Dining in Malaysia

Overview

Dining out in multi-ethnic Malaysia is a sublime gastronomical experience for the medical tourism traveler, with almost every cuisine from South-East Asia on offer. Local dishes include traditional flavorful Malay food, Chinese cuisine that includes Cantonese, Hakka, Sichuan, and Peking influences, and Indian cuisine pulled from every corner of the country. 

Malay Cuisine

Malay cooking is a melting pot of influences from traders who arrived here from the Middle East, India, China, and Indonesia. A variety of fresh herbs, spices, and seasonings are used to bring out the flavor of the ingredients. A Malay meal will almost always include rice. Like Indian dishes, Malay cooking is best enjoyed using your fingers. Rarely will you see pork on a Malay menu, but there is plenty of seafood, chicken, and mutton.  

Indian Food

Indians began arriving in the 19^th century as contract laborers to work in the railways, and the cuisine they bought with them covers both north and south Indian styles of cooking.  North Indian food relies heavily on meat and spices, while mustard seeds and coconut milk enhance the flavor of food from the south.  Indian food in Malaysia, as everywhere else, is spicy, although the quantity of spices used varies according to the geographical location of the cuisine.  Enterprising local Indian restaurateurs have even managed to create unique dishes that are unheard of in India.  These dishes combine Malay and Indian influences, to create fresh versions of traditional specialties.  

Chinese Cuisine

If you are in the mood for Chinese, this medical tourism center has hundreds of Chinese eateries that cover a range of cooking influences from Cantonese to Taiwanese.  Because most of the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia hail from the Hainan and Hakka regions however, cuisine from this area is the easiest to find. You might have some difficulty finding Shangheiese and Szechuan cooking. 

Budget Dining

Although Kuala Lumpur is the dining capital of the country, Penang has a reputation for the most delicious cuisine in the country.  In fact, so popular is the food here that people from neighboring counties actually make regular “chow” trips to the island specifically for the food!  Cheap, convenient, and prepared on the spot, Penang cuisine is ideal for any travelers on a budget.  

International Cuisine

Most of the 4 & 5 star hotels will have international cuisine restaurants for the homesick medical tourism traveler.  Bigger cities, like Kuala Lumpur, are heavily populated with all the major fast food franchises.  Though it would be a shame to go all that distance and not sample the local cuisine at least once.