Food, glorious food. One thing you will never tire yourself out of is food. Around the clock, one can get any kind of food in almost all the major towns in the state. Restaurants are situated along almost all the streets and one thing is for sure -- no one will ever go hungry. Malaysia, being a cosmopolitan country, has a variety of food, each unique to the three main races. However, Western food is available at selected outlets and all the major hotels in the state. Also joining the competition for a slice of the cake are fast-food chains including McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and A & W, which have several outlets in the state. Let us give you an introduction to the three main types of cuisine in Perak.

Malay Cuisine

Chinese Cuisine

Indian Cuisine

The Malay affinity for his "own piece of land" comes through in the use of natural and home-grown ingredients and spices for cooking, such as coconut, chilli and lemon grass, fragrant lime leaves, and fresh turmeric. Ulam, (fresh greens which traditionally accompany the main course), which consists of herbal leaves and garden greens often hand-picked by the cook, is uniquely Malay. Equally important in a Malay meal is the sambal, a rather brownish-looki ng paste with a powerful punch. The sambal, made of ground chilli, prawn paste (belacan), lemon grass and a number of condiments, can be eaten as an accompaniment to almost any dish and will liven up the dullest meal.

Another hot favorite is satay - skewers of marinated beef or chicken barbecued over glowing charcoal and eaten dipped in a spicy peanut sauce with accompaniments of cucumber and ketupat (rice cubes boiled in palm leaf).

A popular Malay breakfast is nasi lemak, a spicy and fragrant meal of rice steamed in coconut milk that is served with a selection of curried chicken, beef or squid, cucumber, fried anchovies and sambal, all neatly parcelled in a banana leaf. Nasi lemak, like all other Malay rice meals, should ideally be eaten with the fingers. The Malays believe that food tastes better if it is delivered directly from the hand to the mouth. This is done through a ‘pinch and scoop’ technique that requires only the five digits of the right hand.

Some popular restaurants where good Malay Food is available:

 

The opening of the tin mines brought the first Chinese migrants to Malaysia in the late 19th century. With them, came the rich traditions, colorful culture and a wonderful variety of food. Presently, the main groups that make up the Chinese community here are the Cantonese, Hokkiens, Hainanese and Foochows. Again, each community has its own specialty. Of them all, the Hainanese are the "chefs" and they are famed for their preparation of Hainanese chicken rice. Dishes that are prepared in Cantonese and Hokkien style are considered more delicate and refined than those of Foochow meal, which is usually robust and presented in generous portions.

This is because Foochow food is traditionally meant for the hardy, rural community while Cantonese food is designed to appeal to city sophisticates. Unlike Malay cuisine, where taste is measured by the artful blending of spices, there is greater emphasis on meat in Chinese cuisine.

A dish with chunks of meat is more highly valued than one which is vegetarian. Almost every part of an animal, fowl or fish is cooked and savoured down to chicken feet and fish lips.

Noodles feature prominently and these turn up in a fascinating variety and a number of combinations, either as soup noodles with barbecued meat, fried noodles with prawns or curry noodles with chicken. The proper way to enjoy a Chinese meal is with chopsticks although, for the uninitiated, it may take a little while to learn the proper way to use them.

Popular Chinese restaurants:

 

Like the Malays, the Indians use their spices liberally. Indian food in Malaysia can be broadly classified under three categories - North Indian, South Indian and Indian Muslim. Dishes prepared by North Indians make more subtle use of spices and yogurt, while South Indian food is blatantly spicy and hearty.

The Indian Muslims make up a sizable population here and over the years their dishes have been "Malaysianised" to suit local taste. A popular Indian Muslim meal is nasi kandar. Nasi is the Malay word for rice while kandar is a pole sling across the shoulders. Not more than 20 years ago, nasi kandar was sold by hawkers. It is a rice meal eaten with chicken, meat or fish in rich, thick gravies and curries.

While the Chinese sometimes substitute their rice meal for noodles, bread is a popular alternatives with the Indians. It comes in a delicious variety; in the form of Thosai, chapati, naan, roti chanai and idli. These are eaten with a combination of lentil curries, spicy ladies fingers and aubergine, potato curries, piquant chutneys, and the ubiquitous pappadam.

The unleavened breads are usually cooked on griddles in view of the diners. Watching roti chanai being made is a fascinating experience. Balls of characteristically elastic dough are flattened out, then picked up and whirled around a few times to stretch them out paper thin, then slapped down on an oiled iron griddle, folded and fried crisp.

A banana leaf meal is another not-to-be-missed experience. You get as much rice as you want, and generous helpings of curry chicken, mutton or fish all heaped on a banana leaf instead of a plate. Banana leaf rice is traditionally eaten with the fingers and the ‘hot’ meal is washed down with a glass of fresh yogurt.

Popular Indian banana leaf restaurants:

 

Gopal’s Corner
Jalan Sungai Pari, Buntong

Saro’s Restaurant
Jalan Market

VKK Restaurant
Jalan Raja Musa Aziz

(Indian Muslim food)

Salim’s
Jalan Ali Pitchay

Parkeeza
Lorong Green

 

One can find hawker centres in almost any corner of the city and towns in Perak, at any time of the day or night. Most hawkers in Perak are licensed and are regularly checked by the Health Department for hygiene and cleanliness. Licensed hawkers are given medical check-ups before their licence are renewed annually.

Hawkers provide freshly prepared food and drinks, served in a basic, no-frills way - - tasty food in a bowl or plate with chopsticks or fork and spoons; sometimes accompanied with chilli paste or freshly-cut chilli with soya sauce. Do not expect napkins, wet towels or tablecloth - it may be a good idea to bring along your own box of tissues!

In Perak, hawker food is sold throughout the day. Some cater for the breakfast crowd, most for the lunch and dinner crowd while a handful start operations in the wee hours of the morning to cater for late night patrons or those who go to work early.

Ordering hawker food requires experience - a hawker dish can have multitudes of combinations - and you get what you ask for.