I’ve been told by multiple Malaysians that when they leave their country, it’s the food they miss more than anything else.

And once you’ve spent some time in Malaysia eating, it’s entirely understandable.

You’re about to see some dangerously close-up photos from one of the best food countries in the world.

This is just a quick sampling of my recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In the coming weeks I’ll be publishing many more articles (and videos too), about the extraordinary Malaysian cuisine I was able to eat.

1. Nasi Lemak

You haven’t been to Malaysia unless you’ve eaten nasi lemak, and it’s so good, it’s worth traveling across the world to eat. Coconut creamy steamed rice paired with a variety of toppings is something I could probably eat everyday for the rest of my life (and be happy).

2. Nasi Lemak #2

Nasi Lemak #2 was even BETTER.

3. Kam Heong Crab

Choi Kheng is a restaurant on the famous Jalan Alor street serving Chinese Malaysian street food that’s popular with local chef’s after they finish their shifts.

Nate and Phillipa from Yomadic, and I, licked this plate of luscious crab clean. We also devoured a delicious plate of marmite fried frog!

4. Mutton Murtabak

Along with Mei from ccfoodtravel.com we hit up a food court in an area known as Petaling Jaya. Among the many dishes we ate was this incredible murtabak (similar to a roti or chapati but stuffed), packed full of mutton and dipped in curry sauce.

5. Nasi Campur

Nasi campur is everyday normal Malaysian food, and I just can’t get enough of it. Set up buffet style, you get a plate of rice and pile on whatever you like. Fish and jackfruit curry and sambal chili fried eggplant is about as good as it gets.

6. Penang Rojak

Pudu Wai Sek Kai is one of the last remaining traditional hawker streets in Kuala Lumpur.

David Jr and myself headed there for a few outstanding dishes including this Penang style Rojak – a combination of dried squid, cuttlefish, tofu and shrimp fritters all roasted and anointed with sweet sticky shrimp paste dressing.

7. Nasi Biryani

As a lover of biryani from around the world, I couldn’t resist south Indian style mutton biryani. The flesh of the meat slid off the bone effortlessly and melted in my mouth.

8. Ikan Pari Bakar

Among the many food adventures I took in Kuala Lumpur, one of them led me to Medan Ikan Bakar – a series of jaw dropping grilled seafood restaurants. The grilled stingray marinated in chili sauce was pure heaven.

9. Shrimp Bakar

At the same restaurant as the stingray, when the cooks saw me shooting a self video, they brought me a plate of grilled shrimp… for free!

10. Pig Intestines Soup

It reminded me of Thai kuay jab nam sai, a soothing porky peppery soup. Don’t be scared by the intestines, they were tender and full of flavor. The  chunks of tofu and chili dipping sauce made it even better.

11. Fried Hokkien Mee

Noodles flash fried on high heat in just the right amount of oil (0r lard) and coated in dark soy sauce is a truly comforting recipe – and this plate of fried Chinese style noodles was marvelous.

12. Nasi Kerabu

I’ve been to Malaysia a number of times, but this was my frist time to try Nasi Kerabu, a rice mixture popular on the east coast and northern Malaysia.

It’s similar to Thai khao yam, and is a combination or nearly all flavors one could possibly dream of on a single plate. I’m still not sure why the rice is blue… but it sure tastes good.

13. Roti Canai / Teh O Ais Limau

Just like biryani, roti is one of those foods that has spread around the world far and wide. In Malaysia you get a roti canai (almost identical to a Sri Lankan paratha bread), a flaky crispy oily flatbread served with a side of dipping curry sauce.

My choice of beverage with my Malaysian food is teh o ais limau, sweetened iced tea with lime.

14. Chettinad Cuisine

After thoroughly enjoying Sri Lankan food, I knew I’d love south Indian food. Malaysia has a multitude of authentic south Indian Chettinad restaurants.

It was some of the best food I’ve had in my life… so good in fact that I returned three days in a row.

On more than one occasion, I was served snacks straight out of the oil and into my mouth!

The photo on the right is one my favorites of the trip – and despite his stone face, he’s the the one that asked me to take his photo haha! He also slipped me a free piece of chicken, which was unbelievably tasty.

Look out, lots more Malaysian food articles, photos and videos coming soon!