Malaysia like Indonesia had incredible food. We tried a few of the local dishes but mainly we at a hodgepodge of brilliant foods from Asia. We tried all sorts of things from Malaysian to Korean to Japanese. Here are a few of our favorite meals, drinks and treats from our two weeks in Malaysia.

Xiao Long Bao – dumplings filled with soup and meat. We had them at Din Tai Fung at Gurney Plaza in Penang and with Chelsea’s friend, Lindsey, in Kuala Lumpur. Din Tai Fung is one of the best dumpling restaurants in the world receiving a Michelin Star in a few of their locations. We heard about it on Chief David Changs Netflix show Ugly Delicious. The Xiao Long Bao were out of this world, we could eat them every day. In fact we ordered them for delivery another night from Grab too.

Malaysian Satay – skewered marinated and spiced meats char grilled over an open flame. They were really good dipped in the peanut sauce that accompanied them.

Rendang Daging Rusuk – beef braised in coconut milk with rice and vegetables. The beef was tender and juicy with so much flavor!

Nasi Lemak – considered to be the national dish of Malaysia. It consisted of coconut rice, eggs, cucumber, sardines and a lot of the time a side of fried chicken. It was dirt cheap and could be found all over Penang and Kuala Lumpur in the non-touristy areas.

Char Kway Teow – flat rice noodles stir fried with shrimp, bean sprouts and other veggies. We tried this at the Hawker market as well. Char Kway Teow is another cheap Chinese/Malaysian staple dish.

Langsat Fruit – we discovered this fruit while walking through a market that was open late for Chinese New Year. It grows ina bunch like very large grapes, but consists of a hard shell, a soft, juicy fruit, and a dark seed.

Yellow Crimson Watermelon- we did not know such a thing existed! It tasted just like red watermelon which is tough to beat on a hot day.

Putu Piring – palm sugar covered in rice flower and coconut shavings. It is most famous in Singapore but we came across it at a market and had to try it. We found it to be kind of dry. Cooper found it to be delicious and ate most of it.

Cow Cow Kitchen Milk Pies -from the Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory. These reminded us of the Costco cream cheese puffs only 100 times better. They were baked warm and fresh and exploded with the milk cream filling when you took a bite.

Bakkwa – smoked and flavor infused meat cooked over charcoal. We tried the sliced pork from Bee Cheng Hiang. This put bacon to shame and we really love bacon!

Japanese Shaved Ice – we were introduced to this awesome Japanese dessert by Chelsea’s friend, Lindsey. We tried the strawberry, and a green tea variation at Kaki Yuki. They were incredible and the best thing was the hidden treats inside the shaved ice like strawberries, cake, and toffee bites.

Oreo Souffle- across the street was a tea and dessert cafe called Mögee Tee. Their specialty was these creative souffles….they did not disappoint. They were soft, fluffy, and delicious. Along with the oreo one, we tried creme brulee flavor too. Yum!

Mandarin Orange Kit Kat – a special addition for Chinese Chinese new year.

Tom Yum & Sweet Chili Pringles – we are a sucker for the different kinds of Pringles around the world. These two were both good and had a little heat to them.

Lemon Tea – pretty straightforward but the kids loved lemon tea and it was extremely popular in Malaysia. The country did not have much diet or zero soda, water and lemon tea were the drinks of choice.

Red apple tea – it was good but the real reason we bought it was we couldn’t resist the packaging!

Kickapoo Joy Juice – pretty sure it was squirt but how can you pass up trying something named Kickapoo Joy Juice? The can’s cartoon is a little questionable too.

Milo – another kids favorite. It tasted like chocolate milk but they could not get enough of it. They found a Milo cereal later on and just had to have it so they could eat and drink Milo at the same time.