People who dont like Malaysian or Singaporean cuisine should get a Covid test done, because one of the symptoms is having no taste.
What makes the food in both countries, which overlap owing to their shared histories, especially flavourful and colourful is multiculturalism.
Not only can one find Chinese diasporic dishes that are specific to Malaysia and Singapore (hello, bakuteh and laksa) and more kinds of curries than one can count on both hands (courtesy of migration from India, Indonesia and more), but colonialism, for all its ills, has opened up new culinary pathways (as evidenced by Eurasian food and the more endangered Kristang cuisine).
Left to right, top to bottom: Jun Nishimaya, Elaine Khoo, Rachel Gouk, Joey Cheong, Ervin Ong and Sammi Sowerby
Known for their slight obsession with food and drinks, Malaysians and Singaporeans are often opiniated about restaurants (unsurprisingly, you’ll find many in F&B or related industries), but are always happy to dish out reliable recommendations.
Bookmark the following places suggested by six Malaysians and Singaporeans who now call Shanghai their first or second home.
Jumbo Seafood
📍 IAPM Mall, 999 Middle Huaihai Road, Xuhui
⏰ Daily, 11 AM - 3 PM | 4:30 - 9:30 PM
☎️ 021-6466-3435
When I miss Singapore and want something that hits the spot, I’ll usually go to Jumbo Seafood at IAPM, as chilli crab is one of my favourite dishes.
I have brought friends here and they love it, as some haven’t been to Jumbo in Singapore; it’s a good thing we also have it here. The food is decently priced and they do a pretty damn good job as far as authenticity goes.
Photos via Jumbo Seafood
The chilli crabs, of course, are just f***ing spectacular. The cereal prawns are always a good bet, and the sambal kangkong (water spinach served with a spicy relish) is pretty good.
If you don’t want to get a whole crab, they have a mini single serving with just one crab claw. And you have to get a side of deep-fried mantou buns — chilli crab just ain’t chilli crab without them.
Photos via Jumbo Seafood
Jun Nishiyama
Japanese-Singaporean
executive chef of
Sage Gastroteca
Cinta Blues
📍 TBC Bilin Building 2, 1468 Hongqiao Road, Changning
⏰ Daily, 11 AM – 2 PM | 5 - 9:30 PM
☎️ +86 150-2170-8613
My birth country is the Netherlands, but whenever I long for flavours that remind me of my heritage (my great-grandmother is Malay), Cinta Blues is my go-to. Eric, the owner, makes you instantly feel at home with his warm hospitality.
Photos courtesy of Cinta Blues
The restaurant is a bit of a trek from where I live, but when those serious cravings hit, I always bring a few friends along to share a variety of dishes.
The dishes taste like they’re straight from a hawker stall, and coming here is like a delicious trip back to Southeast Asia.
Seafood hor fun. Photos courtesy of Cinta Blues
I have to admit, there is one dish that I do not share: the seafood hor fun — it’s my absolute favourite! They nail the wok hei (that perfect smoky quality), which I can’t resist.
Also, you must try the char siew; make sure to ask for the burnt version — it’s divine.
As for those who love durian, just give them a heads up, and they’ll hook you up!
FUN FACT:
Elaine makes a mean rojak, a salad with Javanese roots, dressed with piquant shrimp paste and palm sugar.
Elaine Koo
Partnership and
events specialist for
Artyzen Hospitality Group
Secret Flavour
📍 Printemps Mall, 4/F, 939 Middle Road, Xuhui
⏰ Daily, 10 AM - 9 PM
☎️ 021-54566716
📍 Nasi lemak only: 15, 666 West Haiyang Road, B1, Pudong
⏰ Daily, 10 AM - 9 PM
☎️ 021-20776177
I had heard of Malaysian restaurant Secret Flavor for a while, but only just went recently, as I cook a lot at home.
Secret Flavor in Printemps Mall. Photos by Rachel Gouk
I think Secret Flavor is an excellent introduction for people who want to discover Malaysian food, or to satiate Malaysians’ cravings. My only gripe is that they don’t do roti. (Maybe they’ll hear our pleas, eh, Sammi?)
Duo of beef rendang and beef curry at Secret Flavor. Photo by Rachel Gouk
The curried dishes here are pretty good, especially the beef rendang; they don’t hold back on the spice level, and the rendang is really aromatic and complex in flavour.
