Food Malaysians Love To Eat Most

The cultural diversity of Malaysia in many ways has influenced our unique flavours and ingredients for food. An amalgamation of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Borneo flavours, our taste buds are constantly tickled by a variety matched perhaps by no other place on earth.

Which brought ShopeeFood to survey our cities for the best five-star cuisines as rated by ShopeeFood users. During its last three major campaigns, such as the 9.9 Shopping Day, 10.10 Brand Sale and 11.11 Big Sale, ShopeeFood gathered data on food trends to find out what Malaysians loved to eat. Measured based on the most frequently ordered items on the ShopeeFood app, the survey showed two clear favourites: rice-based dishes and fried chicken.

There is no denying that rice is the heartland of this country. Aside from the multitudes of paddy fields across the nation, rice is our staple food, incorporated in our baby food, snacks, desserts and almost every meal. Whether it’s Chinese-style bowls of steaming rice, or the ever-famous Indian banana leaf meal, and not forgetting our beloved Malaysian Nasi Lemak, rice is in the DNA of Malaysia and its people.

While Roti Canai may have hit the top spot on ShopeeFood’s top five cuisines survey, rice-based dishes and some form of fried chicken are abundantly featured in our food trends.

Chicken dishes especially fried chicken not surprisingly also came out top in the best five stars cuisine found on the ShopeeFood app. Fried chicken is a treat savoured by young and old alike.

For some, fried chicken was a treat enjoyed during large weekly family gatherings or just as a workday lunch or dinner.

According to a survey in 2021, Malaysians are the third highest chicken consumers in the world with almost 50 kilograms of chicken consumed per year, per person1. While it does not close in on the 82.3 kilograms of rice a Malaysian eats per year2, for a population of just over 32 million people to be the 3rd highest chicken consumer in the world goes to show how much Malaysians love their chicken.

And we are not biassed either. Whether it’s Ayam Goreng Berempah or the latest Korean-style fried chicken, Malaysians love their chicken in every way they can get it. Today we have hundreds of different styles of chicken at our fingertips – whether in person or online at ShopeeFood, the list is endless.

What ShopeeFood Order Trends Say

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysians made the move towards delivery platforms to get their meals safely and easily. Given the convenience and wide variety of food options available at their fingertips, Malaysians increasingly prefer online food delivery. There are over 2,000 cuisines to choose from depending on your mood and taste for the day.

“People are becoming increasingly reliant and comfortable with digital services. Malaysians have readily adopted food delivery as it provides convenience, value, and variety. At ShopeeFood we are equally committed to helping more merchants whether enterprise or local heroes to benefit from Shopee’s large ecosystem and adopt new ways of doing business and gaining new customers,” said Kwa Yin Leng, Head of Operations for ShopeeFood Malaysia.

“We are very excited with this survey as it shows what we love most as Malaysians when it comes to food. During our peak promotion periods like 9.9, 10.10 and 11.11, rice-based dishes had approximately 3x uplift in terms of orders compared to an average day. This shows that Malaysians not only enjoy rice as a staple food but are also keen to take advantage of the sale period to get the best value for their orders,” she added.

ShopeeFood was established in 2021 to help its users benefit from a convenient and hassle-free food delivery experience by providing numerous eateries, from popular joints to local street food stalls, at the best value. As part of Shopee’s existing ecosystem that includes the mobile wallet ShopeePay, along with amazing deals and promotions all year round, Malaysians have a secure, and rewarding payment and delivery experience with ShopeeFood.

ShopeeFood Users Rate Their Favourite Five-Star Restaurants

ShopeeFood surveyed its users’ choices to find out the best rice dishes and fried chicken in Kuala, Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Ipoh and Kota Kinabalu. While the all-time favourites included Nasi Lemak, Bubur Ayam, Nasi Kukus and fried chicken – we observed that users loved variety when it comes to preparations such as Middle Eastern, Korean, International and Japanese.

Here’s a list of the top five restaurants from all over Malaysia picked by ShopeeFood users as the best places to get your rice dishes and a variety of fried chicken fixes from.

Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

Whether it’s Nasi Campur or Chinese cuisine, these folks know where to go for good food. For the best five-star rated rice dishes and fried chicken, just click on the links below and ShopeeFood users will show you the way. 

Penang

Up north at our very own food haven Penang, besides the distinct Penang food, users also enjoy Middle Eastern food such as Mandi Chicken and juicy fried chicken burgers.

Johor

Johorians love their traditional fried chicken with rice. Apart from that, Johorians picked ‘hotpot’ soup to go with their rice, deep-fried chicken with herbs and spices and some amazing curry and rice.

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Middle Eastern, Japanese, and local cuisines – diverse Sabahans love a variety and their top picks will leave you spoilt for choice. 

Ipoh, Perak

Known for its Hakka culture, cave temples and colonial old town, Ipoh is most definitely famous for its food. Along with its heritage dishes, nasi lemak, fried chicken chop and Korean fried chicken are some of the dishes that made it to the top of Ipoh’s favourite list.

Selangor

And finally, users in Selangor have a thing for Asam Pedas with rice, old-time favourite Ayamas fried chicken and a fancy for Korean chicken. 

Hungry Already? Here’s a 12.12 Promo Sale for You!

The year-end 12.12 sale is finally here! Get exclusive deals from a wide range of restaurants and order all your favourite food with these super offers:

• Free Delivery with RM0 min spend
• Super Deals up to 50% OFF on selected merchants such as Thong Kee Cafe, Little KL Food Hall, Tea Can Tin, Pop Meals, Kee Nguyen – Vietnam Coffee, Nasi Lemak Saleha and much more.
• Shocking Sale at RM12 starting from 6th – 12th December 2022