Mmm.... Food

Ah the food in Malaysia...where do we even start?  With the help of our friend Yan (and her lovely parents) we were able to try a ridiculous number of local dishes and began to feel a bit like professional competitive eaters. The job is easy when the food tastes this good!

Here is an overview of our time spent in KL and Malacca:

We arrived in the city and were met by Yan and some amazing streetside burgers.  

Burger Bananza. Easily in the Top 3 Burgers ever.
Take a delicious patty,add cheese on top, WRAP it in a fried egg,
add special sauce and sliced apple. They also do a goat patty as well
 as a "special" one where they combine all the meats. Mmmmmmm

On our first full day in the city, we had a breakfast of roti canai and dal, followed by some maggi goreng before visiting the Batu caves.  You climb up over 250 stairs to reach a hindu temple within the limestone caves.  It is a bit like an obstacle course climbing these stairs as they are guarded by monkeys who are anxious to steal any food, drink or flowers you may have brought along with you. 

Maggi Goreng: deliciously fried instant noodles

 

After the caves we met up with a couple of other travelers to visit the Pewter factory together.

2010 LPGA Champion. 

Largest pewter beer mug in the world

Naturally, it was time to eat again after our visit to the Pewter factory.  Our lunch consisted of seafood noodles in a white wine sauce, followed by noodles cooked in Hennessy.

Our dessert was one of my favorite things we have tried in Malaysia: Ais kacang or ABC. Shaved ice topped with sweet corn, red beans, grass jelly, peanuts, syrups, and condensed milk.  Heaven on a hot day!

Of course there are at least three meals to every day, and that night we went for steamboat (hot pot) with Yan's family.  We ate all sorts of amazing fish, shellfish, vegetables, and dumplings - sending us into a sort of food coma by the end of the meal.

The next day we had a brunch of chicken and pork rice, fried noodles, and spicy noodle soup before walking around the city center.

Two types of pork (Roasted and BBQ) and one type of chicken. 

National Monument

We hit the night market for some fresh fruits and tasty treats before dinner. We tried delicious pancakes and  some exotic fruit like sour mango and rose apple.

These are the best pancakes in the world. If you see them, attack.

Stingray. Surprisingly delicious. 

On our third day in the city we visited the twin towers for some obligatory tourist photo ops.  The towers also looked beautiful at night lit up.

In the evening, we took a drive to Kuala Selangor for a delicious seafood dinner.  We waited in the area until dark to take a boat ride to see thousands of fireflies lighting up the surrounding trees.

Best seafood meal ever. Photo evidence.

We decided to head to Malacca overnight to try out some of their local delicacies. Before we left though, we had a breakfast feast in the market with Yan and her mom.

More of those pancakes !!!

Eggplant and pig skin in a curry sauce.

Stuffed tofu. 

Very delicious spring roll. 

KL Laksa at the market.

As we left KL, Yan gave us a detailed list of dishes we were to try in Malacca. The list was long and seeing as we only had one night in the city, we had to get started right away. We began our food marathon with Malacca's famous chicken rice balls.

Chicken rice balls at Hoe Kee Restaurant.

Onde Onde. Small flour balls filled with palm sugar and
rolled in grated coconut.

Curry Makko. Very tasty chicken curry.

Skewers cooked in a tasty peanut sauce. 

Malacca version of Laksa

So many choices. 

The list - Mission Accomplished. 

When we arrived back to KL for our last night in Malaysia we had one more item to try: Durian.  It is described as "gag-inducing to some, and manna from heaven to others".  

Durian.

Uncertain about the durian. It eventually grew on us.
But never buy durian ice cream.

If you want to eat the food here. You have to
train like a champion.

Malaysia

If we had to pick a focus for our time spent in Malaysia, then the undeniable answer would be food.  Simple as that.  The food here is amazing and we came with big appetites.

"Best Indian meal of my life" - Adam Pawlak 05/03/12 

Our first stop in Malaysia was Penang, or more specifically Georgetown. Penang is renowned in Malaysia for its delicious food, and I knew from the first day we arrived that we were going to be very happy here.  I think much of this is owed to the unique blend of cultures found in Malaysia: mainly being Malay, Chinese, and Indian.  You are spoiled for choice, and anything you do choose is sure to please.  You could gorge yourself on some incredible Indian curries for lunch, and then chow down on some Chinese noodles at a street market for dinner.  And while you are sitting in that street market, you may look around and find a woman in a headscarf to your right, a woman in a sari to your left, and another woman in a simple tanktop and shorts sitting directly in front of you.

 

I suppose I should also mention something of the sights on this island as well...and they are worth mentioning.  When we weren't enjoying a nice meal, we were exploring the winding streets of Chinatown, little India, and the beautiful colonial area of Georgetown.  There was such an interesting feel to the place.  We especially enjoyed finding a street containing a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, and a mosque all within a few blocks of each other.

A rhinoceros beetle.  

After a few days in Georgetown, we made our way across the peninsula and hopped on a ferry to the Perhentian Islands.  We stayed on Kecil (aka the small) island and I think this would probably be our favorite island visited so far.  More laid back than its Thai neighbours, and with water so clear you can see the colourful fish and coral below without even stepping off the dock.  Oh yeah, and the food was amazing too. Three dollars for twelve sticks of satay? Yes please!

 

 

 

 

We headed back inland after a few nights on the beach to the Cameron Highlands.  We welcomed the respite from the heat in the higher altitude, and spent our time in the area eating Tandoori chicken.  In between our chicken and requisite relaxation time, we also managed to visit tea plantations, strawberry farms, and butterfly sanctuaries.  

 

 

 

We are now in Kuala Lumpur with our resident guide and foodie - one fabulous Miss Yan Liew.  You can expect another post to follow shortly recounting some of the amazing meals we are enjoying in the capital.

Dear Gary,

You'll never guess where we've been. Go ahead, take a guess.... Nope. Not even close.

If you had a bucket list, it would likely be in the top 2.

That's right. The Rose Centre.

Jealous. I thought so.  

The best company anyone can ask for. 

As they say, the only ship worth a dam, is friendship. 

These flowers are captivating.

A peach rose symbolizes togetherness or the closing of a deal.
Fragrant. 

Amazing. 

Wish you were here. 

Best wishes. 

Adam

PS. Paula writes all of our posts. As you can tell from the much better writing. I have written this one.