Street Food Guide

Here in Malaysia, cheap food can be found at every street corner at any time of the day or night. In fact, Malaysia is a food heaven. When it comes to local food, the choice is endless in the variety of local fare available - Malay, Chinese, Indian food. Below are three popular local food meals and where you can find them. Each serving would cost you no more than RM5 - not even USD1.50.


SEAFOOD PORRIDGE - Take your pick: The porridge at Joo Leong Café can be customised with your pick of seafood items.

JOO LEONG CAFÉ
179-H, Sungai Tiram. Bayan Lepas, Penang. Open: 6pm-11pm. Closed on Mondays.

This was the first seafood porridge place in town when it opened 31 years ago, and it remains the top destination for those seeking this dish.

At the counter, containers are filled with fresh seafood (at market prices) such as crabs, prawns, fish maw, fried fish, fish balls and frogs’ legs. Just pick out the ingredients you want, and they will be cooked for you with porridge (or noodles).

The seafood is cooked to just the right texture, flavouring the porridge with its sweetness.

Food takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the table, especially during peak hours. Most diners do not complain however, as there is really good ang koo with a gene­rous, smooth mung bean filling, or buttered toast sprinkled with sugar to tide them over while waiting.



HASAN’S ROJAK
Outside King’s Confectionery, Jln SS2/67, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 012-211 5634. Open: 11am-5pm. Closed on Fridays.

The prawn crackers or keropok elevate rojak into something really special, and most of the stall’s patrons will request for extra crackers. Crunchy and crisp, the crackers complement the spicy-sweet peanut sauce very well. On Saturdays, the stall moves to Jalan SS2/60, in front of the Maruzen light shop. The operators also have another van parked outside Kedai Runcit Chuan Seng, Jalan 21/67, Seapark.



HOE KEE CHICKEN RICE SHOPFlavourful: - Garlicky chicken rice balls are an integral element of Hoe Kee’s chicken rice.
4, Jln Hang Jebat (Jonkers Street, next to the old Chung Kiaw Bank), Malacca. Open: 7.30am-4pm. Closed last Wednesday of the month.

This stall is one of two prominent chicken rice shops at the corner of the touristy “antique street” area. Madam Tan Hin Lee and her brother took the business over from their parents and claim that they were the first to set up the chicken rice business in the area over 40 years ago.

Hoe Kee’s smooth, round rice balls are flavourful and garlicky, with grains that flake when the balls are broken. The boiled chicken is firm and tender.

Apart from the chicken, the shop also serves asam fish curry, black bean soup and lotus root soup.


Source: The Star