malaysia | On My Canvas

A Narrative Photo Essay on Street Food of Malaysia

Eating Malaysian Street Food in Kuala Lumpur

My experience with the traditional food in Malaysia began in Kuala Lumpur (KL). I arrived late at night in KL. I had chosen a hostel close to Chinatown. Someone had told me that if you want to eat street food of Malaysia that is the place to be. I checked in the Travel Hub guesthouse and took a bed in a female dorm.

A long transit from Bali to Malaysia had left me famished. Overeating has been my die-hard habit. Now I try to eat less for a healthy and sustained living. But then, I gorged on Malaysian food without a thought. I don’t like to overthink calories when I travel. Who would?

From being baffled by the cornucopia of Malaysian cuisines, restaurants, and dishes to knowing where and what exactly I wanted to eat, I had a long rendezvous with the Malaysian street food. This food memoir is my attempt to recreate my month-long food journey in Malaysia.

Update 2025/2026: Malaysia opened its international borders on 1 April 2024. You can check out Malaysia’s official travel website before heading there. My guide to Malaysia e-visa for Indians will be helpful in planning a trip there.

An Adventure to the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Borneo

Once upon a time, there was a long river muddy,
Along the bank of the river lived the mama elephant Lily,
On the top of a Jamun tree lived a monkey funky with a long nosey,
A naughty crocodile waited under the tree to see the monkey fall loosey.

A talkative hornbill nested in the tree,
While her friend the orange orangutan visited her often for tea,
The village children played on the riverbank every day,
while their mothers shouted to them come home, otherwise the monkey will take you away.

If you hadn’t guessed, this is a story inspired by real characters. I wrote it on the Kinabatangan river cruise in Sabah, Borneo, while on my month-long trip to Malaysia.