Think of 3950 meals, snacks and morsels – a conservative estimate of what my husband and I consumed over 13 months travelling around Malaysia and Singapore to deep dive into their food culture. Food defined the rhythm of each day: freshly spun roti washed down with sweet mugs of tea for breakfast; bites of caramelised pisang goreng (fried banana) to tide you over until lunch; a steaming pile of rice served on a banana leaf with curries at midday. On it goes with afternoon tea, dinner, supper, a midnight snack. And all enjoyed with friends, colleagues and family in coffee shops, canteens, perched on a stool on the street in the sticky heat. Life here is centred around people and food. A confluence of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, not to mention indigenous communities, means you could spend your whole life eating your way around these two nations and still run out of time to discover all its layers and intricacies. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Malaysian restaurants are most commonly of Malaysian Chinese origin. However, the menus are often inclusive and you’ll find street-food dishes listed alongside Nyonya cuisine (a blend of Chinese and Malay cooking) and mamak (Indian Muslim eateries) favourites. It’s not unusual for Malaysian Chinese restaurants in New Zealand to be halal friendly or list ‘no pork’ on their menus.

Singaporean classics like Hainanese chicken rice can easily be found, but on the whole uniquely Singaporean offerings are under-represented. However there are enterprising people committed to widening our understanding of Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine – from a small business selling DIY bak chor mee kits (a Singaporean dry noodle dish), a Wellington outfit serving traditional Malaysian breakfasts, and a growing number of home cooks opening food stalls to share their family recipes. The breadth and diversity of Malaysian and Singaporean food in Aotearoa increases year on year, so what else is there to do but “Makan makan”, the ubiquitous phrase you hear multiple times a day in Malaysia and Singapore, “Let’s eat!” Here are my Chasing a Plate suggestions.

IN AUCKLAND…

For a taste of Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak, hunt down Ailimteh Nasi Lemak Bungkus. The food cart can be found outside Jadan Supermarket in Mt Roskill every Sunday and their namesake dish is served ‘bungkus’ or takeout style. In Malaysia nasi lemak bungkus is a grab-and-run affair. Available from roadside stalls, petrol stations, restaurants and cafés, it’s a popular breakfast for workers to pick up on their way to the office. Unwrap Ailimteh’s brown parcel and you’ll find a hefty triangle of coconut rice tinged blue from butterfly pea flowers, smoky sambal, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts and boiled egg. Owner Ellen Teh hails from Penang where one of the go-to snacks is loh bak, a minced pork roll marinated with five spice and garlic, wrapped in dried bean-curd skin and deep fried. Ailimteh’s version is deep fried to order and incredibly moreish. Don’t pass on Ellen’s kuih, bite-sized snacks which hero ingredients such as coconut, pandan and glutinous rice. @ailimtehnasilemakbungkus

If you’re after an interactive and wonderfully messy eating experience it doesn’t get much better than chilli crab. It’s a meal everyone who visits Singapore wants to tick off their list. Mud crabs are stir fried in a thick, sweet tomato and chilli gravy and served with fried or steamed mantou (buns) to swipe up every last drop of the sauce. In Greenlane you’ll find a number of Singaporean favourites on the menu at Malaysian restaurant Treasure Kitchen including chilli crab and the equally popular black pepper crab. The hawker classic orh jian (oyster omelette) features plump oysters fried in a starchy batter which turns crispy and golden but retains a bit of gooeyness. See also our full review of Treasure Kitchen.  treasurekitchen.co.nz

A top pick for family-style sharing dishes is Petaling Malaysian Restaurant on Dominion Rd. In Malaysia and Singapore, this style of dining is known as zi char – casual, home-style and cooked to order. Petaling Malaysian offers zi char mainstays such as Marmite chicken, various proteins coated in Nestum (an instant cereal that lends crunch) and dishes featuring the divisive petai or stink bean, which has a similar effect to asparagus. The house-made, fried egg tofu is a standout with its wobbly, custard-like interior and crisp outer. If you’re needing a bit of guidance, owner and host Jenny Cheng will gladly point you in the right direction. The portions are generous and the menu sizeable, so this is an ideal place to dine with friends and family. petaling-malaysian-restaurant.co.nz

LIFE HERE IS CENTRED AROUND PEOPLE AND FOOD … YOU COULD SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE EATING YOUR WAY AROUND THESE TWO NATIONS AND STILL RUN OUT OF TIME TO DISCOVER ALL ITS LAYERS AND INTRICACIES.

