You could
spend a lifetime discovering the intricacies and flavours of
Malaysian cuisine and still be surprised by the subtle variations
in the curry mee and nasi goreng (in Malay 'mee' is simply 'noodle'
and 'nasi' is rice) you find around the next corner. Even a
few days in this gourmand's paradise will give you plenty of
opportunity to dive into one of the world's great cuisines, and the
blend of Chinese, Indian and Malay cooking styles and ingredients
available around the country makes for some very exciting eating.
Malaysia has long been an important source of spices like cinnamon,
star anise, cardamom and cloves for the new world, so it's no
wonder the locals know their way around a kitchen.
Malaysia is renowned for its street-level hawker food, and
rightly so. The apparent simplicity and freshness of this kind of
Malaysian food is its beauty. Dishes like chicken and beef satay,
chicken rice, spicy fish salads and fresh noodle dishes of all
kinds are plentiful, economical and addictive. From these simple
but solid gastronomic roots Malaysian food branches upwards into
great restaurants and fine dining equal to anywhere in the
world.
To dig even deeper into Malaysian cuisine, book yourself in for
a Malaysian cooking masterclass. In KL check out Rebung (http://www.rebung.com.my/cooking_class.htm)
where students learn to cook Malaysian cuisine beginning with
market visits to source fresh ingredients and finishing with
elaborate lunches. Also try Bayanindah (http://www.bayanindah.com/) where you
can stay in luxury accommodation while you stretch your culinary
muscles and add some Malaysian techniques to your kitchen
repertoire.