>> For me, the best thing about traveling in Malaysia is that you never have far to go for the next snack.

Hey, look at this -- the best coconut shake right here.

Thank you very much.

Delicious.

Malaysians love to travel, and they love to eat.

Put the two together, you get countless little roadside restaurants and drive-by food stores selling a wide variety of local specialities.

Driving though Malaysia is an excellent way to eat your way through this beautiful country.

Ahhh.

Coconut shake, karipap.

What is next down the road?

Stay tuned and find out, next on "Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yan."

♪ ♪ ♪ >> "Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yan" is brought to you by... >> ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ >> Circulon cookware.

Circles for life.

>> Monogram.

A full line of professional appliances designed for food and entertaining enthusiasts.

♪ ♪ By Melissa's.

The freshest ideas in produce.

By Granite Expo.

Offering a wide selection of cabinet and countertop solutions.

And by B&G Group of Malaysia.

♪ Building Malaysia's tomorrow.

♪ >> You know, driving around Malaysia, my two favorite words in Malaysian English are "food stop."

You know, talking about food stop -- it doesn't mean that it's a gas station and a salty bag of chips, okay?

They do have that, too, but more often, you drive through some attractive roadside restaurants where you can find local specialities, especially right here in a few seconds.

The drive through Cendol Bakar.

Cendol Bakar, one cendol.

>> Okay.

>> Ah.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you, thank you, thank >> Okay.

>> Mmm.

Looks good.

Today, we're in Kuala Selangor, and we are in luck.

Here we have the best coconut shake and the karipap.

Trust me, people will drive miles and miles just for a taste.

They call themselves a drive-through -- hm, but it's really more of a drive-by.

Either way, the shakes are cool, and the karipap hot and spicy.

I am addicted.

This is very unique.

This is actually durian cendol.

Look at the color.

Ah, let me taste.

Mmm.

Cool and refreshing, amazing.

Wow, look at how big this is.

You call it karipap or curry puff.

This thing is huge.

No wonder they call themselves the Karipap King.

"King" for king size.

Look at this.

Wonderful chicken.

You can have potato and everything and with curry sauce.

Mmm!

Now, besides all of these, you know what?

Coconut shake, another one of my favorites.

There are choices, choices, and choices.

Ah!

Coconut shake.

♪ A great way to experience Malaysian countryside is to stay in one of these local homesteads.

This is a traditional Malay house.

We're at the Warung Ibu homestead and restaurant.

Right next to the restaurant is the homestead.

This is not a five-star resort, but it's a clean, comfortable, and authentic place to stay.

The house is more than 70 years old.

This classical Malay architecture gives you an experience of a Malaysian country living.

This is my good friend Ibu Katminah.

She's over, 60 and she is a bit of a local celebrity because she has won several cooking competitions.

Her restaurant homestead is a very popular tourist destination around here.

Thank you.

As you travel all over Malaysia, there's a lot of Malay-style buffets, wonderful dishes.

Ooh, try it out.

This is coconut with turmeric.

And we have potato here -- stir-fry potato.

Ah, noodle.

Very famous noodle.

Chili-braised chicken -- you can tell -- the chili right here.

And then, of course, deep-fried chicken.

This is a potato cake right here.

When you go to a Malay or Indonesian restaurant, when you eat things like this, this is how you will eat it.

Everybody uses their hands.

It tastes better.

You put the food right here.

You use your thumb -- you push the food -- push it and put it in your mouth.

Mmm!

That's how you eat it.

I'm gonna try the potato pancake.

This is potato inside.

Mmm, it's delicious.

Mashed potato with turmeric, curry -- absolutely delicious.

I'll try the chicken braised with chili and all the herbs and spices.

Mmm, I love it.

And then you have that deep-fried chicken.

Mmm, equally delicious.

Next time when you're around here, make sure you visit the Warung Ibu restaurant and try this very famous local nasi ambung.

♪ ♪ Two things you must have when driving long distance in Malaysia -- one good cellphone with video, and then, two, a big bag of kerepek chips made with sweet potato.

Mm-mmm!

[ Crunches ] Mmm!

On my left shoulder is the keropok -- on my right shoulder, kerepek.

Ah, they're both very heavily flavored chips.

Besides the keropok and kerepek, there are other chips they are making here.

Look at it -- everybody gets involved.

The small, home, family operation.

This is some other chips with anchovy -- [chuckles] little baby anchovies here.

And each one, you put about two little pieces of anchovy.

This one is heated up right in the hot oil.

So, this way, it's nice and hot and won't stick.

So this is a very, very ingenious experience.

Every single one is done by hand.

Everybody chip in.

Everybody's just like an assembly line.

You just continue to do it.

