Malaysians can find something to eat any time of the night.
The Oxford dictionary defines supper as an “informal meal that people eat in the evening.”
Recently, there’s been much talk about eating late – supper – being the root cause of obesity.
The term “supper”, however, is open to interpretation as it could be food that needs to be substantial for people whose jobs involve physical labour or long hours as they need the sustenance.
Or it could be more of a social activity, in which case it’s usually just a light snack.
The thing is, Malaysians love to eat and one of the biggest draws of this country is that we can find food at any hour of the night.
Here are the top seven supper foods:
1. Roti Canai
No surprises, this Indian bread tops the list of favourite food to have at night. It’s not too heavy on the stomach or the pocket.
“I don’t go to any particular mamak shop for roti canai, just whichever that’s nearby and convenient depending on where I am in town. I’m just used to supper culture as my father was a cook and he always brought supper home.” — Henry, designer
2. Instant noodles:
It’s probably a very Asian thing, but we do love our packet noodles. It’s soul-comforting, inexpensive and easy to cook, even for kitchen novices.
“I love supper! Usually at night when I’m watching TV, I tend to look for something to eat, so I end up cooking noodles. I love the Indomie Asam Laksa flavour and anything Korean!” — Afifah, entrepreneur
3. Ramly Burger:
Western fast-food burgers are aplenty but there’s something special about the taste of our local homemade burger that appeals to our Malaysian taste buds.
“I have supper about three to four times a month, usually on a Friday or Saturday night when I’m out with friends. When I get cravings at night, we make our way to OM Burger in Ampang Jaya (Selangor), my go-to joint. You can’t go wrong with the classic Ramly burger which I dub the ‘heart attack burger’ as it’s indulgent! But I can’t eat this too often as it’s so rich!” — Putra, brand manager
4. Nasi lemak:
Most people love this official Malaysian rice dish and can eat it any hour of the day, including for supper. And everyone has a personal favourite!
“I usually have supper about once or twice a week when I hang out with friends. There are a lot of good nasi lemak places in KL, but my favourite is the one at Nasi Lemak Bumbung in Sea Park (Petaling Jaya). There’s something about how the whole ensemble − sambal, chicken rempah (the spice bits) and the fried chicken itself − go so well together with the coconut rice. It’s so shiok (local slang for satisfying)!” — Jazzlan, project manager
5. Thosai:
The popular mamak restaurants offer a deluge of food choices and thosai is the next most popular Indian bread.
“The rare times I do have supper when I’m out with my family, it’s usually at the local mamak shop. It can be Maggi Mee Goreng, roti canai or thosai, which is what I usually end up ordering. But I don’t normally have supper as usually I’m already in bed by 9pm!” — Nana, beauty editor
6. Hokkien mee:
For those who grew up in KL, this is the OG noodles to get after partying or late-night movie. Hokkien mee from Restaurant Kim Lian in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur, has become an institution as it used to open till the wee hours catering to the night crowd.
“In my younger days, it was almost a ritual to get Hokkien Mee after a night of partying. There used to be a shop in Section 17 (PJ) which was my favourite haunt back in the day. But I hardly have supper these days, and if there’s a craving, I’ll just make do with whatever snacks I have at home, usually something savoury.” — Tina, accountant
7. Maggi mee goreng:
This is another firm favourite from the local mamak shop, which is quite ironic as one can easily do this at home. But somehow, it’s so much tastier when you eat out!
“My favourite is the one from Pelita in KL. I usually ask for extra spicy with an added telur mata (sunny side up). I used to have supper at least once every week with my friends, but not anymore as these days, I get home late from work and I don’t really have the time.” — Emily, content writer
