A Market Visit in Kota Kinabalu

Told by Annie Sim, Discover Malaysia Tour Host

Throughout our journey you’ll develop a deepening love of tropical fruits, oodles of noodles, roti canai, teh tarik, satay for days, and more… but truthfully the most outstanding part of the trip will be the relationships and connections that flow so naturally and stepping into that loving community. This is what creates the best place to travel in Malaysia.

One of those relationships that feels like reuniting with long-lost friends is when we’re in Kota Kinabalu (a small town on the island of Borneo) and I get to introduce you to my friends Adam and Joanne. They emanate welcomeness, sharing their passion for food, flavor, and their home with others. 

We meet them at the crowded front of the market bustling with people walking in and out as they shop for their daily ingredients. Adam and Joanne welcome everyone with smiles and then walk us through the market introducing us to the Aunties and Uncles from whom they purchase their normal provisions. 

You’ll quickly learn that ‘Auntie’ and ‘Uncle’ are terms of endearment, not reserved for family members, but to show warmth and respect to those you encounter in everyday life.

As we walk through the market, we open the doors to curiosity and fire off questions to Adam and Joanne. Pointing out different fruits, asking about what they are used for, and of course, buying them so we can give them a try later in the day. Try and keep up with Joanna and Adam while simultaneously trying to drink in everything the stalls have to offer. 

We’ll stop at the stall filled with slippery, fresh-caught fish, stingrays, and squid, and ask questions about all the different kinds of fish and seafood. Make sure to watch the way that the vendors divide their responsibilities, some scaling fish on large wooden chopping boards on the floor, wielding butchers’ knives larger than you’ll ever see. 

We walk through the fruit stalls, spotting myriad different shapes, colors, and sizes of fruits that are completely foreign to you. If we’re lucky, the vendors might just open a mangosteen on the spot for you - and I promise you’ll immediately fall in love with its sweetness and tang. A flavor and smell that reminds you of a mixture of a clementine and a kiwi, infused with some other magical, unique flavor. 

After a stroll through the market, we settle in at a local’s local kopitiam (coffee shop). We gather around a table in the signature Malaysian orange plastic chairs and begin our ordering. This is an education in itself as Joanne explains the numerous different ways coffee (and tea!) can be ordered like a local…putting even the masters of coffee in Italy to shame. 

Sipping on your preferred variety - iced? Hot? Sweetened condensed milk? With water? You get to choose. We all recognize the ‘bingo card’ of coffee options we have to explore over our next few days in Malaysia. 

While the options abound for our next foodie stop (and Adam & Joanne are the pros, running the foodie site ‘Sabaheats’), there isn’t anything available to the public quite like having a snack at their own home. As Adam & Joanne open their doors, the warmness I previously mentioned is apparent.

Their house is a place of love and of living - photos of family and friends adorn the walls, books live on the shelves and Adam’s mom’s favorite music plays from a distant room. Truly, one of the best places to travel in Malaysia. They tour us around their garden, sharing the pursuits and experiments they’ve tried growing. Then we gather in the kitchen as Joanne unwraps the recent newspaper to use as a covering for the table. And - we dig in. 

Our earlier purchases of fruits are poured onto the table, making space for Joanne to demonstrate how to peel, open, or eat each new piece. Tea is poured and sipped. Those feeling brave and bold, are welcome to try their hand at hacking the durian open with a butcher’s knife outside the front door. If they’re successful, we’re all made abundantly aware as the pungent fruit’s smell fills the home. 

You’ll sit back at the table sampling little bites of fruits and process the newness of the market mixed with the familiarity and warmth of friends you experienced during the day. It gives you an insight into the loving community of Malaysia and a fuller picture of what Malaysia has to offer. 

Learn more about the other best places to travel in Malaysia that travelers visit on our Discover Malaysia trip!

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Travel with us around the world on one of our multi-day small group food tours. Check out our itineraries to Italy, Japan, Peru, and more! Join us as we visit tea farms in Japan, sip on limoncello in Italy, and savor ceviche in Peru.

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Street Foods to Savor in Malaysia

One reason we travel to Malaysia that shouldn’t surprise you is the food. Malaysia is a paradise for foodies because of its diverse cultures and rich culinary traditions.

Among the variety of dishes that we’ll try on our Discover Malaysia trip, street food stands out as a true highlight of the trip. The streets of Malaysia are lined with stalls and carts, each offering a unique sensory experience. Here are just a few street foods we might have the chance to sample while we’re there. Or if you’re traveling to Malaysia on your own, make sure to save this as your personal TTLT food recommendation! 