You do thousands of them a day.

You dip them until they're golden brown and ready to be packed.

On the other side, they're deep-frying some leaves.

Looks like this kind of leaf.

I got to find out what this is.

This is the local variety of what they call the bayam, okay?

Bayam.

This is actually the very -- it's a purple spinach.

Very, very popular, and they grow right in their backyard.

And they're deep-frying this with a special batter, okay?

After it's deep-fried, it looks like this, and you just bite into it.

[ Crunches ] Mmm!

Because the leaf has a very special flavor, so it actually tastes better than potato chips, sweet chips, sweet potato chips, taro chips.

This is the best chips.

This is the bayam chips.

♪ In Malaysia, there are snacks everywhere -- shrimp chips, crackers.

[ Crunches ] Only the most popular.

During Chinese New Year celebration, it's a must.

Here I am in the small fishing village of Pasir Penampang, which is in the mouth of two rivers with plentiful seafood -- shrimps, prawns, fish.

Now, shrimp or prawn cracker is very, very popular here.

Mmm!

[ Crunching ] This is the factory where they make all these wonderful, delicious shrimp crackers.

You start it out by grinding up the shrimp or prawn into puree, mix it with tapioca starch and seasoning and water.

Make it into a nice paste.

Then you shape them like this.

Then, you steam them for an hour and 40 minutes.

After you steam them, let it cool down.

And then you put in the fridge.

Now, this has been in the fridge for a few hours, up to a whole day.

Look at this.

I put it over here, and I push it -- nothing.

Now, after you put it in the fridge, it is nice and firm and you are ready to slice this.

In the old days, they used hands -- slice it one at a time.

Hey, now with the supply and demand, demand is growing so fast, machine's slicing.

It is safer and 100 times more efficient.

Every single one, the same thickness, look at that.

Uniform, safe, and efficient.

After you do that, you got to sun-dry it.

Rather than using the oven, they'll use solar energy.

All depends on unpredictable weather.

If it's sunny, hey, perfect.

If it rains, oh, we got to rush up and -- ohh!

-- rush back -- otherwise, you're gonna have soaking-wet shrimp chips or shrimp crackers.

Driving across Malaysia is a lot of fun.

One reason is that you never have to drive too far before there's another great place for food.

So, if you have an adventurous appetite, Malaysia is your kind of place to hit the open road.

So pack your bags and pack your appetite.

Here we come.

We're gonna do some Malaysian wonderful dishes.

And I would like to invite our dear friend who grew up in Asia, right next to Malaysia, in Singapore, Nora!

[ Applause ] Thank you for joining me.

>> Thank you for inviting me.

>> Pleasure.

Nora, you have a restaurant in Oakland.

>> I do.

>> [ Speaking indistinctly ] And you do a lot of Malaysian and Singaporean dishes.

>> Yes, we do.

>> So, you told me you're gonna show me one of your favorite dishes in the restaurant.

>> Yes, I am.

>> So what is the name of the dish?

>> So it's called "gulai," which is basically like a brothy kind of dish.

And it has duck eggs in it.

>> Oh, duck eggs.

>> Yes.

>> A lot of people never, never really know that there's a difference between duck eggs and chicken eggs.

The duck egg is much, much like an American form, but it's longer, bigger, and the chicken is a little bit smaller.

And our special guests -- Janet and Cheri in -- in our studio audience because they're so curious.

So, the first thing, we're gonna poach the duck egg.

>> So, what I brought for you today is six duck eggs that we've got from a local farm.

>> Yeah, six.

Yeah.

>> And then we're just going to drop them in.

>> Yeah.

>> The temperature has already been set.

What a sous-vide does is cook your food at a precise temperature.

>> So, what temperature do you use?

>> So right now, it's at a 63 degrees Celsius, and we're gonna cook this for an hour, and it's gonna come out just perfect.

>> Perfect, okay.

Whoo!

Time flies.

[ Laughter ] An hour just went through like nothing.

We're gonna take it out.

>> Right.

So we're gonna take these out.

>> Okay.

>> Okay?

So, these eggs have been poached inside the shell, so they're gonna come out... >> Perfect.

>> ...with the shape, yeah.

>> So, what's next so I can help you out, Nora?

>> Right, so we're gonna start off with some very basic ingredients like Fresno chilies that we're going to seed.

>> Chili.

Yeah.

You want to have seed... >> No seeds.

>> No seeds.

>> Yeah.

>> So with no seed, we just trim it like this and trim it like this -- no seeds.

>> Mm-hmm.

Right.

>> And then?

>> And then, we're gonna chop them really fine because they're gonna go in the mortar and pestle for us to make a paste.

>> Yeah.

>> In addition to the chilies, we're also going to put in some turmeric.

