WHERE else but in Malaysia is “Have you eaten?” an appropriate alternative to “Good morning”, when salutations are exchanged at the start of the day?

Yes, “Dah makan?” is not just a greeting but, in truth, a clue to the collective psyche of the Malaysian people. The joy of eating truly fuels our nation and this is reflected in the delicious variety of mouth-watering culinary options — from timeless staples to the contemporary — which underscore the cultural diversity of Malaysia.

So, to celebrate our favourite national pastime, we have highlighted some famous as well as lesser-known eateries where you can indulge in meals that will appease the most discerning palates and demanding tummies.

Not your typical appam

Parking spots are a luxury in Lucky Garden, Bangsar, even for the most resourceful, but it’s worth the aggravation just to savour a taste of the famous appam at the institutional Om Shakti Chelo Appam stall.

Located behind TMC Supermarket, the humble stall offers a variety of appams — a type of pancake that is made from fermented rice batter — ranging from the plain option to creations covered with a generous sprinkle of fragrant brown sugar. We decided to try the sweet appams with brown sugar but you can opt for the plain one if you prefer something that is not as sugary.

Flavoured with coconut milk, the plump and wobbly centre of the appam has a soft and moist texture, in contrast to the thin and crispy filigree-like edges. Each mouthful gives an explosion of flavours, from the slightly sour rice dough steeped in rich coconut milk, to the welcome kick from the sweet caramalised brown sugar.

Besides appam, the 27-year-old Om Shakti Chelo Appam stall also offers a variety of kuih as well as curry puffs. This is definitely a nice spot for brunch if you’re craving something local and light. However, it’s best to visit after lunch hours if you don’t want to wait in line. — Lum Ka Kay

Om Shakti Chelo Appam Stall:
Lorong Ara Kiri 3, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 12pm to 10pm, closed on Sundays

Bound by strong family ties

Following years of selling ice kacang from a pushcart bearing its namesake, Penang’s famous Swatow Lane Ice Kacang has finally found a permanent home at the New World Park food court.

First operated by Lee Kar Tee in 1929, the stall was passed down to his two sons, Soo Hun and Soo Eng. Currently, the son of Soo Hun, Eng Lai, is operating the stall together with his three sons. Eng Lai’s brother Eng Huat also helps with the shop’s daily operations as well as the marketing and branding of the shop.

There are two must-try dishes at their shop: the ice kacang and the rojak. Their ice kacang is served with papaya, mango, banana and other condiments including grass jelly, red bean, pine-seed, evaporated milk and a scoop of ice cream. Meanwhile, the rojak is sprinkled with a generous helping of crushed peanuts, and its shrimp paste sauce has just the right mix of sweet and sour.

However, the Lees are expanding the menu. These include asam laksa, butter kaya toast, and sweet and sour fish or chicken rice. Hokkien mee is also on the cards, although a lack of manpower prohibits them from fine-tuning the recipe. “Hopefully when we have more staff, we can start experimenting with new dishes since we have a shop of our own now,” says the energetic 67-year-old Eng Lai.

“For us, it is about making affordable food that people love to eat, using recipes inherited from my grandfather. As long as we make enough to live day by day, that is enough for me,” he says with a smile. — Natalie Khoo

Swatow Lane Ice Kacang
New World Park, 102, Jalan Burma, George Town, Penang
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm daily

Selling like hot cakes — literally

The unadorned little stall may belie its appeal, but it is known to draw hours-long queues from near and far. The lure is an equally simple traditional rice cake called “putu piring”.

Literally selling like hot cakes, the steaming sweet treat is freshly made from rice flour with a “gula melaka” (palm sugar) filling and a liberal sprinkling of grated coconut. Adding to the aroma is the sweet-smelling pandan-leaf-infused water used to steam the cakes.

This popular must-eat is conveniently found at Jalan Tengkera, Melaka, which is around six minutes’ walk from Jonker Street, the tourist stop offering a myriad of local delicacies.

Passed down over three generations, the recipe of this delicious snack has remained unmodified over the past 50 years and the business is now secure in the hands of grandson Steven Pang.

Open only at 6pm, queues can normally be seen from as early as 5.30pm, all eagerly watching Pang and his parents prepare the ingredients while they wait. — Tan Ai Leng

Putu Piring Tengkera:
252, Jalan Tengkera, Melaka
Opening hours: 6pm to 10pm, closed on Sundays

Pisang goreng to go!

