We, Malaysians, are very much proud of our food culture. “We live to eat more than we eat to live” is what many Malaysians say. Whether we go to a fancy place and spend RM500 per head, or we go to a mamak and spend RM10 per head, we can always count on the food being delicious – just in different ways.
Well, inspired by Ruyi & Lyn’s unique Malaysian dishes, like these sushi…
…we’d like to list some weird (and possibly tasty) Malaysian-inspired food combinations:
1. Nasi Lemak Gelato
Love gelato? Love Nasi Lemak? Head to Cielo Dolci as they serve Nasi Lemak Gelato. It actually tastes like the well-loved rice dish and is sprinkled with chili, peanuts, and even anchovies, perfect for those who love the sweet and the savoury.
They also have other Malaysian-inspired flavours such as Kedondong, Tofu fa, and more!
2. Nasi Lemak Crème Brûlée
We’re not done with our favourite rice dish. Ecole P in Damansara Uptown has created this great monstrosity which pairs creamy coconut pudding with berry sambal, topped with cucumbers, anchovies and peanuts!
Source: Pure Glutton
Sadly though, Ecole P has shut down. But don’t worry, I’m sure restaurants will pick this unique dessert up soon.
3. Roti Canai Burrito
We also really need to talk about Ecole P’s ingenuity. Look at this perfection:
Source: Pure Glutton
They have taken the classic roti canai and rolled it up along with some smoked chicken breast, caramelised onions and vegetables, and you even get a side of dhall salad.
Source: EatDrinkKL
And since they’ve closed down, I went on a one-woman hunt to find if any restaurants sold this dish too. I wasn’t disappointed.
This is from Restoran KA Vegetarian, and they call it Roti Canai John. I honestly don’t care what you call it as long it’s roti canai rolled up with interesting stuffings, and of course, it has to taste good.
This one is from The Good Batch, Damansara Uptown
If anyone knows any other restaurants with a similar dish, give a shout out!
4. Assam Laksa Spaghetti
Source: Pure Glutton
Source: EatDrinkKL
Yes, another from Ecole P that we can never have because they’ve closed down. But I figured that can’t be the only place that did this… Turns out I was right.
This one is from Lancelot Tea Guild (Sunway)
Caption: This one is from Purple Toast Kopitiam (Penang)
This one is… somewhere in Penang.
5. Curry Puff/Karipap Mee Hoon
Someone hold me. Some culinary genius stuffed some fried vermicelli in some fried pastry shells, and now it’s apparently a thing! Someone tell me where I can find this please.
Source: Says
6. Ikan Masin Strawberry Sambal
Is this your reaction? Because this was mine.
Is the standard ‘sambal’ too boring for you? Well, Abang Strawberry has upped the sambal game with his ikan masin strawberry sambal.
He also teaches you HOW make a really weird spaghetti dish…
7. Sambal Mooncake
Nope, we’re also not done with our favourite sauce/spread/etc. Every time mooncake season comes, makers have been trying to create unique combinations to stand out. But of course, being Malaysians, we have to put sambal in everything. And I mean… everything.
Source: Lowyat Forum
I know what I’m getting for the Mooncake Festival this year.
8. Maggi Murtabak and/or Burger
Maggi is like an essential part of the Malaysian life. Every person’s Maggi dish is a unique reflection of themselves… and how innovative they were when they couldn’t afford non-instant food. So of course this list will include some Maggi in it.
There’s Maggi + Murtabak:
… Maggi + Burger (done in two ways: You exchange the meat OR the bun for Maggi):
…AND Maggi + Murtabak + Burger at Slurp Café:
BONUS: Mamee Milkshake!
It’s more drink than food, but with Mamee thrown into it, I wasn’t quite sure I could put it in the ‘drink’ category either.
The Mamee noodle snack – not to be confused with the instant noodle meal, Maggi – is stacked up with a whole bunch of ungodly, chocolaty desserts with of course, the milkshake right below – in case you didn’t notice it under all that craziness.
