sum starter, please be informed that you will be charged for those if you consume them, regardless if you ordered them or not.

The same goes for the wet wipes they generously put on the table.

Do not assume that those are on-the-house. They are not.

Some restaurants and cafes will not seat you if the number of people you have reserved for are not complete.

Even if you have small children and even if you have to stand outside for as long as it takes, in the mid-morning humid heat, there is no exception.

The only plausible information I can come up with is that they want a fast turnover, they do not want any table lingering or waiting for others to order, they want it quick and fast.

It is a shame because the popular ones are the most notorious for these kinds of practices.

On the bright side, there is no shortage of other establishments which are more accommodating, and as a consumer, you always have a choice not to patronise the profit-oriented ones and opt instead for the customer-centred ones.

The most absurd and somewhat amusing experience I have had was the one in a popular general food store chain, which serves salads and bistro food, for dining in or take away.

There was no guest dining at 11.45am; and the person at the counter refused my order for two take-away salads just because, according to him, the cash register was still set at “breakfast” so he cannot ring up my order until noon.

Obviously, what this deli failed to realise is the missed business opportunity or increased revenues they could earn from people who want to avoid the lunch crowd, or just about anyone who wants to buy food before noon!

The best way to sample a wide array of local fare, like roti canai served with teh tarik, is to dine in a mamak stall.

Mamak stalls are inexpensive and serve unpretentious food in a very casual atmosphere.

According to John, our Indian family driver, the word mamak is from the Tamil word for maternal uncle, or maa-ma.

He also explained not all mamak stalls were the same.

The ones run by Muslims do not serve pork but serve beef, and Hindu stalls serve neither beef nor pork.

Finally, you will know it is a good mamak if you see many locals frequenting it.

A CULINARY ADVENTURE AND DINE ON CENTRAL ASIAN

WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD, PART OF THE ADVENTURE INCLUDES EXPLORING OTHER CULTURES. STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE OF SANDWICHES, WANTAN MEE OR EVEN NASI LEMAK, AND SAMPLE THIS NO-FRILLS PLACE OPENED SINCE DECEMBER 2011 WHICH SERVES UP EXOTIC FOOD FROM CENTRAL ASIA.

LOCATED AT THE HEART OF KL, RESTAURANT CENTRAL ASIA PULLS IN THE CROWDS WITH ITS DELICIOUS FARE SERVED A LA CARTE OR ECONOMY RICE STYLE. 

CENTRAL ASIAN CUISINE COVERS THAT OF FAR-FLUNG COUNTRIES LIKE KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, AFGHANISTAN AND UZBEKISTAN. AS THE REGION HAS MANY INFLUENCES, BEING PART OF THE SILK ROAD, YOU WILL FIND A MISH MASH OF DISHES HERE WITH DIFFERENT ORIGINS.

ENJOY MANTI OR STEAMED DUMPLINGS FILLED WITH JUICY MINCED MUTTON, ONIONS AND CUMIN DRIZZLED WITH SOUR CREAM.

MOST OF THE DISHES SERVED IN THIS RESTAURANT SLANTS TOWARDS UZBEK CUISINE, AS THE PLACE IS RUN BY NATIVES OF TASHKENT, THE CAPITAL OF UZBEKISTAN. SOME DISHES FOUND HERE LIKE SHASHLIK CAN TRACE ITS ORIGINS BACK TO GEORGIA OR BORSCHT TO RUSSIA. EVEN THE SIMPLE BUT COMFORTING OLIVYE OR POTATO SALAD WITH MAYONNAISE FOUND IN THE RESTAURANT IS A CLASSIC RUSSIAN SALAD. 

ON THE SURFACE, THE WELL-HIDDEN RESTAURANT AT MEGAN AVENUE 2 ALONG JALAN YAP KWAN SENG SEEMS TO BE IN AN ILLOGICAL SPOT. A CHAT WITH THEIR OWNERS REVEALS THAT THE CHOICE TO OPEN HERE WAS DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS OFFICE (WHICH HAS NOW MOVED OUT) AND THE PRIVATE COLLEGE THAT IS ATTENDED BY MANY STUDENTS WHO HAIL FROM THE SAME REGION.

JOIN THE QUEUE FOR LUNCH AS THE STUDENTS TRICKLE IN BY 12.30PM.

