Malaysians Confess Their Deepest, Darkest Food Fetishes (Like Onion Rings In Susu Pekat)

Eat to live? Pfft! Why is that even an option?

The food style: Hipster hunter
Signature dish: Chocolate lava cake with molten salted egg yolk

You know how most things taste even better with an added pinch of salt? According to 27-year-old Cindy, this Casa Cacao creation is "a more gluttonous (and more syok!) way of adding salt to dark chocolate."

The food style: Childhood craver
Signature dish: Roti canai topped with heaps of sugar

We might remember this dish from our childhood, back when our tongues were too delicate for the fiery wrath of kuah kari. But for 32-year-old Ravin, this remains as his staple mamak order, stating, "My friends laugh at me every single time I order this. They say it's juvenile, but I don't care. They have no idea what they're missing out on."

The food style: Fiery foodie
Signature dish: Tom yam with kimchi

Despite being the stuff of every tom yam purist's nightmare, this dish charmed the taste buds of 29-year-old Julie. She says, "I had to eat this weird combination for work (no, seriously) and absolutely fell in love with it! Tip: Make sure the kimchi is cold; it'll make for a fun contrast to the piping hot tom yam!"

The food style: Scrimping student
Signature dish: Banana and mayonnaise sandwich

There's nothing quite as humbling as the contents of a student's fridge. Ariff, 28, recalls how his ultimate favourite sandwich came to be on an unassuming Tuesday 7 years ago, "I was starving but I didn't exactly have much money to go out and eat either. All I had was some mayo in the fridge, so I slapped that on some bread, stuffed a banana in and enjoyed the most pleasant surprise of my life."

The food style: Southern snacker
Signature dish: Cucumber dunked in chili sauce

Growing up in Johor, 31-year-old Maisara's plate of murtabak is never complete without this side dish. It's a whole different story outside of Johor, she sighs, "Here in KL, people look at me funny when I request for it. What's so weird about eating cucumbers with sos cili?"

The food style: Caffeine hero
Signature dish: Coffee and cola

25-year-old foodie Ryan shares his latest experiment, "So I follow this blog that basically tests out weird coffee recipes, and I was intrigued by their suggestion to mix coffee and cola together. And hey, they're definitely doing it right; it tastes awesome! The cola gives a nice caramel-like sweetness to the coffee and the fizziness kinda gives it a light foam."

The food style: Sweet nothings
Signature dish: Maple syrup and white rice

19-year-old student Sarah had just scooped some white rice into her bowl when her dad, making a smoothie in a hurry, spilled some maple syrup on the rice. She says, "It looked so cute so I tried eating it for fun. It's nice because it's sweet and it's tasteless at the same time. Does that make sense?"

The food style: Nutty carnivore
Signature dish: Peanut butter beef burger

Model, host and #1 peanut butter fan Ashley, beams, "I love love LOVE peanut butter in my burger! If there's some jam, even better!"

The food style: Fusion fan
Signature dish: Nasi lemak cheesecake

Would you try a slice of cheesecake infused with glutinous rice and peanuts, topped with a gooey layer of cucumber jelly, and sprinkled with anchovies and chilli flakes? 22-year-old Mei sees Lepaq Lepaq's creation as a stroke of genius, saying, "I know a lot of people didn't quite enjoy this but, I just don't see why! Personally, it's the perfect blend of my favourite cake and my favourite Malaysian dish!"

The food style: Lord of the Rings
Signature dish: Onion rings & condensed milk

20-year-old student Yazid exclaims, "You have not lived until you've dipped onion rings in condensed milk! I'm telling you, it's THE best thing on Earth! The susu pekat makes the onions really, really creamy. It's sweet, it's crispy, it's salty, it's greasy... it's everything that's right in the world!"