Nasi lemak at Secret Flavor. Photo by Rachel Gouk
The nasi lemak, Malaysia’s ‘national breakfast,’ is also legit, and the fried chicken and sambal are on point.
Not everyone knows that there is also a Secret Flavor in Pudong below the Artyzen NEW BUND 31 hotel. That one is purely nasi lemak-focused. I haven’t been, but it’s been blowing up on Chinese social media.
Rachel Gouk
Founder and content
creator at Nomfluence
Heng Heng Kopitiam
📍 542 Huanghua Road, Minhang
⏰ Mon - Thu, 10:30 AM - 9 PM | Fri - Sun, 10:30 AM - 10 PM
☎️ 187-2190-5452
Photos by Joey Cheong
There are two places that I usually head to for Singaporean food: for elaborate meals and gatherings, Jumbo Seafood is the preferred choice, and for a quick, authentic fix, it would be Heng Heng Kopitiam.
Heng Heng Kopitiam is a good place to catch up with Singaporeans who have become Shanghai old-timers.
The owner is a Singaporean from a corporate F&B background and the chef is a Malaysian veteran. We are two countries that share the same cuisine!
(Clockwise from top left) Chicken rice, Penang char kway teow, curry laksa, and shrimp paste chicken wings. Photos by Joey Cheong
I have brought friends here and the reviews are usually pretty good, as the food is kind of similar to what they’ve had in Singapore. That said, most Singaporean food here is at best only 90% authentic, as restaurants have to take into consideration some form of localisation to better suit the locals.
Heng Heng has very decent seafood hor fun, Penang char kway teow, chicken rice, and shrimp paste chicken wings. Some local specialty drinks include our style of coffee or kopi and Milo Dinosaur (a chocolate malt beverage).
Joey Cheong
Chef and owner
of UMAMIII
(Reopening in
due time)
Malaya 19th
📍 123 Nanyang Road, Jing’an
⏰ Daily, 10 AM - 9:30 PM
☎️ 021-5290-5919
Photos by Hana via Malaya 19th’s Dianping
As a Malacca-born Malaysian who studied and lived in Kuala Lumpur before moving to Shanghai in 2021, I recommend Malaya 19th.
The casual restaurant opened less than a year ago and is located right in the centre of Jing’an. Plus, you can play pool or billiards just next door.
(Top) Curry laksa, nasi kerabu, beehoon and (bottom) and barley ice drink. Photos via Malaya 19th
Their laksa is amazing! That and the barley ice drink are pretty close to what we get back home in KL.
Ervin Ong
Restaurant manager
and sommelier of
8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana
Malaysian desserts
📍 Pull-Tab: B2, 268 Xujiahui Road, Dapuqiao Street, Huangpu
⏰ Daily, 8 AM - 8:30 PM
📍 toaster&toastee: 966-5 Changle Road, Jing’an
⏰ Daily, 8 AM - 8 PM
📍 Little Nonya: B2 3300 North Zhongshan Road, Putuo
⏰ Daily, 10 AM - 10 PM
Artery-clogging kaya toast from toaster&toastee. GIF by Sammi Sowerby
For this 36-year-old going on 60, few things quite as nice as sitting down to a hot drink and something sweet. One thing I really miss about Malaysia are its breakfast and tea time rituals.
Shanghai’s niche kaya toast (coconut confiture between bread) market is dominated by two competitors: pick Pull-Tab over toaster&toastee if possible for crunchier toast and less tooth-achingly sweet kaya. The former also uses butter whereas margarine is slathered between the latter’s sandwiches; some might argue that the plant-based stuff is more authentic, but butter obviously tastes better.
Side note: It tickles me to see the range of adventurous (read: ‘blasphemous’) kaya toast flavours in Shanghai (salted egg, red bean, chocolate) that would never fly in Malaysia.
Photos by Sammi Sowerby or sourced via Little Nonya
Kuih muih, an umbrella term for a wide variety of bite-sized, sweet or savoury treats, is not impossible to get ahold of in Shanghai, but something or other is often ‘off.’
A trustworthy store, Little Nonya offers a colourful assortment of kuih lapis, pulut panggang aka rempah udang, et cetera that taste as authentic as one hopes. Meanwhile, the bestselling pandan waffles, which I think of as a shopping mall snack, are delightfully fluffy and — unusually but deliciously — filled with sticky mochi.
Sammi Sowerby
English editor of
Time Out Shanghai
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📧 sammi.sowerby@gmail.com
