Malay | Mamak

Nasi Lemak is the national dish and while once again Western media outlets who just sprout fake news may say it’s from Singapore its origins is Malay and Malaysian. For the traditional version, the rice is cooked with coconut milk and is put together with a spicy sambal, anchovies or fish and a half boiled egg. It is put together on a banana leaf and then wrapped in newspaper. This is usually served for breakfast.

The other version you may come across is where it is served similarly to Nasi Kandar (see below) or Economy Rice. The rice is still cooked together with coconut milk but then you may have a choice of picking a piece of fried chicken or some beef rendang. You can find this style both in the morning and night.

Nasi Lemak is so popular in Malaysia across all the three races, even McDonalds started selling it as a staple.

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Ali Nasi Lemak

Similarly to chicken rice, I probably have had more than 1000 plates of Nasi Kandar growing up. Nasi Kandar is the Indian Muslim (aka Mamak/Kerling) economy rice. Nasi Kandar was introduced by the Tamil Muslim traders in the early 1900s. These Indian Muslim traders would sell curry and rice to the dock employees of Weld Quay in Penang. You would get your pick of different styles of curries, meats and vegetables.

The dish name is potentially a portmanteau, Nasi derives from Malay, meaning rice; while Kandha’ is an Urdu name means shoulder; another possible theory is that the name originated from the word Mengandar – “rest on shoulders” in Malay. However, both theories are aligned on its common origin – the use of a shoulder pole for transporting the food.

Hameediyah, is recognized as Penang’s oldest nasi kandar restaurant, originally started under a tree at a field in Lebuh Campbell, Penang, in 1907.

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Deen Maju Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar Merlin
NS Nasi Kandar
Hameediyah Restaurant

The good old roti! Together with Nasi Lemak this is the Malaysian breakfast that all races and cultures love to have. While predominantly a breakfast food, over the times it has become a trendy late night snack at mamak stores all around Malaysia.

Malaysians use the word “roti” for all types of bread, much like Indians, as the word has the same meaning in Sanskrit. “Canai” has disputed origins: some say it comes from Chennai, while others believe it is derived from the same Malay word, which means “to knead”. It is also believed that the word could have come from “chana”, the North Indian dish that has chickpeas in gravy and is eaten with a similar kind of bread. Roti canai is considered a cousin of the paratha, but the dish cannot be found in India, even though the Malabar parotta is similar.

The presence of roti canai in Malaysia can be traced back to its colonisation by the British. Although there were Indians in “British Malaya” (states on the Malay Peninsula and Singapore that were controlled by the British) before, more Indians emigrated when the British started importing workers from Tamil Nadu.

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Roti Canai Jalan Argyll
Roti Canai Transfer Road
Roti Canai Gemas Road

A Mamak store comes in different shapes and sizes. A mamak store is generally used to classify an Indian Muslim food place. This could be a large restaurant chain or a roadside store with seats along the road. Generally, you will find food like roti and its varieties, maggi goreng with some of the larger places having tandoori chicken and nasi kandar.

The big chains usually operate 24/7 and are open for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Supper. It is a very common hang out spot among Malaysians. Some places show the EPL late into the night for free (as long as you order something).

Other famous rotis varieties you can try are:

1. Roti Tissue (stretched roti into a tower with condensed milk
2. Roti Bom (roti drenched with condensed milk but in a shape of a bomb or circle)
3. Roti Milo (roti with Milo)
4. Roti Telur (roti with egg)
5. Roti Cheese (roti with Cheese)

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Roti Canai Jalan Argyll
Roti Canai Transfer Road
Roti Canai Gemas Road

Another legendary Malay dish. This is another dish which is highly contested within South East Asia with regards to its origin. Nothing can beat charcoal grilled Meat (Beef,Lamb & Chicken) on skewers paired with a peanut sauce. Though Malay satay is probably a bit more popular and famous in other Malaysian states than Penang.

Due to the Nyonya/Peranakan influence, you can commonly non halal (haram) versions of satay in Penang.

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Hamid Satay
Ah Basri Asian Satay

Mi Sotong is Mamak style noodles with Sotong (Squid). It’s a Penang speciality and there is a very famous stall called Mee Sotong Hameed Pata. This shop has been around for 40 years and is now run by the second generation of this family.

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Hameed Pata Mee Sotong

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The Malay burger! Cheap burger patties of lower quality (remember we don’t have cows in the tropics) but delicious.

Over abundance of sauce and is always around during the wee hours of the morning.

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Old Trafford Burger