Breakfast in Malaysia: Way More Than Eggs and Toast

First, the bad news: our lodging dollar gets us a lot less in Malaysia than it did in Vietnam, and our hotel bill does not typically include breakfast.  The great news is that we’ve been forced to find our own first meal of the day.  And, in true Malaysian fashion, we’re finding the options are multicultural, hugely varied, and really tasty. Here’s just a sampling of the options.

Roti Canai

A thin, griddled Indian flatbread, roti canai is usually served with dal (curried lentils) and a potato curry. Rip the roti, dip it into the sauces and you’ve got breakfast for 1 Malaysian Ringgit (about 30 cents)! An alternative we really like is the larger, thinner, crispier thosai (the same as a South Indian dosa).  The thosai we found at Veloo Vilas in Penang’s Little India had a pleasantly sour taste, like buttermilk pancakes, and a delicate, lacy consistency.  It’s served with four types of sauces including curries and a coconut chutney.  Goes great with milky, frothy pulled kopi (coffee).

Nasi Lemak

The national dish of Malaysia, nasi lemak is a great example of the melting pot of Malaysian cuisine.  Coconut-flavored rice is topped with sambal (a spicy curry-paste like condiment), hard boiled eggs, crispy fried anchovies, peanuts and cucumber.  Nasi lemak can commonly be found wrapped up in banana leaves at hawker centers for a spicy on-the-go breakfast.

Dim Sum

Dim sum is a Chinese breakfast of multiple small bites, including steamed dumplings, meat stews, steamed buns, noodles, fried bites, and more. Washed down with lots of strong Chinese tea, it’s best enjoyed as a leisurely weekend breakfast while reading the paper and chatting with friends.  It’s basically the Chinese version of brunch.

And if you must have eggs and toast…

…we’d recommend popping in to a kopitiam (coffee shop) for the Malaysian combo of soft-boiled eggs and toast spread with butter and kaya, a sweet coconut jam, washed down with a white coffee, which is much like a cafe au lait.