Food in Malaysia

[coralia]

I have not been to Malaysia for many years and I am planning to visit again this winter. I am worried that I will not find anything to eat. I keep a very restrictive diet for health reasons. In Thailand there is often grilled chicken or salmon in supermarkets, and hard-boiled eggs at 7Eleven. Am I going to find these things in Malaysia (in large cities)? Same question regarding the Philippines (I have never been there), in case somebody knows. Please advise. Thank you.

[ChrisP24]

I can't speak to Malaysia, but with regard to the Philippines, although it has a reputation for having poor quality food, my own experience has been that this reputation is undeserved.  Yes there is a lot of junk available, and that junk is popular there, but there are also healthy options especially soups and grilled meats /grilled seafood.

 

And if you're able/willing/interested in getting a place with a kitchen, that opens up a world of options as you can get fresh meats and produce from the market and prepare it to your liking. 

 

In the Philippines I've never had trouble finding good food in the cities, both at restaurants and markets.  When I visit the province though and am not sure if there will be a chance to go to the market, I take some durable food with me such as canned sardines, tuna in water, imported corned beef, mixed nuts and other things that go well with rice, as on occasion I've had a few meals that just didn't sit right with me.  I have an aversion to organ meat (liver etc.) and they seem to mix that into dishes and sauces sometimes.   

[coralia]

11 hours ago, ChrisP24 said:

I can't speak to Malaysia, but with regard to the Philippines, although it has a reputation for having poor quality food, my own experience has been that this reputation is undeserved.  Yes there is a lot of junk available, and that junk is popular there, but there are also healthy options especially soups and grilled meats /grilled seafood.

 

And if you're able/willing/interested in getting a place with a kitchen, that opens up a world of options as you can get fresh meats and produce from the market and prepare it to your liking. 

 

In the Philippines I've never had trouble finding good food in the cities, both at restaurants and markets.  When I visit the province though and am not sure if there will be a chance to go to the market, I take some durable food with me such as canned sardines, tuna in water, imported corned beef, mixed nuts and other things that go well with rice, as on occasion I've had a few meals that just didn't sit right with me.  I have an aversion to organ meat (liver etc.) and they seem to mix that into dishes and sauces sometimes.   

Thank you.

Can you tell me if I can find hard-boiled eggs at convenience stores (in Thailand they have them)? I could survive on boiled eggs and butter (I assume I can find imported butter in supermarkets), sardines (if they are in water or extra-virgin olive oil) and corned beef, provided it has no added sugars, starches, oils or chemicals.

I have never been to the Philippines and if I go I can't stay more than 30 days, so obviously I will not be able to find a place with a kitchen. I have an electric skillet but I have never used it; I'll take it with me just in case. 

Since you seem to know the country very well, can you tell me if it is safe to travel there? I am a middle-aged woman travelling alone and I like to walk around a lot (I don't go out after dark), is there a danger of muggings, that sort of thing? I was thinking of visiting Baguio, possibly Iloilo... not Manila.

I wish someone would give me information about food in Malaysia ????

Thanks again ????

[ChrisP24]

Sorry, I don't recall whether hard boiled eggs are commonly available at convenience stores.  There are over a thousand 7-11s in the Philippines, plus Family Marts, Ministops, etc. and also numerous small sari-saris, like a 10x10 foot stall operated as a family business.  I think some of them sell hard boiled eggs or will know of another one nearby where you can get them.   Yes on the imported butter, I took a liking to Lurpak butter which was available in many of the markets as both sticks and single-serve packets. 

 

For a kitchen, there are lots of apartments and condos available for short-term rental (even just one or two days) via Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com etc. and some hotels offer rooms with kitchens, they are called "condotels" there.  Then boiled eggs would be easy. ????And honestly once you can shop in a market and prepare your own food, you won't have any food troubles at all, and in fact the variety and quality of fresh produce available might be a pleasant surprise to you.  Baguio for example has several supermarkets, (SM Market, Robinson's, Savemore), all of which will have a wide variety of local and imported products.  The brands might be different than what you're used to but you should be able to find what you want, plus know for certain what ingredients are used.

 

For local corned beef the Philippine brand Delimondo seemed to be the best of what I tried, but the New Zealand brand Palm and Australian brand Ox & Palm are top quality and popular there and often available in the larger markets.  On sardines I prefer Portuguese or Moroccan in EVOO, and they are available at larger markets too.  There are many Philippine brands but in my experience they tend to be packed in either tomato sauce or corn oil or soybean oil.

