|  Coconut milk, chillies and belacan are the mother
of all ingredients in Malay cooking. Rice and curry feature consistently
in Malay cooking while a must-have side accompaniment with every
meal is the fantastic sambal belacan, a potent concoction of prawn
paste, chillies and lime juice. Malay food stalls are a permanent
feature in the Malaysian streets, dotting the urban landscape with
their makeshift counters of colourful Malay goodies and desserts,
a one-stop, drive-in spot for the office crowd in search of snacks
and refreshments. A popular drink is the simple yet refreshing ais
manis or iced rose syrup.
 Nasi Lemak
Rice cooked with coconut milk and served with ikan bilis (anchovies),
peanuts, sambal (chilli sauces), and sambal prawn or fish. Normally
taken for breakfast in an economically packed servings in banana
leaf and newspaper, it costs a meagre 50 cents to one ringgit. To
appreciate nasi lemak in authentic setting, have one in a mamak
stall (wooden stall with wooden bench and tables by the roadside,
normally under a shady tree) and take it with a cup of teh tarik
(literally translated means “Pull Tea” – tea that
is tossed in the air). Alternatively, there are bigger servings
of nasi lemak which comes with dishes such as sambal squids, fried
egg, fried fish, vegetables, and fried or curry chicken.
For the best nasi lemak in town (in no particular
order): mamak stall in front of RTM building, Jalan Burmah near
Midlands One-Stop Centre – mornings only; mamak stall off
Penang Road opposite Oriental Hotel – evening till midnight;
mamak stall in Penang Street opposite Ganesh Printers – mornings
only and coffee shop opposite Plus Zone in Pulau Tikus – lunch
time only.
 Satay
Slices of beef, goat or chicken meat premarinated in spices and
grilled over charcoal on wooden skewers. Served with ketupat (rice
cakes) cucumber, raw onion, and spicy nutty sauce. Nice snack for
meat lovers. Costs 40 to 60 cents per stick.
Nasi Tomato
Tomato flavoured rice with servings of your choice: kurma curry
chicken is recommended, with assortments of vegetables and meat
or egg. Good filling meal. Costs RM2.00 to RM5.00 depending on dishes
selected.
For the best nasi tomato in town: Stall on Jalan
Tanjung Tokong opposite sea front – 6:00pm to 8:00pm daily.
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