A number of Malaysian and Singaporean food stalls born out of the pandemic are now pop-ups at markets, events and outside supermarkets on a weekly basis. One to track down is Super Shiok Eats which specialises in halal-friendly, uniquely Singaporean dishes such as bak chor mee (mince-meat noodles with shallot oil, sambal and vinegar) and economical bee hoon (stir-fried rice vermicelli). Founder Adlena Wong launched Super Shiok Eats in 2020 to champion Singaporean food, as she missed the ritual around eating in Singapore – wandering down to the hawker centre to grab brown paper packets of food that were shared with friends and family. Adlena has formed a loyal community of expat Singaporeans who have found a taste of home in her food. You can find Super
Shiok Eats outside E-PACS Supermarket in East Tamaki every Saturday and Sunday, or make your own bak chor mee at home with Adlena’s kits which you can purchase online. @supershiokeats

In Malaysia, roti canai is eaten at all hours of the day. An unleavened flatbread of Indian origin, it’s served alongside curry sauce, sambal and sometimes a splash of dahl. It makes for a satisfying breakfast washed down with a mug of frothy teh tarik (pulled tea) and is equally agreeable eaten at 10pm for supper. Uncle Man’s is the place to seek out roti that’s flaky and fluffy, with just the right amount of chew. This is art in motion. Just like in Malaysia, you can watch the roti being slapped, tossed and swirled in front of you as cups of sweet teh tarik are poured and stretched from a great height, creating the drink’s signature foamy top. It’s a spectacle you can watch for hours and never tire of. unclemans.com

One of the best places to sample food from Sarawak in East Malaysia is Taisumyun Malaysian Cuisine, owned and operated by husband-and- wife team Lee Yew Veng and Zhong Shaozhen from Limbang in northern Sarawak. The kitchen churns out Sarawakian gems such as kolo mee, a dry noodle dish with pork and fried shallots and Sarawak laksa, famous for its light yet aromatic broth. We rate the Taisumyun fried noodles, a noodle dish packed with slices of fishcake, chicken, prawns and choy sum. This third- generation family dish was served in Mr Lee’s grandfather’s kopitiam (local coffee shop) in Limbang, then cooked by his father and now, in Auckland, by him. taisumyun-malaysian-cuisine.co.nz

THE BREADTH AND DIVERSITY OF MALAYSIAN AND SINGAPOREAN FOOD IN AOTEAROA INCREASES YEAR ON YEAR, SO “MAKAN MAKAN”, THE UBIQUITOUS PHRASE YOU HEAR MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY IN MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE, “LET’S EAT!”

AND TO WELLINGTON…

Wellington has long been spoilt for excellent Malaysian cuisine but Macha, Jom Tapau! might be the only place in the country where you’ll find nasi kerabu on the menu (though only at the Press Hall outlet). It’s a breakfast staple in Kelantan in northeast Malaysia featuring butterfly pea rice, ulam (local salads), salted egg, crackers, kerisik (toasted coconut) and a protein such as chicken or fish. Owner-operators husband-and-wife team Muthuvelu Supramaniam and Vanitha Loganathan don’t cut corners. The kerisik for the nasi kerabu is made from scratch and they steep butterfly pea flowers in water using it to stain the rice blue. Their beef rendang is a firm menu favourite and people can’t get enough of their house-made kaya – silky coconut curd slathered on white toast (made locally by Uncle Leo’s Bakery) with slices of butter. See also our full review of Macha, Jom Tapau!. machajomtapau.co.nz

Little Penang is a Wellington institution. Tee Phee and husband Keith Cheah opened the restaurant in Te Aro 14 years ago serving dishes from their hometown of Penang, which is renowned for its street food. Food lovers like us flock to sample char kway teow (rice noodles stir fried with Chinese sausage, cockles, prawns and pork lard), assam laksa (a sour, spicy fish-based noodle soup) and nasi kandar (a rice and curry dish of Tamil Muslim descent). It’s also the place to eat Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine, a fusion of Chinese ingredients with Malay spices and cooking techniques. At Little Penang you’ll find kapitan chicken, a Penang  Nyonya take on chicken curry and otak otak, fish marinated in herbs and spices and steamed in banana leaves. The char kway teow has legions of fans, addicted to the wok hei-infused noodles. facebook.com/littlepenang

