Have you eaten yet?

Apart from saying “lah” on a regular basis, a true sign of becoming a local is also developing an interest in food that boarders on an obsession. Food is one of Malaysian’s favorite topics and whether you have eaten yet is a commonly the first question that friends ask when meeting and tonight’s dinner begins to be thought about shortly after breakfast.

Since my arrival here in Malaysia, almost every meal has been an adventure which has been worth framing and keeping forever. The curries have been amazing, the noodles are to die for, the Laksas are unforgettable and as for the Satays…...

The Malaysian breakfasts beat the Australian breakfast any day with their rice, hard boiled egg and what tastes like curried fish.

One of my favorite places for food is Central Markets, not only because it plays a lead role in my dreams from about 4 am onwards, but because the food is good, cheap and hasn’t yet caused stomach dramas, which is very important when living away from home.

My local area has offered up a mass of places including one called “Marmalade”, while this café could almost pass as an independently-run cosmopolitan venue for mums and their babies in Glebe or St Kilda, on closer note it does disappoint. While the murals are good and the light furnishings are great, the decoration budget seems to have run out leaving the rest of café a little forlorn. The menu isn’t bad though and the fresh juices are certainly welcome after coming in from the humidity.

As with many other suburbs, chain restaurants have made their presence felt. “Secret Recipe”, while being midrange does good Asian, Fusion and Western meals while reducing the likelihood of having to drive a porcelain bus for the next 24 hours. It is also a good place if your taste buds have sensory overload and need some bland western food.

Unlike Australia, where there are many independent cafes and Starbucks has defiantly made its mark on my local “village square”. Being seriously addicted to coffee as well as devotee of the café culture, I was glad to have somewhere that provided an opportunity to caffeinate and watching the world go past while a cool environment. Their drip coffee certainly makes up for their consistently bad espresso brews.

Someone once wrote “don’t eat what you can’t pronounce” but if people took this seriously their lives would be the poorer for it. Malaysian food is often hard to pronounce but is amazing and completely justifying their obsession.