Satay

The mere mention of Satay makes our mouths water. Skewered and grilled, these meat or seafood bites are marinated in a blend of lemongrass, turmeric, and other spices. Satay is believed to have been inspired by Middle Eastern kebabs and introduced to Southeast Asia by Arab traders. Make the most out of your stay by dipping them into the accompanying peanut sauce. We promise you won’t regret it. 

Hokkien Mee

Hokkien Mee is a stir-fried noodle dish that combines thick yellow noodles with prawns, squid, and a flavorful seafood broth. Hokkien Mee has its origins in Chinese Hokkien cuisine and was adapted to local tastes, resulting in the unique Malaysian version. If you want to taste a local twist on this dish, head to Penang, where it's known as "Penang Hokkien Mee."

Apam Balik

Apam Balik, also known as "Malaysian Peanut Pancake," is a sweet treat. This folded pancake filled with a generous amount of peanuts, sugar, and sweet corn is a heavenly combination. Apam Balik has its roots in Malaysian-Chinese culture, reflecting the fusion of these two culinary traditions. The perfect way to enjoy Apam Balik is when it's freshly made and piping hot.

Cendol

Cendol is a dessert made with green rice flour jelly, coconut milk, palm sugar, and shaved ice. Cendol is a traditional dessert with influences from various Southeast Asian cultures and has become a Malaysian favorite over time. For the best Cendol, we recommend finding a street cart in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Rojak

Rojak is a mixed salad of fruits and vegetables and combines an array of flavors and textures. To enjoy Rojak to the fullest, try it from a street vendor who prepares it fresh upon your order.

Murtabak

Murtabak is a stuffed pancake filled with minced meat, onions, and spices that combines the best of Indian and Malaysian flavors. We recommend you dip it in a side of curry or dhal for the ultimate taste experience. Murtabak has its origins in Indian cuisine and was adapted to local Malaysian tastes.

Each of these six street foods is not only a treat for your taste buds but also a feast for your senses, offering a glimpse into the rich history and multicultural influences that have shaped Malaysian cuisine.  So, the next time you find yourself in Malaysia, make sure to explore the vibrant world of street food and savor the delicious, aromatic, and visually appealing dishes that await you at every turn. On our Discover Malaysia trip, you’ll get an intimate look at Malaysia's street food scene.

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Travel with us around the world on one of our multi-day small group food tours. Check out our itineraries to Italy, Japan, Peru, and more! Join us as we visit tea farms in Japan, sip on limoncello in Italy, and savor ceviche in Peru.

If you’re traveling abroad and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our Travel Coaching and Private Trips with booking service.  

No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - which offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy. 

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The Story Behind Our Malaysia Trip

Did you know that The Table Less Traveled was an idea inspired by a trip to Malaysia? But that’s not where the story starts.

My dad grew up in a large family in Malaysia and I was raised hearing stories of their rambunctious childhood in Borneo, like the time my uncle put a firecracker in chicken poop and it exploded all over the freshly-painted house.

When I had the opportunity to visit Malaysia with my aunt and uncle in my early 20s, I jumped at the opportunity. It brought to life so many stories I was told growing up. They walked me around the now dilapidated home where the six siblings were raised, the school where my grandparents taught, the local market where my grandma shopped, and the town they called home. 

I had a particular fascination with the cuisine of Malaysia, especially “pulled tea”. On many of our trips to the market, I would watch the shopkeeper pull long pours of the tea from one cup back to the other, at least 3 feet high each time, which created the perfect amount of froth. They’d top it off with sweetened condensed milk making it the perfect morning beverage since I wasn't (yet) a coffee drinker. My auntie's friend said the name of the drink was "Teh Tarik", or "pulled tea". 

Over the various visits to Malaysia over many years, I learned that Malaysia has its own language when it comes to coffee and tea drinks. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in exploring their new, varying, and multi-cultural cuisines. The food in Malaysia is one of a kind since it represents the blending of so many cultures, predominantly local Malay, with influences from Chinese and Indian cultures. 

In addition to my family’s hometown and local market, we explored the surrounding areas - from river safaris and eco-lodges in the rainforest to scuba diving off of a resort built on stilts in the middle of the sea. But of course, my strongest memories are of visits and long chats with my relatives’ school friends with whom they stayed connected. 

We stayed at their homes, ate at their favorite local joints, and enjoyed each other’s company. It made Malaysia real for me. It wasn’t just a place to visit. Instead, the connections with locals and friends made it feel like home. They treated me as one of their own and invited me in.