>> And then, also, some turmeric.

I'll cut it up and put it over here.

And then?

>> Some onions.

>> I'm gonna even use a tiny bit of onion.

I dice the onion, and then I go... And I put it right over here.

And then we pound it into a paste.

Now, I pound this and I pound this... >> Right.

>> ...and I keep on pounding.

>> Right.

>> But you brought some from the restaurant.

>> I did bring some for you, so we're not gonna be pounding forever.

So, we're gonna add some oil, about 2 tablespoons of oil.

>> Okay.

>> And then just swirl around your pan.

All right?

>> Now you have to stop because I want let Janet and Cheri smell and see how fresh this is.

It's so fresh.

[ Sizzling ] >> Mmm.

>> It's so aromatic.

>> All right.

>> Stir-fry it.

>> So, give it a little bit more time.

>> Okay, I can give you a hand to continue to stir.

>> Yep.

>> And what else?

What else?

>> So, you'll see a little bit of oil that's already come out.

>> Yep.

>> Right?

So now what you're gonna do is add some coconut milk.

>> Okay.

>> I'll slowly put it in there.

>> Okay.

>> You're gonna keep stirring.

>> This kind of mellows it down a little bit.

>> Yes.

>> And it's still beautifully tasty.

Look at the color.

>> And then we're going to dilute it a little bit with some water.

>> The turmeric not only has a lot of medicinal, a lot of health benefits, but also gives that nice, vibrant orange color.

>> Right.

What you have over there -- I brought for you some cornichons.

>> Yeah.

>> And if you would, please, slice them in half.

>> Okay.

>> These guys here.

>> Now, this is how I would do it instead of doing it one by one.

I'd line them all up like this, okay, and I would do it all together.

>> Perfect.

>> You see this?

And I put it all together, and this will give the tanginess.

>> Correct.

And then we're gonna put some bruised lemongrass.

>> Okay.

>> And some of the rau ram.

>> Rau ram.

>> Yeah.

>> This is very good.

>> Yeah, it's my one -- it's my favorite.

>> And this -- I'll put the whole thing -- it looks nicer.

>> Yeah, looks great.

And then we're gonna bruise the lemongrass and infuse it in here.

All right, throw them in whole.

There you go.

I'm gonna add some salt... >> Salt.

>> ...and some sugar to taste.

So now, while it simmers... >> Yeah.

>> ...we're gonna add some more acid to this to balance it again, so we're gonna squeeze some lime juice.

>> Okay.

Yeah, lime juice.

>> And do you remember the duck eggs that we poached earlier?

>> Yes.

>> Okay.

Mm-hmm.

>> Oh!

>> Beautiful.

>> Beautiful, nice.

[ Eggshells thump lightly ] >> All right.

And then we're gonna drop it into this -- the -- the gulai.

>> Do you see this?

Big.

>> Mm-hmm.

That's a really nice one.

>> This is beautiful.

Look at how beautiful this is.

Huh?

Finally... Now, of course, if you don't have duck eggs, by all means, use eggs... >> Chicken eggs.

>> ...regular chicken egg.

Just as good, okay?

[ Bowl taps lightly ] >> And we're done.

>> We're done.

Let us serve.

>> All right.

>> This is so beautiful.

1... 2... and 3.

>> See how easy this was, Martin?

>> Very.

>> Anybody can do this.

>> Look at that -- beautiful.

[ Bowl taps lightly ] Nora, thank you so much for showing me and all the audience around the country how to make this wonderful dish, and everybody can do it at home.

And it's also very healthy.

Thank you so much.

>> Thank you, Martin.

>> You know, this dish is nutritious, and it's also very filling and absolutely a great-tasting dish, too.

And it's the perfect comfort food.

Have a duck-egg treat.

Enjoy.

♪ Locals and tourists alike come over here to this Sin Hai Ping seafood restaurant for the same dishes.

What a day!

Crab congee or you call "crab porridge."

And then, of course, stir-fried rice noodle made locally with a fresh crab right from the river.

Tasting time.

Try this first.

Taste the juk with the crab.

Mmm!

When the porridge is cooked with fresh crab, it is absolutely delicious.

Of all the seafood, the sweetest seafood is actually crab.

So...I'm gonna have more of this porridge, or juk.

Mmm, absolutely delicious.

Stir-fry noodle with a lot of crab.

Let me see whether the juice of the crab actually permeates into our rice noodle.

Mmm.

The noodle and the porridge.

Ah.

Crab congee.

Match made in heaven.

Absolutely delicious.

As you travel all over Malaysia, you either see a lot of palm trees or coconut trees.

A lot of coconut -- lookit.

There's mountains of coconut.

