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Thread: Vegan in Malaysia?

  1. #1

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    Default Vegan in Malaysia?

    Hello,

    I am opening a new thread after not finding anything relevant with the search.

    Is anybody here living in Malaysia or has traveled there recently? How easy is it to live as a vegan there?

    I am asking because I am currently discussing with my company to move to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), and of course it would be interesting for me to find out how easy it is to live there as a vegan.
    I already was working in KL for half a year in 1997 (a long time ago) and liked it a lot, but I was not a vegan then. So everything I liked to eat then (Roti Chanai, Roti Telur, vegetarian Nasi Lemak) might not really be suitable now that I am vegan.

    I did not have many problems living for some months in Taiwan (there are a lot of vegetarian restaurants there) and I guess it might be similar in Malaysia.
    But of course it is better to ask before ...

    Best regards,
    Andy

  2. #2

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    So, I have finally arrived in Kuala Lumpur and have to say that, so far, getting vegan food was not that hard a challenge

    Nevertheless I have to be constantly vigilant with well-meaning colleagues that invite me out for traditional vegan dishes ...that might have just a little fish or chicken stock inside the vegetable stuff :-/

    Best regards,
    Andy

  3. #3
    Draíochta Blueberries's Avatar
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    Quote Andy_T View Post
    So, I have finally arrived in Kuala Lumpur and have to say that, so far, getting vegan food was not that hard a challenge

    Nevertheless I have to be constantly vigilant with well-meaning colleagues that invite me out for traditional vegan dishes ...that might have just a little fish or chicken stock inside the vegetable stuff :-/

    Best regards,
    Andy
    Hi Andy, I am delighted to hear that you are doing well. Must be a bit of a change from Germany!
    Houmous atá ann!

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Hi Andy,

    I'm a foreigner and a vegan living in Malaysia. I'm a vegan who is in a gluten-free diet so eating out has not been very easy for me here. How's vegan life in Malaysia been to you so far? Have you made any vegan friends from your company here? Hope everything works out well with you. I've been living here for more than a decade so maybe I can give you some advice if you need any. Just let me know.

    Best regards. Anne

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    I am planning to visit Malaysia in a few months. Hope to hear any updates. Thanks

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Hi Hotpot,

    There are many vegan restaurants around Malaysia, mostly Indian vegan and Chinese vegan. Many vegan restaurants here tag themselves as 'vegetarian' even if they sell vegan food. I lived near Kuala Lumpur many years ago and if you're coming to Kuala Lumpur, there are many vegan restaurants there depending on your budget. I never ever go to expensive restaurants. I prefer eating at food courts in big malls around Kuala Lumpur and once I like the food and price, I keep on going back. I usually go to the Bukit Bintang area which is considered THE shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur. There are a few malls there (Berjaya Times Square, Sungai Wang, Lot 10, Pavilion, Low Yat, etc.). There's a vegan restaurant at Berjaya Times Square's Food Court and there's another one at Low Yat. And both of these restaurants just named their restaurants simply Vegetarian so you won't miss them. I'm not familiar with the others. There are many local Malay restaurants here that sell vegetarian food but I'm very wary of them. Visually the food is vegetarian but they usually put non-vegetarian stock/flavoring in there so I don't go there to save myself time. My number one rule when eating out is "When in doubt, DONT." If you're traveling to other Malaysian states, you can google the internet for vegan restaurants. By the way, if the airport you're arriving at/departing from is Kuala Lumpur International Airport, there are no vegan restaurants there. But there are a few restaurants that are vegetarian friendly. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any other info. Regards.
    Last edited by AnnaLB88; Aug 8th, 2013 at 04:51 PM.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Thanks for the information annaLB88, I am not sure which airport yet. Have to meet up with a friend in Hong first, them head to Malaysia and Thailand together. Probably around October or November. I heard that the food in Malaysia is cheap. I also realize most Asian vegan restaurant stated as vegetarian.

