Teh Tarik and Roti Canai in Malaysia

When I left Malaysia I left with an addiction.

It all started with a cup of Teh Tarik.

I had my first sip at a place called Nasi Kandar Pelita in Kuala Lumpur. But once I’d had a taste of this yummy drink, I couldn’t stop.

Before long, Teh Tarik was my beverage of choice and I was drinking several cups a day.

What makes it so good? Well there’s a certain craft to making this drink and it is quite fascinating to watch it being prepared. I shot a quick Vine video so you can see what I mean…

The Art of Teh Tarik

Teh Tarik means “pulled tea” and it is made from black tea, sugar condensed milk and evaporated milk. The final drink is poured from a height between two cups to give it a lovely bubbly top and ensure the ideal drinking temperature. Pouring the perfect cup of Teh Tarik is an art form as it has to have that frothy perfection. The best showmen never spill a drop!

I love the sweet taste and the way it is never too hot…just perfect for drinking!

Roti

Teh Tarik is often the perfect accompaniment to Roti Canai- a circular flatbread found across Malaysia. It is typically made by twirling the dough until it becomes a very thin sheet then folding it into a circular shape. The folded dough is then grilled with oil.

Roti tastes soooo good with the various spicy dips they give you and it makes the perfect snack or light breakfast. The texture of Roti Canai is kind of soft on the inside but flaky on the outside, and it fills you up without having to eat a full meal.

I soon became obsessed and discovered all sorts of roti, including Roti Tisu (a kind of thin papery cone shape) and Roti Tosai (a thin crispy tube).

Now I am no longer in Malaysia I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms and can’t wait to go back so I can have my Teh Tarik/Roti Canai fix!

The main focus of the #DiscoverMalaysia blog trip was street food.

And Kuala Lumpur has lots of it.

Out of all the countries I have visited, I’ve decided Malaysia has some of the best food in the world. I have already written about my Teh Tarik and Roti Canai obsession, but these are just two of the many, many things you can taste in Kuala Lumpur. The city is haven for food-lovers and there are street stalls everywhere you turn.

So after seeing how airline meals are made at the Malaysia Airlines Chef-On-Call facility, we made our way back to KL Sentral station where we met up with Danny Chen, author of the book Train 2 [email protected]. The book shows you what to eat in Kuala Lumpur, where to get it, and most importantly how to get there using the local train network. Personally, I think it’s a fantastic idea. As a tourist who doesn’t know much about the best street food in Kuala Lumpur, this is a very useful guide which is heavy on the pictures! You can buy a copy of the book on Danny’s website, Eat Sing Travel for RM36.90.

The first stop on our street food tour of KL was Madras Lane, where we tried a whole banquet of dishes including Assam Laksa with tamarind, Curry Laksa, Cheecheong fun noodles and stuffed tofu.

Next we walked through Petaling Street in bustling Chinatown, where we tried Air Mata Kucing, a very sweet iced drink made from dried longan fruit. This well-known stall has been there for many years and serves the best Air Mata Kucing in Kuala Lumpur.

I was already quite full from the many dishes we tried at Madras Lane, but next we visited Restauran Anuja for some muslim Indian food. Chutneys, curry, rice, hard boiled eggs, poppadoms and fish were piled onto banana leaves in front of us. We washed our hands and then scooped up the food with our right hand, as they do in India. The 2-storey restaurant is cheap and cheerful but the food served their was really very tasty, and probably tastes better than eating with utensils!

Finally we took a quick tour of Masjid India Bazaar, before heading back to our hotel. It was a great insight into the street food in Kuala Lumpur, and Danny is very passionate about Malaysian heritage and cuisine. I received a copy of his book, Train 2 [email protected] and it gave me more confidence to visit different street stalls when I returned to KL on my own.

My favourite place to eat in KL has to be Jalan Alor. On my last night in KL I went street food hopping on Jalan Alor, trying different dishes along the way, including some chicken rice and all kinds of satay. Nearby there is plenty of nightlife, so this is the perfect place to go if you want something to line your stomach before a night of partying.

My trip to KL was sponsored by Malaysia Airlines, and you can buy Danny Chen’s Book from Eat Sing Travel. All opinions, as always, are my own.