With their fresh, deep, intense flavors and varied textures, Asian foods are quickly becoming an integral part of the North American diet. They currently rank as one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing cuisines. And Asian culinary treasures are no longer limited to chow mein, egg rolls and other "Americanized" Chinese fare. Consumers are seeking out the fragrant aromas, tantalizing tastes and eye-appealing presentations of many different Southeast Asian cuisines.

The ingredients and flavors of some of those cuisines are comfort foods to me, for I was born and grew up in Malaysia. Recently, my daughter, Geeta, and I visited my homeland and Singapore. While on this nostalgic trip, we sampled an array of offerings at Malaysian and Singaporean restaurants and found not only the varied, tasty meals of my childhood but also excellent international and fusion fare.

Mystical and multifaceted menus

The foods of Malaysia and Singapore have been influenced by the nations' histories and their diverse populations. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Melaka Portuguese (Portuguese intermarried with local women), Eurasians, Peranakan (traders from Southern China intermarried with Malay women — also called Nonya for women and Baba for men), and the indigenous peoples have exerted cultural influences over many aspects of their countries' development, including culinary traditions.

Religion also has played an important role in the evolution of Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Jews have specific preferences and prohibitions for ingredients, which adds to the variety and uniqueness of the local foods. For example, Malaysia, with its large Muslim population, features a greater variety of ethnic Malay, Indian Muslim and Indonesian dishes, while Singapore, with a Chinese majority, showcases more varied Chinese flavors.

The modern country of Malaysia achieved independence from Britain and came into existence in 1963. In its initial form, it consisted of Western or Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and the states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo. In 1965, Singapore left the Malay federation and became an independent city-state. In today's marketplace, food can be ordered and eaten throughout the day and night at restaurants, coffee shops (kedai kopi in Malaysia and kopi tiam in Singapore), cafes, hawker centers or pushcarts.

In Malaysia and Singapore, forks and spoons are generally used with meals, while the Chinese typically use chopsticks and porcelain spoons. Indians traditionally use the right hand to scoop up foods, which may be served on clean, fresh banana leaves. Knives, which have been used as weapons throughout Malaysia's history and continue to symbolize aggression, are not usually placed on the dining table.

Rice lays the foundation

Rice, noodles and tubers with spices, dried seafood, pork, and coconut flavorings are the heart of Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines. A typical meal consists of steamed white rice or noodles with a variety of accompaniments. For locals, a meal without rice is incomplete and unsatisfying, for they believe that the grain nourishes body and soul. In the Malay language, the word "nasi" not only means "cooked rice" but also is the word for "meal." Locals often greet each other with the phrase "sudah makan nasi" (have you taken your meal?).

Rice may be accompanied by curried chicken, braised lentils, shrimp sambal, grilled spicy fish, stir-fried or pickled vegetables, roasted pork, or rendang (a spiced, fiery beef dish). Rice also can be a meal on its own, with accompanying condiments and garnishes. Possibilities include tomato rice, lentil rice, congee (a porridge-like rice with pickled garnishes), Hainanese chicken rice (roasted or steamed chicken with a spicy ginger-based sauce), nasi kuning (yellow spiced rice), nasi bokhari (spicy pilaf-style rice), nasi ulam (rice with fresh herbs), and nasi lemak (made with coconut milk and pandan-leaf essence, which has a fragrant, sweet, vanilla/rose-like aroma).

Noodles (called mee or meehoon) also are often at the center of the plate in Malaysia and Singapore. There are endless ways to prepare them, and every ethnic group has its own style of preparation and unique culinary concoctions. Noodle dishes tend to be accompanied by soups and fiery-hot condiments. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner or as snacks any time of day. They can be stir-fried in a wok, stirred into soups or topped with sauces. Favorite noodle fare includes laksas (Nonya-style fiery, soupy, curried rice noodles that are fish-broth- or coconut-based), mamak mee (Indian- or Muslim-style fried spicy noodles), mee rebus (Japanese-style stewed, spicy, turmeric-based wheat noodles), char kway teow (stir-fried, Cantonese-style rice noodles), meehoon (Chinese- or Indian-style, spiced, stir-fried rice vermicelli), clear noodle soups, Hokkien-style mee and curry mee.

