Here are the top 3 most popular foods ordered by Malaysians on GrabFood

It’s no secret that we Malaysians love food. It’s synonymous with our culture, and it acts as one of the most accurate representations of our people. But aside from local cuisine, Malaysians tend to gravitate towards anything that may remind us of our own culture, even if it didn’t originate in this Southeast Asian nation.

And when the pandemic first turned the world upside down back in 2020, we quickly grew more and more reliant on food delivery services as a means to satisfy our sudden hunger pangs (without leaving our homes). For the most part, they’re reliable, convenient, and fuss-free. This is evident in Google’s e-Conomy SEA 2021 report, with 67 percent of Malaysians saying that food delivery made their lives more convenient, and 44 percent of them citing it to be part of their routine.

Looking at ratings and reviews from GrabFood customers within the app, we’re able to determine the most popular restaurants, as well as the most popular dishes ordered by Malaysians. The top three growing food trends are actually pretty interesting, to say the least. Are we really surprised by this? With the number of mala-specialized restaurants sprouting up in Malaysia, it makes a whole lot of sense that mala dishes are growing in popularity on the GrabFood app as well.

The term actually stems from two Chinese characters that translate to ‘numbing’ and ‘spicy’ because, well, it’s exactly that. The two key ingredients that make up a mala dish are Szechuan peppercorn and chilli. It’s turned into a broth or sauce by simmering it in oil and other spices.

In Malaysia, we’re probably familiar with mala in the form of mala taufu and, of course, hot pot. According to GrabFood, orders for mala-type dishes have seen a three-fold increase. Some of the most popular mala dishes ordered by Malaysians include mala hotpot from Yi Pin Mala Hotpot in Melaka, as well as chilled spicy chicken Szechuan style from Dragon-i in Kuala Lumpur.

No, we’re not talking about your usual yoghurt found in a tub at the supermarket, nor are we really referring to frozen yogurt either. Taking the beverage scene by storm are yogurt-based drinks, which make for a slightly heavier beverage compared to your usual offerings. Think: Drinkable desserts.

Some of the more popular yogurt-based drinks ordered on GrabFood include the purple rice yogurt from I AM YOGOST in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the black rice yogurt from Teapack-Saradise in Kuching. Finally, we’ve got soy-based products, which are definitely a staple in the Malaysian diet to begin with. It’s also pertinent to consider the versatility of soy – you can make it sweet, savory, or anything in between.

The mere mention of soy will most probably bring up images of a cozy bowl of tau fu fa, rain or shine. Speaking of which, one of the most popular soy-based vendors on GrabFood – The Soybean Factory – have taken this humble bowl of soy to a new level with its butterfly pea tau fu fa, as well as other options like ice-shaved desserts with various toppings like purple potato balls, matcha balls, and cendol. You can also get savory tau fu fa served with chicken floss, soy sauce, and even sesame seaweed! Jollibee’s ‘supremely moist’ Chickenjoy crowned best chain fried chicken in the U.

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