  8. #8

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    Hello anne,

    Just now saw your contribution after a very long time of not much participation. So far, I have been quite happy, as it seems to be much easier to find restaurants here who can prepare something vegan than in Europe.
    Today I fou d a wonderful place called LOHAS cafe that specifically offers vegan food here in KL, where I had a wonderful "5 colours high energy Lei Cha", a favourite of mine from the Hakka kitchen thatbasically has rice, a number of vegetables and nuts and a green tea soup that you pour on top of it. Am overjoyed.

    Best regards,
    Andy

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Yes Hotpot, food is relatively cheap in Malaysia and almost always accessible everywhere 24/7. There are food hawkers peddling their food at every street corner every night until the wee hours in the morning so you and your friend will never go hungry. Hope you enjoy your stay here. Til next time...

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Hey Andy, am glad you've found more vegan places to eat. I believe there are a lot of vegan restaurants in the PJ area. I live near the airport and it's very very difficult to find one. I usually go to a Malay stall 15-20 minutes from my house. I go there for lunch. It's not vegan but they have a wide variety of vegetarian dishes. I'm usually very cautious eating at Malay restaurants because they put non-vegetarian stuff with the veggies but this stall is different. Most of their veggie dishes are vegan. I particularly love their squash cooked in coconut milk, jack fruit also cooked in coconut milk, sauteed spinach and chili eggplant. Those are my favorites. This stall has a fixed menu everyday so I'm always happy to see those dishes every time I go there.

    KL is a food mecca so you're bound to find all types of food everywhere. And people are starting to appreciate vegan food. Well good luck to your adventures. Til next time. Regards. Anne
    Last edited by AnnaLB88; Aug 12th, 2013 at 07:37 PM.

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Anne, if you do know any good places for vegan Nasi Lemak, please share, that is something that I am looking forward to!My latest discovery is Hakka Lei Cha (Thunder Tea rice), have found a stall in PJ Oldtown food court that makes a vegan version, and the "Be Lohas Cafe" that can be found in some shopping malls. See more here: http://veganlogy.com/2011/04/07/hello-world/ Best regards,Andy

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Andy, thanks for sharing your vegan adventures. Unfortunately I don't know any good places for vegan nasi lemak. I did try making one myself a long time ago. I bought some textured vegan ikan bilis (dried anchovies) from the supermarket and added it to the sambal. I also bought some vegan meat. Cooking the rice is a breeze. If you can cook, I suggest you try making the condiments or side dishes and the sambal yourself. The coconut rice (nasi lemak) is already vegan. Just buy only the cooked rice from any stall. Regards. Anne

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Hello Anne,

    actually, I found some yesterday at Pappa Rich (the Malay food chain available in many places) - they offer a Vegetarian Nasi Lemak that should be vegan ... (Vegetarian sambal, no Ikan Bilis, minus the egg, and the confirmation that they do not put any dairy or egg inside the dish themselves), and it was quite nice.

    Best regards,
    Andy

  14. #14

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Good for you Andy. Often times, it's difficult to find nasi lemak with vegetarian/vegan sambal and to get actual confirmation from the staff that the sambal is vegetarian/vegan. I don't mind asking staff but I hate it when they don't have no idea what's in the food they're selling. And most of the time they just shrug their shoulders or they start asking their other colleagues in front of me. Hate that!!! Is Pappa Rich also selling other vegetarian/vegan meals? Anyway, are you the only vegan in your company here? Regards. Anne

  15. #15

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    Default Re: Vegan in Malaysia?

    Anne, Pappa Rich has a vegetarian menu section with about 10 different options, so I have reasonable trust that they are actually vegetarian/vegan, and I know I can go there and get something. They also have some 30 coffee/tee/soymilk options so some of these are vegan and I could get a very niced iced green tee soymilk to go with it. Do not know if they are a local of nationwide chain, but I have seen quite a few of their restaurants in Kuala Lumpur.

    Also, I have found some vegan / vegetarian Malaysian facebook ressources for everybody who is interested ... don't know if you are on FB but if so, would like to also meet you there!
    The groups are called "Malaysia Vegan Alliance" and "Malaysia Vegans".

    Best regards,
    Andy

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