Mainland Chinese cuisine wins fans in Malaysia with mee tarik and mala hotpot

KUALA LUMPUR – Jalan Petaling, where Malaysia’s centuries-old Chinatown is located in the capital city of Malaysia, was a favourite hang-out during my high school days 20 years ago.

Under the corrugated iron roofs of the hawker stalls on an afternoon, teenage me would devour a bowl of Cantonese pork offal congee, sweating and slurping up every sticky spoonful. I loved soaking the crunchy youtiao pieces in the rice porridge mixed with fried intestine, dark-red liver and century egg. Add a little light soya sauce and white pepper, and I would get food to comfort my stomach, all for just RM5 (S$1.50).