By 12.30pm, a short line has already formed in front of Uncle Chiam’s stall in the heart of Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. The modest stall, simply called Brickfields Pisang Goreng, is well-known for, well, its pisang goreng (banana fritters), which is remarkable for comprising a whole pisang raja fruit as opposed to the usual measly banana slices offered by most peddlers of this deep fried street cuisine.

As we sank our teeth into the large piece of pisang goreng, it was immediately obvious why people come from all over the Klang Valley to satisfy their cravings at Uncle Chiam’s. Wrapped within a thin and crunchy, deep-fried layer of batter, the ripe banana remains mellow and moist — a perfect treat for tea.

During our visit, Uncle Chiam was nowhere to be seen as he was busy preparing other kuih at home. If pisang goreng isn’t your flavour, he also serves up fried kuih bakul, sesame balls and curry puffs.

Rest assured that Uncle Chiam’s offerings are freshly made. Each banana fritter, sesame ball and kuih bakul is priced at RM1.40 per piece, while curry puffs go for RM1.60 each.

Arrive early or call ahead to avoid disappointment, as the treats sell out quickly. Meanwhile, excuse us for we’re going to have another piece of the awesome pisang goreng. Go get your own. — Lum Ka Kay

Brickfields Pisang Goreng:
Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur (opposite YMCA)
Opening hours: 12pm to 5pm, closed on some Mondays
Contact: (012) 617 2511

A window to the past

It is so easy to miss the Ais Tingkap stall, a hole-in-the-wall off the side of Penang’s Chowrasta Market. However, the long line of customers for this unique thirst-quenching beverage gives its location away.

Ais Tingkap, or ‘window sherbet’, got its name from when it used to be sold through a window in the wall in the stall’s early days. The drink’s history can be traced back to 1919, when trader Abdul Azeez moved his sherbet business from Sri Lanka to Penang’s sunny shores. The business has since been passed down to two of Abdul Azeez’s nine grandsons, Mohamed Jafri and Mohamed Taufique.

The main three ingredients of this unique drink are basil seeds (biji selasih), malva nuts (kembang semangkuk) and olbanum gum-resin (getah anggur), which Jafri explains have “cooling” properties.

The basil seeds are soaked for 20 minutes, the malva nuts an hour, and the olbanum gum-resin a day. Taufique prepares the drink by first filling a glass with shaved ice and liquid sugar before spraying in a secret fragrant concoction. He then adds some sugar essence syrup, sugar water and coconut flesh before adding a spoonful each of the three cooling ingredients. The result is a refreshing drink with chewy bits and pieces. On a hot day, one can easily gulp down two glasses.

The drink costs RM2 now, up from 5 sen in 1919. Other cold desserts and drinks worth trying at the stall include cendol kacang, ice kacang, and the lychee coconut water. — Natalie Khoo

Ais Tingkap:
2, Lebuh Tamil, George Town, Penang
Opening hours: 11am to 7pm daily

Perfected over a century

The 98-year-old Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory is an institution in Johor Bahru. Despite its hidden location, tucked discreetly along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, its striking blue wooden doors continue to welcome scores of buyers, both local and out-of-town folks — from out of state and across the causeway.

The shop traces its history back to 1919, when its Hainanese founder Lim Joo Ban teamed up with six partners to set up the bakery. The six partners eventually quit, so Lim forged on and handed the business down to his son Meng Chin before passing away in 2002. His son and grandsons now run the shop, changing little from the days of Joo Ban.

Today, they still use traditional methods and fresh local ingredients. At the heart of their bakery is a wood-fired oven that is almost a century old.

Undoubtedly, Hiap Joo’s must-try product is its banana cake. Packed with rich banana flavour, the cake is very moist and fluffy and has a distinct smokey aroma, which can be attributed to their wood-fired oven. The cake is also very reasonably priced, at RM10 for 10 slices.

If you want to taste their banana cake, you have to queue up early even though the banana cakes will only be ready by noon. This is especially so during the weekends and holidays.

Missed out on the banana cake? Fret not, their other offerings — such as buns filled with shredded coconut, red bean and peanut — are sure to satisfy as well. — Shawn Ng

Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory:
13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Johor Bahru, Johor
Opening hours: 7.30am to 5.30 pm daily except Monday noon to 5.30pm, closed on Sundays

This story first appeared in EdgeProp.my live! magazine. Download a FREE copy of live! magazine here.