Celebrate Chinese New Year like a true Malaysian!

Chinese New Year is approaching! And whether you celebrate it or not, the atmosphere is sure to be filled with excitement during this time if you are in Asia.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is one of the biggest holidays among Chinese Malaysians. CNY is not only about delicious cuisine, but also an opportunity to spend time with loved ones and celebrate together, especially during the New Year's Eve reunion dinner.

If you're interested in learning about the most common dishes that Malaysian Chinese eat, read on to find out! Discover some of the most delicious and authentic Chinese cuisine with a variety of servings including appetizers, soups, noodles and more!

Yee sang, or yu sheng in Mandarin, is considered an auspicious dish because it has a similar meaning to another expression meaning "increasing surplus." Yee sang is a type of salad traditionally prepared with raw fish, carrots, daikon, cucumbers, pickled ginger, pomelo, peanuts, sesame seeds, crackers, five-spice powder, pepper, butter and plum sauce. Guests will use chopsticks to toss ingredients and make their wishes for the new year. When you start a new year with ye sang, you wish for good luck and wealth. In other words, the higher you throw, the more wealth you will receive and the luckier the new year will be.

Suggestion for yee sang:
Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur
Address: 2, Jalan Stesen Sentral,
Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
Contact no.: 03-2263 7888
Website

Bak kwa (pronounced bak kwa) is a grilled meat snack that is very popular among people in Malaysia and Singapore. Translated as jerky in Hokkien, this delicious snack is a must-have at home throughout the festive season. Delicious grilled bak kwa is similar to several types of jerky, meat sticks and meat bars. The meat is first cut into thin strips and marinated in a mixture of sugar and spices, then air dried and fried on the stove. There are two main types of bak kwa: minced and sliced ​​pork. Shredded bak kwa is fattier, while sliced ​​bak kwa is thinner and chewier.

Offer for bak kva:
Wing Heong BBQ Meat
Address: No. 2, Jalan 7/7 Taman Industri Selesa Jaya, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Contact no.: +603-2856 8753
Website

Typically, dumplings are a small amount of soft dough that is boiled, fried, or steamed and usually filled with ground pork, shrimp, or vegetables. For those unfamiliar with this dish, they often think of one-pot style dumplings, but there are actually so many to choose from!

For example, there are dumplings steamed in a bamboo steamer; These are delicate, bite-sized snacks with a variety of toppings that can be salty, sweet, or both. You can try getting frozen dumpling snacks as they are the most convenient to prepare and are available in a wide range of flavors to satisfy everyone's taste buds. When it comes to serving dumplings on a plate, it's hard to go wrong as all you need is some freshly chopped dill or green onions to garnish the dish.

Suggestion for dumplings:
Name: Din Tai Fung
Address: Pavilion Kuala Lumpur (6.01.05, Level 6), Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Contact no.: +6011-3692 9205
Website

Char Kuey teow is one of the most popular street foods in Malaysia, consisting of rice noodles, shrimp, clams, Chinese sausage, fish cakes, eggs, bean sprouts and green onions in a soy sauce mixture.

The distinctive and rich taste of char kuey teow comes not only from the fresh ingredients, but also from the subtle aroma of the noodles, fried over very high heat in a well-seasoned Chinese wok. Besides the dry noodle style that most people are familiar with, there is another common variation called "kuey teow basah" (basah literally means "wet" in English). While some restaurants like to add more seafood to their meal, others offer unique options where you can get larger shrimp or even small lobsters in addition to the standard shrimp.

Suggestion for char kuey teow:
Name: Mie CORD Kuew Tiow
Address: Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Kampung Sungai Penchala, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Contact no.: +6016-380 4482
Instagram

In the Hakka dialect, the word yong tau foo translates to “filled curd.” There are many bean curd-based dishes that can be called yong tau foo, including bean curd with pork, soy puffs, okra with chilli and eggplant.

Yong tau fu can be eaten dry with sauces or curry gravy. It can also be served in soup. Many other vegetables such as chili pepper, bitter melon, okra, cabbage and eggplant are added to various dishes including steamed fish, crab sticks and squid.

Suggestion for yong tau foo:
Name: Yong Tau Foo Kg Pandan
Address: 4, Jalan Thaver, Kampung Pandan, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.
Contact no.: +6019-387 0685
Facebook

One of the most famous dishes in the Malaysian Chinese community is laksa curry, which is very popular among the locals. From mild to spicy and with a variety of fillings, it is different for each region. Curry laksa is a flavorful soup enriched with slightly creamy coconut milk. In northern Malaysia, this dish is simply called curry mee. Clams, cuttlefish and hard-boiled egg slices are common toppings that are added, especially when trying the dish in Penang. The soup is whiter and paler in color and roasted chili paste is added to give it a spicy taste.

Suggestion for curry laksa:
Name: Jia Li Mian Noodle House
Address: 19G, Jalan Pandan 2/2, Pandan Jaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Contact no.: +6016-497 8189
Facebook

A refreshing dish enjoyed by all, leng chi kang is a sweet dessert that consists of various dried fruits, especially lotus seeds, or leng chi, mixed with syrup. It can be served hot or cold with ice cubes.

You can also find many other ingredients in this dessert such as longan, lily bulbs, dried persimmons, mallow nuts, ginkgo nuts, barley, jelly and basil seeds. Malays often call it "kembang semangkuk", which literally means "expand to the size of a bowl" due to the variety of ingredients.

Where to go for Leng Chi Kang:
Pudu Glutton Street Night Market (Pudu 为食街 Pudu Wai Sek Kai)
Address: Jalan Sayur, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur