Do you enjoy Malaysian food? If you’re a fan of Thai food – Malay food will make you happy, too! My friend Carrie and I headed up the highway 75 corridor to Penang. Malaysian food is similar to Thai, and combines elements from Indian and Chinese cuisines. Coconut milk, (in Malaysia it is called Santan), is extensively used as are many herbs and spices you may be familiar  with: lemongrass, shallots, coriander, shallots and saffron. Here’s a quick sampling of some of the best dishes we ordered. First is the Roti Canai, a light and chewy crepe-like flat bread made with whole wheat, and served with “coconutty” chicken curry sauce for dipping. Feel free to use your fingers when eating Malaysian food – the right hand is used to eat, as well as chopsticks. The chicken satays are worth the trip – tender chicken strips wrapped around sticks and served with a delicious peanut sauce. For dinner, Carrie chose the ever popular Basil Chicken, with crunchy chunks of onion and green pepper and spicy basil. I went for one of my favorites: Beef Rendang. If you haven’t tried Rendang you must – it’s made by slowly cooking coconut milk with spices until it creates a thick rich brown sauce enrobing the tender beef pieces. Beef Rendang is a wonderful occasional treat. We didn’t have room for dessert, but next time I going to get a bigger doggie bag so I can enjoy the Peanut Roti.