Street restaurants and eateries
Here you can eat very tasty, cheap and fast. Some tourists who are not accustomed to local conditions do not like the fact that food is cooked right on the street. But if you make sure that the restaurant and around it is clean, and the waiters and chefs look neat, then there is no reason to worry. On the contrary, food is prepared immediately after ordering, which guarantees its freshness. In addition, you can be sure that you will taste authentic Malaysian cuisine as it has been around for centuries. Here you will be offered a huge selection of vermicelli dishes, fried rice, a variety of soups and an unlimited number of shrimp, crab, shellfish, squid and fish dishes. A real feast for lovers of tasty and unusual food!
Everything for Vegetarians
A whole world of unusual taste sensations will be discovered by lovers of vegetarian food by visiting Buddhist vegetarian restaurants and Banana Leaf restaurants offering South Indian cuisine. Not only the dishes are unusual there, but the whole meal ceremony. Those who do not like unnecessary conventions while observing table etiquette and feel a sense of horror every time they see numerous cutlery in front of them, laid out on both sides of the plate, this restaurant will appeal. The ordered dishes will be served to you not on plates, but on a banana leaf, and you will have to eat not with a knife and fork, but directly with your hands, as is customary in southern India.
Restaurants “Fast Food”
Over the past few years, there have been a lot of similar restaurants using the American fast food system in Malaysia. In almost every city, large and small, you will see the familiar signs of “Kentucky Fried Chicken”, “McDonald’s”, “A & W”, “Pizza Hut” and many others.
Cuisines of other countries
In all major cities, you can find many restaurants that specialize in cuisine from other nations of the world. In most cases, they are located in international class hotels, or in the city on busy central streets. Without leaving Malaysia, you can taste the best dishes of many national cuisines of Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indonesian, Lebanese, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Mexican.
Seafood dishes
According to Liuxers, the coastal waters of Malaysia are rich in fish, shrimp, squid, lobster, crabs, shells, oysters, not to mention such curiosities as sea cucumbers. Skillful hands of experienced chefs turn these seafood into exotic delicacies that can amaze even the most demanding gourmets.
Rendang, a spiced meat dish, takes a very long time to cook. Meat, coconut milk, chili peppers and onions flavored with spices (cinnamon, cloves, coriander and nutmeg) are stewed over low heat for a long time. Result? Delicious, juicy, tender meat with a spicy sweet flavor served with rice cake (ketupat) or glutinous rice boiled in coconut milk (lemang).
Steamboat. This concept includes both the method of preparation and the dish resulting from it. In the center of the table on the fire is a steaming soup bowl with broth, into which the diners themselves throw finely chopped pieces of chicken, liver, sea cucumbers, raw shrimp, quail eggs and vegetables.
Sechuan Chicken, a fiery-spicy dish of chicken pieces generously seasoned with chili, will be on the shoulder, or rather “on the tongue”, only the most intrepid gourmets.
Tosai, thin pancakes made from rice flour, are sometimes stuffed with potatoes and various vegetables and served with curried lentils and chutney, a sweet and sour coconut seasoning for meat.
A hugely popular dish among the Chinese, Wonton Mee is a thick soup with vermicelli, shrimp dumplings and fried pork.
Sweet temptation
Chek Mek Molek, Buah Melaka, Tepong Pelita, Kuih Lapis, Ice Kachang, Chendol, Sago Gula Melaka, Len Chu Kang are irresistible desserts.
Exotic names of tropical desserts that complete a meal full of culinary surprises and gastronomic delights. These cakes are usually made with sugar, flour, eggs and coconut milk. They are especially popular during the religious fasting in the month of Ramadan. You can find them everywhere – from small roadside eateries to the best restaurants in international hotels.
Prices and purchases
Relative food costs per day:
Economy: RM11-15
Medium: RM15-35
Expensive: RM35-55
Luxury: RM55 and up
Relative cost per day:
Economy: RM30-75
Medium: RM75-200
Expensive: RM200-300
Luxury : RM300 and up
If you are a modest enough traveler, then spending only 20-25 US dollars a day, you can live comfortably in Malaysia. True, this will entail accommodation in the cheapest Chinese hotels, meals in local restaurants, and a bus will have to be used as a means of transport. Also, traveling in a share with a partner will significantly reduce your costs.
If you are accustomed to staying in comfortable hotels with private bathrooms, eating in restaurants and hailing the first taxi you come across, then be prepared to spend about $65 a day.
If you’re interested in the best amenities and your credit card limit is still far off, then a stay in relative luxury will set you back $100 a day. Note that living in Sabah will cost you more than similar conditions on the peninsula, and add another 30 USD.
All major credit cards are accepted in supermarkets, hotels, shops and restaurants. If you have a credit card with a personal identification number (PIN) attached, you will be able to get cash advances at almost every ATM. Banks in Malaysia link to international banking networks that allow you to transfer money from abroad. Check with your bank to see if you can withdraw money from your home account while you are in Malaysia.
Tipping is not customary in Malaysia. More luxurious hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to each bill. The rent of any hotel room is subject to a 5% government tax, although most budget hotels already include this amount in the price.
The art of bargaining is widespread in all bazaars and shops. The terms are banal as usual, but get used to viewing this process as a polite form of social conversation, not a matter of life and death.
The islands of Langkawi and Labuan have been declared duty-free zones. This is a true paradise for shoppers. In Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, airports and some city shops also sell goods duty-free.
Antique valuables may be exported abroad only with the permission of the Director General of the Museum Management Department.
All institutions work 8 hours a day, on Saturday – part-time work, on Sunday – a day off. In the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, Thursday is a part-time job, Friday is a day off.