Fragrant leafy spices, freshly sliced rhizomes and pounded dried spices add unique tastes, aromas and colors to dishes. Many Malaysian and Singaporean ingredients such as shallots, fiery chili peppers, tamarind, lemongrass, coriander leaf, ginger, salted soybeans (taucheo), pandan leaf and coconut milk are enjoyed by everyone, but each culture has its own way of preparing those staple spices, so distinct flavors and textures abound. Sauces, condiments and curries come in many flavors, consistencies and colors, with each culture adding its favorite ingredients. Curries, for example, include debil curry (vindaloo-like Eurasian hot, sour curry), kurma (spicy mint-coriander Nonya curry), ikan asam pedas (hot-and-sour-fish Malay curry), meen kolambu (Sri Lankan fish curry), mutton peratil (dry-mutton South Indian curry), rendang daging (hot, coconut-based beef Indonesian curry) and chicken makhani (North Indian creamy curry).

Breads such as roti canai (a flaky, folded bread), paratha (a layered bread), roti jala (a lacy bread), chappati (a whole-wheat bread), puri (a puffed, fried bread), dosa (a flat, sour bread), idli (soft, dense, rice-based bread), and newcomers pita bread and tortillas are popular for breakfast, lunch, late suppers or snacks. They often are dipped into coconut-mint chutneys, used to soak up lentil stew or scoop up vegetables or meats, or are used simply as a base on which to spread ghee (clarified butter), curry sauces or sambals (fiery-hot condiments).

For light snacks any time of day, Malaysians and Singaporeans take a taste of preserved and fresh fruits, such as mango, pineapple, guava or papaya; lentils or nuts; cakes or pastries; sweet glutinous rice, tapioca or yam-based puddings; or soybean curd. Battered and deep-fried fruits and vegetables are popular, such as fried sweet banana (pisang goreng), fried chempedak (a local fruit similar to breadfruit), or fried yam (ubi goreng).

Fresh fruits, including papaya, mango, chiku, pineapple, durian, rambutan, sweet banana and mangosteen are often eaten after meals as desserts. Other dessert delicacies — which also can be enjoyed during teatime and during festive occasions — include cakes, puddings or custards in different flavors and colors. Chinese-style desserts incorporate a philosophy of symbolism and healing. Some of their favorite dessert ingredients are healthful herbs like ginseng and gingko, red bean, lotus seed, almond rice, sesame, melon, and water chestnut. Malays make red, green or yellow glutinous rice, coconut-and-palm-sugar-based desserts. Indian desserts are typically sweet, milky and nutty and are made with rice, lentil or semolina, ghee, milk and cardamom. Flavored ice creams such as mango, coconut, durian, pandan leaf and rambutan are popular as well. Additional chilly treats include ais kacang (shaved ice with local flavorings such as rose or pandan essence; coconut milk; condensed milk and lotus seed; and cendol (green noodle bits in coconut milk and palm sugar, topped with shaved ice).

To wash all those mouthwatering foods down, Malaysian and Singaporean diners have a variety of beverages from which to choose. Cold soybean milk, fresh-fruit and sugar-cane juices, ais Bandung (a milk-based drink with rose essence), and teas and coffees please many a palate. Lime, orange, watermelon, starfruit, honeydew and apple juices are served with meals, as is lassi (a spiced, yogurt-based drink). One local libation called teh tarik ("pulled tea," drawn from the way it is prepared) is a sweet, frothy, milky tea that contains condensed milk and sugar.

Old and new meld together in today's Malaysia

Growing up in Malaysia, I ate at home, but for a change from my mother's cooking, I would frequent the hawker stalls or centers in town where food was cooked right in front of you. Hawkers provided fresh and convenient food for a minimal price. We would eat at the stalls or take the food away. Hawkers would come to our home in the mornings with nasi lemak or char siew paos (buns filled with sweet barbecued pork) for breakfast; soup mee, laksas or won ton noodles for lunch; soybean curd or chicken-noodle soups for snacks; and satays, fried rice and a variety of noodle dishes for the evening meal.

