With dine-in now being permitted for fully-vaccinated Malaysians, kan our Instagram and Facebook feeds are back to being flooded with food porn? Even though they’re all about classy brunches or Instagrammable spots, some locals admit that good ol’ hawker food remains the best thing ever. #everyfoodisbeautiful
Think you can relate to some of the reasons why street food is still the best? Let’s find out!
1. The uncles and aunties are usually super friendly
Uncle hard at work
If you’re ever down in the dumps, nothing would lift your spirits higher than being called lengzai or lenglui – appropriately, of course – by the noodle stall uncle or aunty. Better still if you’re a regular patron, then they’re super familiar with you and know your order(s) at the drop of a hat – it’s like being part of the community!
2. It’s all about that delicious wok hei
The only breath we’d love to have in our stir-fried food is the “breath of the wok” – the artistic yet scientific result of stir-frying in an extremely hot cast iron wok seasoned with oil. If you’ve ever tasted the smokiness and charred aftertaste of your char kway teow, then you know exactly what we’re talking about. (drools)
3. Value for money all the way
If you’re a struggling bachelor or you want to yumcha with friends who are falling on hard times, hawker stalls welcome all who are looking for good food without breaking the bank. Regardless of what you order, whether noodles or nasi lemak, you’ll walk away with a filled stomach with zero spending guilt!
4. Kopi peng, roti bakar & soft-boiled eggs > lattes & eggs benedict any day
As much as we love our occasional café brunches and fancy OOTDs, who can resist the tried-and-true, breakfast of champions combo, like super kao kopi or teh with kaya butter toast and half-cooked chicken embryo at a kopitiam?
5. Savour the most authentic Malaysian cuisines ever!
Many chain restaurants/modern “kopitiams” have tried, but somehow, nothing beats the true authenticity of Malaysian food other than the ones found in hawker stalls, mamaks, warungs and the like. Maybe it’s something about the simplicity and homeyness of the way they’re prepared? Or it’s just the way we enjoyed our food growing up?
Either way, we’re blessed to be able to savour such a unique pleasure in our lives, even in dire times like this.
It’s evident that the pandemic has really changed the way we buy groceries and bungkus our food. This is why plenty of small gerais and hawkers adapted to online platforms to sell their goods easier. Now that (almost) everything can be done online, there’s even a rise in home-based businesses so that we can enjoy more varieties in our delicacies.
If you’re looking for an online marketplace that lets you support your favourite shops while letting the merchants keep 100% of all their earnings, then we’ve got just the place for you:
A great platform that us Malaysians can use to sapot lokal businesses is Maybank’s zero-commission marketplace, Sama-Sama Lokal, available on the M2U mobile app!
It’s an online delivery platform free for merchants to feature their shop and products, as well as utilise online orders and access delivery rider updates, all while benefitting from a secure bank-backed payment system. And the best part: they get to keep 100% of their earnings!
Since Sama-Sama Lokal is a free platform, everything sold on the online marketplace would be affordable as heck, with merchants not needing to hike up their price to compensate for any commission. It’s why you can find smaller brands – or hidden gems, as we like to call them – that offer new tastes for you to enjoy while staying reasonably priced. It’s really a win-win situation!
Plus, now you can also enjoy 30% OFF (up to RM10) your order* and RM10 OFF delivery fees with the SYIOK30 promotion!
*Applicable with a minimum spend of RM30.
Here’s how you can get on the SYIOK30 promo train:
- Log in to the M2U mobile app
- Select the three lines symbol in the top left corner, then the Sama-Sama Lokal tab
- Select your preferred category and merchant, then place your order
- Select your Delivery Type and fill in your address and contact info
- Finally, on the checkout page, type in SYIOK30 in the Promo Code section, and voila – 30% discount & RM10 off delivery!
In case you’re wondering what shops are listed in the app, here are some local businesses that are worth checking out:
Jibril SS15
Fusion food (Asian & Western) is their game, but what they’re famous for is their butter- and salted-egg-based specialities. Fancy Salted Egg Butter Lobster or Salted Egg Croissant? They do! #sinful
If SS15 is too far for you, you can also check out Jibril’s other branches in Publika (Mona by Jibril) & in Bangi (Jibril Bangi) for your salted egg enjoyment.
Facebook: @jibrilss15
MyGranny’s Foods
Mindy Jassal, owner of MyGranny’s Foods, has Punjabi and Hakka origins.
This home-stationed business is known for its signature sambal udang kering or hae bee hiam (dried shrimp sambal), a family recipe passed down by owner Mindy’s grandmother. They also have other Malaysian snacks on sale, like spicy chivda (mixed nuts snack), murukku, and more!
Facebook: @mygrannysfoods
Cheekibakes
Banana bread and baked goods galore
The self-proclaimed Banana Bread Club is crazy about, well, banana bread. Aside from their classic Cheekinana (original banana bread), they also sell Cheesynana (yes, banana bread with ?!) and Choconana ?, as well as homemade almond butter (zero extra flavourings) – all gluten-free!
Facebook: @cheekibakes
Hummingbird & Mallows Gelato
Earl grey milk tea raspberry gelato
Homemade gelatos and sorbets sound delicious already, but Ann Gie and her hubby take it further by focusing on botanical flavours, and also playing with seasonal local produce – most of their ingredients are sourced locally, so expect a truly authentic Malaysian taste in their icy creaminess!
Some of their hot sellers include strawberry kochi yuzu sorbet, Alphonso mango sorbet, jasmine tea mango gelato and pistachio gelato.
Facebook: @hmgelato
Foodies With Love
Who says you can’t love food while staying healthy? That’s what Foodies With Love is all about, with their health-focused cooking ingredients that include homemade veggie pasta, seasoning powder, sauces and more!
Facebook: @foodieswithlove
Captain Shrimp
Crazy about seafood? So is Captain Shrimp, which started out whipping up food from the sea American and Mexican style, before focusing on atypical Tex-Mex cuisine that still tastes awesome. We’re already salivating at the food names of Spicy Chicken Quesadilla, Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Baked Corn Chicken Taco, and more!
Facebook: @captainshrimp7
Even though these are all located in Klang Valley, Maybank’s Sama-Sama Lokal platform is available nationwide, so you can find any shops that are within your vicinity!
What are you waiting for? Whip out your smartphone and checkout with promo code SYIOK30 to enjoy 30% OFF (up to RM10) and RM10 OFF delivery fees for your orders, at Maybank’s Sama-Sama Local marketplace today at the M2U mobile app. Available on Google Play and the App Store!