Years later, when I was considering a career change, Malaysia stood front and center in my mind. And it wasn’t just because my aunt and uncle suggested I should start a tour company focused on food. 

I chose Malaysia for our first trip because I saw it as a destination with so much to offer, but it often got overlooked. It was a place where I felt my family’s friends would willingly open the doors and welcome visitors, eagerly sharing their experiences and a reality that most travelers never get the chance to see. 

When I started TTLT, Discover Malaysia was the first trip I ever hosted. All these years later, the reasons I want to host travelers in Malaysia still ring true.

Join me on our Discover Malaysia Trip and deep dive into the adventure of a lifetime. From experiencing the wildlife of the country’s eastern and western regions on jungle cruises and rainforest treks to experiencing local life as we shop in markets for tropical fruits and dine in family homes, to learning about Malaysia’s diverse cultural melting pot the best way we know how - food!

Written by Annie Sim, Founder, CEO, and Discover Malaysia Tour Host

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Travel with us around the world on one of our multi-day small group food tours. Check out our itineraries to Italy, Japan, Peru, and more! Join us as we visit tea farms in Japan, sip on limoncello in Italy, and savor ceviche in Peru.

If you’re traveling abroad and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our Travel Coaching and Private Trips with booking service.  

No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - which offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy. 

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5 Foods You Must Try in Malaysia

Somewhere between Crazy Rich Asians and The Jungle Book lies a country that still remains a mystery to even some of the most well traveled people I know.

Malaysia has been a place that many travelers have asked us about, but few have actually gone. Overshadowed by the popularity of its neighboring countries, Malaysia is truly what you would call “off the beaten path” from most tourist vacation spots.

But even so, Malaysia is a place that yearns to be discovered—with rainforests, wildlife, and a melting pot of cultures, it is full of life and adventure. And an adventure for the tastebuds as well.

As our small group trips are centered around learning about the local culture through food, we figured it only appropriate to shine a light on some of our favorite dishes in one of our favorite destinations. So here is a little “taste” of some of the delicious treats you should expect to chow down on with us if you join us for our Discover Malaysia tour.

1. Char Kway Teow

This dish—considered a national favorite in Malaysia—literally means “stir-fried rice cake strips”, and is basically flat rice noodles stir fried with soy sauce, shrimp, belacan (shrimp paste), shelled blood cockles, chives, sausage, and bean sprouts.

2. Mangosteen

Not to be confused with your average mango, the mangosteen is a tasty, exotic fruit that you probably haven’t had before. Why? Because these natives to the islands of southeastern Asia are incredibly finicky about growing elsewhere, as well as incredibly difficult to ship, so you will rarely see them in supermarkets in the US. Their tropical, tangy-sweet flavor harkens a bit to the flavors of lychee, strawberry, peach, and pineapple.

3. Teh Tarik

This tea drink is made from black tea and sweetened condensed milk. The name is derived from the word "pulling" since it looks like they're pulling the tea from cup to cup to create the foamy froth on top.

4. Roti Canai

Where are my carb lovers at? This Indian-derived flat bread literally translates from Malay to “flying bread,” and gets its name by doing the same thing you would do with pizza dough: tossing it in the air to make it wider and flatter. This beauty can be eaten either savory or sweet, usually paired with dhal curry, fish, or curry chicken, and sometimes with sweetened condensed milk and bananas.

5. Beef Rendang

One of Malaysia’s best known dishes, this to-die-for beef curry stew is slow-cooked in spicy paste and coconut milk until the meat is fork tender, and then fried until the liquid caramelizes around the beef giving it an incredible depth of flavor.

Are you drooling yet?!

This off-the-beaten-path country is full of countless new foods to discover—this are just a short, short list of our favorites.

Now imagine eating a few of these while your bare feet dig into the white sands of a tropical beach, or at a table at the edge of a river deep in the rainforest.

Join us for our Malaysia tour to experience this country from the inside out with a guide who’s already scoped out the best places to eat, drink, and adventure.

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Why Malaysia Should Be High on Your Bucket List

Malaysia. Borneo. Rainforest. 

It just seemed so obvious. 

When I first started my business, I wanted to focus on off-the-beaten-path experiences where we had local connections and could give travelers inside access. As such, Malaysia seemed like such a perfect destination to highlight, and one that other ‘travel companies’ in the US were not giving any attention to.