On my recent trip to Malaysia, I found that in all but the smallest towns and villages food courts and restaurants have replaced those home visits by vendors. "Stall-eating," however, continues to be popular with locals and tourists. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital and its largest city — a bustling, modern metropolis that is the home of the world's tallest buildings, the twin Petronas Towers (452 meters) — you can find all the amenities of a modern city, but tourists who want to savor a taste of old Malaysian hawker-style food can still find it at the city's Central Market. This center combines the best of the old and the new. It's a place to shop for local trinkets or batiks, listen to music, and sample local and fusion cooking. The crowded food court, called Balai Makan, serves up local favorites such as claypot noodles, dim sum, fish-head curry, murtabak (spiced, ground-mutton-stuffed bread), lamb curry, steaks, fried rice, mee goreng and salads.

Many of Kuala Lumpur's stalls now compete with big hotels and restaurants that provide tasty, convenient meals in desirable, relaxed surroundings. Young adults and others who are looking for a change of pace and a comfortable atmosphere tend to frequent restaurants. Although foreign cuisines often lack the intense, pungent flavors that many locals prefer, some restaurants in Kuala Lumpur are broadening their horizons — and their customer base — by combining international flavors with local favorites. Chinese cuisine still heads the list of high-quality restaurants, but it is followed by cuisines as diverse as Italian, Japanese, Tex-Mex, Malaysian, Thai, French and North Indian. Chefs, trained or born in Europe, Australia, India and other parts of Asia, work in major resort-hotel restaurants that provide fusion and Western-oriented menus. Western-style noodle bars, coffee cafes and fast-food outlets that provide both authentic Malaysian and Western-style dishes are increasing in number as well.

The most popular fusion-cooking styles combine local ingredients with Mediterranean, Mexican and Italian foods. Some restaurants also offer two cuisines side by side rather than mixed together, for example Italian and Thai, Western and Nonya or Malay, or Continental and Asian.

Many restaurants do a little bit of everything to keep up with changing trends. For example, Taman Sari (which means "garden of flowers" in Malay), located in Kuala Lumpur, serves regional Malaysian, international and fusion dishes. According to Executive Chef Mohammed Rashidi, the restaurant's clientele is 80 percent local and 20 percent foreign. Guests include visitors from the Mediterranean, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. "The most popular dishes here are Asian with a Mediterranean flair," he says.

To satisfy customers' wide-ranging tastes, Taman Sari's menu includes a wide variety of dishes, including beef rendang, ikan bakar (fish grilled in banana leaves), Indonesian nasi goreng, Penang char kway teow, satay Kajang, tandoori chicken, New Zealand grilled lamb, Cajun fajitas, fish 'n' chips, yakitori soba (grilled-chicken buckwheat noodles), Mexican steak sandwiches, chicken burgers, grilled tenderloin steaks, spaghetti Bolognese and pizzas.

Tempting tastes are easy to find outside of Malaysia's capital city as well. Many locals and tourists travel to the country's enticing and exotic beach resorts to savor their marvelous flavors. One popular destination is Pulau Langkawi, an island off the northwest coast of Malaysia, close to Thailand. Langkawi's cuisine has local, Thai, Mediterranean, Japanese, Mexican and fusion flavors. The colonial town of Melaka — formerly Malacca — is renowned for its Nonya and Portuguese-style specialties. Once a thriving spice-trade center between the East and West, Melaka was conquered first by the Dutch and then by the Portuguese; both groups left their cultural mark on the local cuisine.

Singaporean sensations

Singapore also is famous for its great food and fine restaurants. As in Malaysia, you can sample local fare at hawkers' centers, which are closely supervised by the Singaporean government, and as a result, are hygienic and well-regulated. Singapore also has a large selection of upscale restaurants. You can still find the "flavor" of old Singapore in the Little India section, a fascinating neighborhood with many authentic "banana leaf" restaurants that serve great South Indian food that everyone is encouraged to eat with their fingers.

Add a little Malaysian magic to your menu

Whatever kind of food you seek ?be it spicy or soothing, gourmet or garden-variety, trendy or tried-and-true — Malaysian menus can satisfy your appetite. Take your customers' taste buds on a trip to a new culinary world by putting some Southeast Asian dishes on your menu.

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