Tucked away in Naenae, Lower Hutt is Sedap Malaysia, a no-frills, family-run takeaway dishing up Malaysia’s greatest hits. The curry laksa is extremely popular – add your choice of protein to a heaping bowl of noodles, fishballs, tofu and hard-boiled egg swimming in a spicy coconut broth. Pair your nasi lemak with fried chicken or aromatic beef rendang or sample the Hainanese chicken rice which features silky poached chicken, fried garlic and fragrant rice. Don’t leave without grabbing a slice of the pillowy pandan chiffon cake. Sedap, (meaning delicious in Malay) indeed. facebook.com/sedapmalaysia.nz

FURTHER SOUTH…

Makan Café in the heart of Christchurch is the spot where local Malaysian Kiwis head for a taste of home. It offers the usual suspects from nasi lemak (which has massive fans) to roti and curry but the café’s inventive brunch dishes such as beef rendang on toast and kaya French toast are equally popular. The drinks menu is reflective of what you might find in kopitiam and mamak in Malaysia and Singapore, with sirap bandung (a hot-pink rose syrup and evaporated milk number) to the refreshing teh-o ais limau, iced tea with calamansi. @makancafechristchurch

Another Christchurch favourite, Warung Akak releases its menu of about 10 dishes around five days before the Saturday afternoon pick up, with orders closing on Friday afternoon. It’s not spontaneous dining but those who plan will be richly rewarded. At least four different nasi lemak are always on offer, the coconut rice accompanied by proteins such as sambal sotong kering (dried squid sambal) or sambal daging (sambal beef). There might be roti jala, a net-like, turmeric-laced crêpe served with curry or pasembur, a robust salad consisting of cucumber, egg, tofu and fritters. No matter what you order, you can rest assured this is some of the best Malaysian homestyle cooking you’ll experience in Christchurch. facebook.com/warungakakchcnz/

Friends Habib Ali and Hanif Muner left their engineering jobs to pursue a shared love of cooking and a desire to introduce their homeland’s flavours with the people of Queenstown. Tucked away in Frankton with a view of towering peaks is The Komunal Cafe. You’ll find nasi lemak served with chicken or beef rendang and snacks such as karipap (curry puffs) and popia goreng (Malaysian spring rolls). Try the ayam lemak cili api, a beloved Malay dish of chicken cooked in a vibrant coconut gravy with turmeric, chilli and lemongrass. This is no doubt one of the only places in New Zealand you’ll find kerepok lekor on the menu, a speciality of the state of Terengganu. The deep-fried fish sausage is not much to look at but it’s chewy, springy and utterly moreish. thekomunalcafenz.co.nz

FESTIVAL VIBES

The Southeast Asia Festival is a yearly event celebrating the region through song, dance and, of course, food. The event pops up in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch and many of New Zealand’s most popular Malaysian and Singaporean food vendors have stalls in the festival. Nab a few sticks of smoky sate ayam (chicken satay), tuck into a plate of wok-tossed carrot cake and wash it down with a refreshing bowl of cendol (a dreamy mix of pandan noodles, ice, red bean, palm sugar and coconut milk). It’s a brilliant way to immerse yourself in the sounds, smells and colours of the region on home soil. @seafest_nz

CHASING A PLATE’S QUICK FIX FOR SINGAPOREAN & MALAYSIAN TREATS…

ON SCREEN

Despite being a number of years old now, Anthony Bourdain’s visits to Malaysia and Singapore for Parts Unknown and No Reservations remain some of our favourites. He is clearly passionate about the cuisine and food culture of both nations. Bourdain explores Malay food in Kuala Lumpur, discovers the indigenous cuisine of the Iban community of Sarawak and dives into the street food culture of Penang in Malaysia.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Season 6, Ep 7 Borneo

Season 10, Ep 1 Singapore

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Season 1, Ep 5 Malaysia

Season 8, Ep 8 Penang

YouTuber Sonny Side documents great food from cuisines around the world on his channels Best Ever Food Review Show and More Best Ever Food Review Show. He’s filmed a number of episodes in Malaysia and Singapore focussing on street food and unusual local foods. His content is engaging, funny and you always learn something!

Thomas and I have filmed a number of episodes across Singapore and Malaysia for our YouTube channel Chasing a Plate. We celebrate great food and the people creating it, sharing our videos with our community of over 250,000 food lovers. We take you into street food kitchens, local restaurants and behind the scenes of small food producers. In Malaysia we explore each state’s unique laksa offering, the nation’s love of durian and cook with local families. Our most recent episodes were shot in August 2025 around Kuala Lumpur.