ON WEEKDAYS, LUNCH FROM 11AM TO 3PM IS SERVED ECONOMY RICE STYLE TO CATER TO THE ENDLESS STREAM OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AND OFFICE WORKERS LOOKING FOR A QUICK MID-DAY BITE. REGULARS POINT US TO THEIR JUICY TENDER MEATBALLS OR EVEN TENDER CHICKEN PIECES TO BE EATEN WITH LEMON SLICES.

EVEN THE SIMPLE-LOOKING SCRAMBLED EGGS SWIMMING IN A RED HUED BROTH IS SO TASTY THAT YOU WANT SECONDS. MOST OF THE DISHES ARE STAPLES FOR THE RESTAURANT AND CHANGES TO THE DAILY LINE-UP OF FOOD ARE USUALLY MINIMAL. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE STUDENTS PILE THEIR PLATES HIGH WITH CARBOHYDRATES — A MIXTURE OF RICE, FRENCH FRIES AND EVEN PASTA — WHICH FILLS YOU UP. 

PICK UP SAMSA WHERE FLAKY PASTRY IS FILLED WITH MINCED BEEF, MUTTON, CHOPPED ONIONS AND FLAVOURED WITH CUMIN.

IF YOU PREFER, LOOK TOWARDS THEIR A LA CARTE MENU TO SAMPLE OTHER DELICACIES. START BY NIBBLING ON SAMSA WHICH IS THE UZBEK TRIBUTE TO THE ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SAMOSA, WHICH IS BAKED RATHER THAN FRIED. OUR CLOSEST LINK TO IT LOCALLY WOULD BE OUR SIEW PAU, THOSE GOLDEN PASTRIES MADE FAMOUS IN SEREMBAN TOWN.

HERE THE PASTRY IS CRUMBLY AND GENEROUSLY STUFFED WITH A FILLING OF MINCED BEEF AND MUTTON, CHOPPED ONIONS, FENNEL AND PEPPER. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, THERE’S MANTI OR DUMPLINGS WITH THE SAME FILLING USED IN THESAMSA. AS THESE ARE STEAMED WITH THIN STRETCHED WHEAT FLOUR SKINS, THE LARGE DUMPLINGS MAKE JUICY BITES AND ARE BEST EATEN PIPING HOT.

LAGMAN MAY SOUND STRANGE TO OUR EARS BUT WHEN THE PLATE OF NOODLES ARRIVE, YOU WILL RECOGNISE THE FAMILIAR STRANDS AS IT’S THE UZBEK VERSION OF LA MIAN. THE NOODLES ARE SIMPLY SUPERB WITH A BOUNCINESS AND BITE THAT WILL TRUMP ANY OF THE FAMOUS LA MIAN RESTAURANTS IN TOWN. SLURP DOWN THE STRANDS WITH THE HEARTY BROTH SWEETENED WITH CELERY, CAPSICUMS AND TOMATOES, ALL TOPPED WITH TENDER BEEF SLICES.

THEIR LAGMAN IS SUPERB WITH HANDPULLED NOODLES THAT BOAST AN ELASTIC TEXTURE AND A TASTY BROTH MADE WITH TENDER BEEF SLICES, TOMATOES, CELERY AND CAPSICUMS (LEFT). ORDER A POT OF UZBEK BLACK TEA OR GREEN TEA TO SHARE (RIGHT).

FOR A TRADITIONAL TASTE, ORDER THE PLOV BETTER KNOWN AS UZBEKISTAN’S NON-OFFICIAL NATIONAL DISH. SIMILAR TO BIRYANI RICE AND BOASTING PERSIAN INFLUENCES, THIS VERSION AT THE RESTAURANT HAS BEAUTIFUL FLUFFY BASMATI GRAINS COOKED WITH SHREDDED CARROTS, MUTTON FAT, CHICKPEAS AND RAISINS, WHICH IS LIGHTLY SPICED AND TOPPED WITH TENDER PIECES OF MUTTON. THE CARROTS GIVE THE RICE A SLIGHT SWEET TASTE. HEARTY EATERS CAN ALSO ORDER THEIR SHASHLIK OR SKEWERS OF MEAT. THE MEAT HERE IS LIGHTLY SEASONED AND EACH PIECE IS JUICY THAT PAIRS WELL WITH THE REFRESHING ONION SLICES. 