Coconut has a lot of wonderful benefits.

A lot of people don't realize.

Now, this is not the ordinary coconut -- this is the pandan leaf flavor coconut.

Medically speaking, there's a lot of health benefits.

That's the reason you go to the supermarket everywhere -- you can find coconut drinks.

Now, coconut is very low in sugar, basically no fat, so it's good for a diet.

[ Chuckling ] Ah.

Whoa!

Very good.

Coconut water -- you can buy them bottled in the supermarket now, but this is fresh, natural, organic coconut water, right here inside.

Let me show you.

[ Slurps ] Ahhh!

[ Laughs ] Very healthy.

But a lot of people here -- not only they drink coconut, they come over here to this stand.

Young lady -- they're making hand-mixed steam bun.

Sweet red bean bao.

>> Okay.

>> Okay?

You can tell this is all handmade -- it's not white.

There's no bleach, huh?

All nice and soft.

The second one... >> This one is peanut.

>> Ah, this is peanut.

This is sweet chopped peanut with sugar.

And then, this is a vegetable bao, okay?

Mmm!

Smells so good.

You can see the natural fermentation -- I can smell it.

And then you open it up -- you got all kinds of wonderful.

This is carrot, jicama, and seasoning.

Look at that.

Mmm, delicious.

And then, peanut.

This is chopped peanut with sugar inside.

Mmm, amazing.

Sweet, crispy, crunchy, yet this is soft and moist because it's all handmade.

This is the sweet red bean bao with sweet red bean paste.

Nice and moist and soft.

Mmm!

Inside there is sweet because the bao has got a little dough.

So this whole area -- what's the name of this area?

>> Kuala Selangor, Pasir Penampang.

>> Ah, Pasir Penampang.

You look at this place.

This place is packed with locals and tourists alike.

They all come over here for a very popular dish, and this is it.

It's actually steamed seafood medley over noodle, and then, three different layers.

Ah, this is a seafood medley -- all kinds of seafood right here.

Let's taste the broth.

The essence is in the broth.

Very flavorful seafood flavor.

Love it.

And then pick up some noodles.

[ Chuckling ] Look at that.

Beautiful, steamed noodles like this.

And then, we put it over here and have noodle soup.

Look at this.

Mmm, delicious.

Not only that -- you can also eat the clam.

Look at this.

Mmm, delicious.

Scallop.

Mmm!

Also, eat the shrimp.

Mmm!

Look at that.

Fascinating dish.

Everybody comes over here just for this.

Oh, I love it.

Steamed seafood medley.

Mmm, delicious.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> I'm so honored to be invited by Mr. Mazli.

How are you?

>> Yeah, thank you.

>> And he's a director of Kuala Selangor River Cruise.

Mr. Mazli said because the state government put in a lot of effort to preserve this whole mangrove area to make it into a wildlife sanctuary, particularly for birds and migrant birds like eagles and other things -- so this way, a lot of birds and eagles have nests right here, and that's the reason why there are so many eagles and migrant birds, right?

>> Yeah.

♪ ♪ Mr. Mazli told me now people from all over Malaysia, from all over Asia, and around the world come over here for this river cruise.

Here I was told fireflies at night are just like Christmas trees.

>> Yeah.

>> They sparkle all over.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> You know why there's so much good seafood around here?

Because this is the river -- connects to the mouth of the Strait of Melaka.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> When the river meets the ocean... >> Yes, yes.

>> ...those waters have the best and most abundant seafood, the best quality seafood -- shrimp, fish, lobster, crab -- all kinds of things -- so we're lucky that we're having this wonderful river cruise.

>> Yeah.

>> And amazing.

>> Yeah.

>> And thank you for having us -- not just me, but my crew.

>> Yeah.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ What a day!

We're now at the picturesque beach near Sekinchan.

The locals have a very colorful custom.

They write down their wishes and tie them down to this gigantic wishing tree.

This beautiful tree has been standing proud for hundreds of years.

It has given shade to countless and granted their wishes.

♪ What did I wish for?

Good weather, good food, and delicious prawn crackers.

Find out next time on "Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yan."

Bye-bye.

>> You can visit our website to learn more about Martin and his travels, get information about upcoming events, find and print selected recipes, provide e-mail feedback, and more.

It's all at yancancook.com.

"Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yan" is brought to you by... >> ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ >> Circulon cookware.

Circles for life.

>> Monogram.

A full line of professional appliances designed for food and entertaining enthusiasts.

♪ ♪ By Melissa's.

The freshest ideas in produce.

By Granite Expo.

Offering a wide selection of cabinet and countertop solutions.

And by B&G Group of Malaysia.

♪ Building Malaysia's tomorrow.

♪ ♪ ♪