Traditional Malay food is characterised by searingly spicy and aromatic flavours. Rich coconut milk is used to give a creamy texture to the dishes while ingredients such as gingerbuds, pandan leaves and cinnamon render an irresistible fragrance. Popular Malay favourites include nasi lemak, satay and rendang. Sambal, a hot paste of pounded chillies, prawn paste and lime

The many styles of Chinese cooking, ranging from Cantonese, Szechuan, Hokkien and Hainanese add variety to the cuisine. Chinese fare is mostly stir-fried and best savoured when it is piping hot. Extra care is taken to ensure that vegetables are crunchy and retain their original flavour. Lunchtime favourites include rice, served with several meat and vegetable side dishes. Noodles are another versatile and traditional favourite, with the popular styles being fried noodles, soup noodles and curried noodles

Spicy, flavourful and piquant are common descriptions of Indian cuisine. Indian food can be broadly classified into two distinct types, northern and southern Indian. Northern favourites include briyani rice and bread varieties such as naan. A typical southern meal consists of rice, curry, side dishes and yoghurt served on a banana leaf. All-time favourites such as thosai, chappati and poori are other relishes often enjoyed with coconut, tomato or mint chutneys. Mamak fare enjoys tremendous popularity among city folks.