Since my father grew up on the island of Borneo and I had visited multiple times as a guest of local friends, I knew that I could give people a peek into this culture that others didn’t have easy access to. I spent 6 weeks, loving life, exploring the rainforest, making connections, visiting the orangutans, and eating and eating and eating.

So I built the trip of my dreams, our Discover Malaysia tour—market trips led by locals, trying tropical fruits, sunset cocktails on exquisite beaches, canopy walks with birds and monkeys, river safari cruises, laughing with street food vendors as they cooked, and so much more.

I thought we would reach eager travelers ready to explore beyond their imagination, but who also wanted a helping hand to give them safety, security, and comfort in such an exotic destination since I'd been there, tried it, and had all the right relationships and connections.

What I found is that it was a LOT harder to promote a destination that very few people really knew about.

Although Malaysia is growing as a destination on the international scene with many visitors coming from other Asian countries and Australia, American travelers who go to Southeast Asia are still frequenting Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali

I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t have the interest I thought it deserves. Malaysia had such a rich diversity and culture that made me yearn for being there every moment I was away.

Needless to say, if Malaysia isn’t on your bucket list (or even on your radar), here’s a few reasons why it should be:

1. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world

Even older than the jungles of the Amazon, this rainforest is home to approximately 10,000 different plant species (that’s more than on the entire continent of Africa!), including two THOUSAND species of orchids alone! *major heart-eye emoji*

In addition to crazy plant life, you’ll also find a number of crazy wildlife here, ranging from one of the smallest squirrels in the world—the least pygmy squirrel, no bigger than a mouse—and to the smallest elephant subspecies, the Borneo pygmy elephant, which are now endangered. You’ll also find it home to other species on the endangered list such as the Bornean orangutan. 

On our Malaysia tour, we travel deep into the rainforest to stay a couple of nights in a secluded eco-lodge. We do a night safari to scout out the nocturnal wildlife, as well as a morning trek with naturalist guides who can fill us with knowledge on what we’re encountering.

2. Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures and food…

In ancient times, Malaysia was a stop on the world’s spice trade route—so you can literally say that they have flavors from all over the world!

But really, over the centuries many different Asian ethnicities—particularly many Chinese and Indian immigrants— have settled here, bringing their home culture and cuisines with them to mix with the indigenous and the local Malay cultures and cuisines. This has resulted in making Malaysia a multiethnic and multicultural country, and an amazing country to EAT in if you love variety!

3. …And religions

Along with the rich mixing of many cultures brings the blending of different religious backgrounds as well. The Malaysian landscape is sprinkled with the influences of Hindu, Muslim and Buddist temples, shrines, and communities. Some even becoming a major pilgrimage hub, such as the Batu Cave Temples, with its 272 rainbow stairs and shrines dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war.

4. Malaysian street food

We mentioned food above, but honestly the street food of Malaysia deserves its own item on this list. Easy, quick eats are an integral part of the Malaysian food culture.

Think taco trucks, but not just tacos. In Malaysia, you can find street carts, small food stalls, and “kopitiam,” or coffee shops, where both beverages and meals are served. And although street food is commonly understood as "fast food", some of these kopitiam are just like our coffee shops where folks read their papers, chat with friends, and linger for hours.

They serve everything from coffee and teh tahrik (pulled tea - my favorite!!!) to noodle dishes and bbq pork. The list goes on and on.

5. Stunning Tropical Beaches

You’ve probably had friends who have raved about their time on the beautiful beaches of Thailand, and maybe you’ve jealously scrolled through their vacation photos on Facebook, but Malaysian beaches (as Malaysia is right under Thailand), are just as stunning with soft white sand, lush palm trees, and radiant blue water, but lesser-known, and therefore, lesser traveled. 

6. It has the best of both worlds: the Modern & the Traditional

Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is a breathtakingly modern city housing 1.73 million people, rated 31 on the Top 60 Safest Cities in the world (above both Beijing and Shanghai), and home to THREE of the world’s largest shopping malls.

Considered a first-class city, it is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Southeast Asia, both in population and in economic development. However, the surrounding, more traditional areas provide a fascinating contrast of the mix of old and new, of the modern and traditional.

7. It’s growing in popularity

Go before your friends do. Malaysia is growing in popularity - slowly, but surely. The destination is becoming more and more popular due to their conservation efforts and their endangered animals like the orangutan. For the real, authentic experience in the country, it’s better to go sooner, before the giant cruise ships and mass tourists arrive. 

Malaysia is a place that might not be on your bucket list, but we guarantee it should be. To find out more about our tour to Malaysia and to save yourself a spot, click the button below.

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