 

Regarding safety, a condo would probably be safer than an apartment due to on-site security and restricted access past the lobby.  In general an area with a modern condo I think is mostly safe, but as a foreigner you may be hassled by beggars especially small kids running up to you with their hands out.  You get used to just saying no and not stopping or engaging with them in any way.   The main thing to worry about is pickpockets or snatchers targeting a handbag or cell phone, but basic precautions such as not taking more money/cards/ID/extra items with you than you need, and being alert for snatchers both on foot or on motorbikes, the same as in any larger city.  I've visited many times and never had anything stolen, just a few attempted taxi scams overcharging, which is easy enough to avoid once you know about them, it just becomes part of the cultural experience.  

 

Ditto on walking around,  I walk a lot for exercise, but have found that (with some exceptions) cities in the Philippines often have sidewalks that are damaged or obstructed so you have to continually look down for holes or broken patches, and also up for wires or objects you might run into, and often have to step down into the street (and dodge traffic) to get around where someone has put something or even built something out onto the sidewalk.    

 

Can I ask, what are your goals/planned activities for this trip?   Baguio is a good choice (I think, I have not been there but have passed it several times and have heard lots about it), also Cebu.  30 days is a long time.

Edited November 4, 2022 by ChrisP24
Edited for typos

[coralia]

13 hours ago, ChrisP24 said:

Sorry, I don't recall whether hard boiled eggs are commonly available at convenience stores.  There are over a thousand 7-11s in the Philippines, plus Family Marts, Ministops, etc. and also numerous small sari-saris, like a 10x10 foot stall operated as a family business.  I think some of them sell hard boiled eggs or will know of another one nearby where you can get them.   Yes on the imported butter, I took a liking to Lurpak butter which was available in many of the markets as both sticks and single-serve packets. 

 

For a kitchen, there are lots of apartments and condos available for short-term rental (even just one or two days) via Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com etc. and some hotels offer rooms with kitchens, they are called "condotels" there.  Then boiled eggs would be easy. ????And honestly once you can shop in a market and prepare your own food, you won't have any food troubles at all, and in fact the variety and quality of fresh produce available might be a pleasant surprise to you.  Baguio for example has several supermarkets, (SM Market, Robinson's, Savemore), all of which will have a wide variety of local and imported products.  The brands might be different than what you're used to but you should be able to find what you want, plus know for certain what ingredients are used.

 

For local corned beef the Philippine brand Delimondo seemed to be the best of what I tried, but the New Zealand brand Palm and Australian brand Ox & Palm are top quality and popular there and often available in the larger markets.  On sardines I prefer Portuguese or Moroccan in EVOO, and they are available at larger markets too.  There are many Philippine brands but in my experience they tend to be packed in either tomato sauce or corn oil or soybean oil.

 

Regarding safety, a condo would probably be safer than an apartment due to on-site security and restricted access past the lobby.  In general an area with a modern condo I think is mostly safe, but as a foreigner you may be hassled by beggars especially small kids running up to you with their hands out.  You get used to just saying no and not stopping or engaging with them in any way.   The main thing to worry about is pickpockets or snatchers targeting a handbag or cell phone, but basic precautions such as not taking more money/cards/ID/extra items with you than you need, and being alert for snatchers both on foot or on motorbikes, the same as in any larger city.  I've visited many times and never had anything stolen, just a few attempted taxi scams overcharging, which is easy enough to avoid once you know about them, it just becomes part of the cultural experience.  

 

Ditto on walking around,  I walk a lot for exercise, but have found that (with some exceptions) cities in the Philippines often have sidewalks that are damaged or obstructed so you have to continually look down for holes or broken patches, and also up for wires or objects you might run into, and often have to step down into the street (and dodge traffic) to get around where someone has put something or even built something out onto the sidewalk.    

 

Can I ask, what are your goals/planned activities for this trip?   Baguio is a good choice (I think, I have not been there but have passed it several times and have heard lots about it), also Cebu.  30 days is a long time.

Thank you for all the information ????????????

My goal is getting away for about 3 months during the winter. I don't like cold weather. I am not yet sure about going to the Philippines. I prefer safer destinations like Malaysia or Thailand.

Thanks again!!!

[ChrisP24]

9 hours ago, coralia said:

Thank you for all the information ????????????

My goal is getting away for about 3 months during the winter. I don't like cold weather. I am not yet sure about going to the Philippines. I prefer safer destinations like Malaysia or Thailand.

Thanks again!!!

Happy to help.  Sorry that I can't speak to Malaysia.   One parting note on safety, I've been to the Philippines many times and to Thailand a few times, and in my opinion/experience, the two are very comparable on safety, with Thailand being only slightly more safe for a solo middle-aged female traveler staying in a relatively urban area where foreigners are common.   And I think that non-urban areas are actually even safer in both locations (with the exception of the far southern parts of both countries).  Good luck and enjoy your travels.