FOR A COMFORTING MEAL, TRY THE SHO’RVA WITH MUTTON, POTATO AND CARROT IN A TUMMY SATISFYING TOMATO BROTH

.LIGHT EATERS CAN SLURP A BOWL OF THEIR HEARTY SHO’RVA SERVED WITH A PIECE OF MUTTON WITH BONE, POTATO AND CARROT. PAIR THIS WITH THEIR FRESHLY BAKED BREADS KNOWN AS NON. THE UZBEK BREAD HAS A LIGHT CRUMB WITH A SLIGHT CHEWY GOLDEN CRUST, WHICH IS SPRINKLED WITH NIGELLA SEEDS. OTHER DISHES LIKE CHUCHVARA WHERE SMALL DUMPLINGS ARE EATEN WITH SOUP, OR THEIR VERSION OF THE RUSSIAN BORSCHT WILL REQUIRE MORE VISITS TO THIS PLACE.

FOR DESSERT, THERE’S AN ARRAY OF HOME-BAKED CAKES YOU CAN ORDER, LIKE MEDOVIY, A HONEY CAKE, WHICH TRACES ITS ORIGINS TO RUSSIA. THE LAYERS OF HONEY CAKE AND CREAM IS DUSTED WITH FRESHLY BAKED BREAD CRUMBS. IT’S A LITTLE SWEET ON ITS OWN, SO PAIR IT WITH A CUP OF UZBEK BLACK OR GREEN TEA, WHICH IS DRUNK WITHOUT ANY MILK. IF YOU PREFER A COOL REFRESHING DRINK, ORDER THE AYRON — YOGHURT DILUTED WITH WATER AND MIXED WITH SALT. SIMILAR TO LASSI, IT QUENCHES YOUR THIRST ESPECIALLY ON A HOT HAZY DAY.

ASIA'S FINEST CUISINE OF MALAYSIAN FOOD

Talking About Food And Fruit

Food is a popular conversational topic in this country and visitors will discover that Malaysians enjoy eating out. Savour a variety of items at different times of the day. Malaysia offers Asia's best variety of cuisine given the wide array of cooking styles and traditions. Eating out here is a gastronomic adventure ranging form aromatic Malay dishes to piping hot Chinese delicacies and spicy Indian fare. The unique peranakan, also known as nyonya, cuisine is a fusion of Chinese and Malay styles.

Cuisine of Malaysia: 

Natural, home grown ingredients figure prominently in Malay food. Coconut, chili, lemon grass, line leaves, spices and turmeric are basic ingredients cooked with fish, meat and vegetables. Try Malaysia's signature dish, satay, consisting of skewers of thick, succulent marinated meat barbecued over charcoal fire and served with peanut dip.


The chinese enjoy rice as a staple served with meat or vegetable dishes but noodles feature prominently in great variety and combination. Indian cooking is one of Malaysia's distinctive foods with both southern and northern styles available. A popular Indian Muslin dish is Nasi Kandar. It is a rice meal eaten with chicken, meat or fish in rich, thick gravies and curries.

Malaysian Dishes

In Sarawak, rice and meat are placed in hollow bamboo tubes and cooked over a fire while in sabah picked dishes are a local specialty.

Popular dished among locals include Roti Canai, a light crispy pancake made form wheat flour and cooked o a griddle. Try it with a cup of Teh Tarik- tea pulled form one mug to another to give it a smoother flavor.

Fruits:

Malaysia has a great variety of refreshing tropical fruits. some are seasonal while others are available thought the year. Mangostten is loved for its sweet, juicy white flesh while the adventurous should try the durian. Controversial for its smell, the locals call it the "King of fruits".

For a truly Malaysian experience dine out in an open air food court where visitors can enjoy delicious food at affordable prices. Elsewhere, small restaurants televise popular football matches on big screen televisions to pull in the crowd. Kopitiams otherwise known as coffee shops are interesting to dine in. Also look out for vendors selling snacks or drinks on push carts.

Malaysian Fruits

The interesting potpourri of local cuisine has been complemented with cosmopolitan influences and Italian, French, Japanese, Thai, Vientiane and Middle eastern cuisine is available in selected restaurants, vegetarian restaurants can be found in major cities in the country mainly serving either Chinese or Indian style dishes.

Visitors should be aware that Muslims only consume halal food and only dine in restaurants, which are certified halal. Pork and alcohol are not consumed by Muslims.

Visitors are encouraged to check the local dailies and hotel what's on guides for current listings on the best dining sports around the country.