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One of the best reasons to come to Malaysia and Singapore (even Brunei, to a lesser extent) is the food, comprising two of the world's most sophisticated and venerated cuisines – Chinese and Indian – and one of the world's most underrated – Malay. Even if you think you know two out of the three pretty well, be prepared to be surprised: Chinese food here boasts a lot of the provincial diversity that you just don't find in the West's Cantonese-dominated Chinese restaurants, while Indian fare is predominantly southern Indian, lighter and spicier than better-known northern food.
Furthermore, each of the three cuisines has learnt more than a few tricks off the other two, giving rise to some great, distinctive fusion food. For example, the Chinese do curries, the Indians and Malays cook tofu – and everyone does noodle dishes, with rice the universal staple. Add to this cross-fertilization the existence of a range of regional variations and specialities, plus excellent seafood and unusual tropical produce, and the result is – if you dare to order enterprisingly – a dazzling gastronomic experience.
None of this need come at great expense. From the ubiquitous food stalls and cheap roadside diners called kedai kopis, to restaurants in world-class hotels, the standard of cooking is high and food everywhere is remarkably good value. Basic noodle- or rice-based one-plate meals at a stall or kedai kopi rarely come to more than a few ringgit or Singapore dollars, and even a full meal with drinks in a fancy restaurant seldom runs to more than RM40 or S$30 a head. The most renowned culinary centres are Singapore, Georgetown, KL, Melaka and Kota Bharu, although other towns, like Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Kuching and Sibu all have their own distinctive dishes too.
| Eating etiquette |
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Malays and Indians often eat with the right hand, using the palm as a scoop and the thumb to help push food into the mouth. Chopsticks are, of course, used for Chinese food, though note that a spoon is always used to help with rice, gravies and slippery fare such as mushrooms or tofu, and that you don't attempt to pick up rice with chopsticks (unless you've a rice bowl, in which case you lift the bowl to your mouth and use the chopsticks as a sort of shovel). If you can't face either local style of eating, note that cutlery is universally available – for local fare, always a fork and spoon, the fork serving to push food on to the spoon, which does the transferring to the mouth.
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