I have just returned from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and I must say that I have never seen so many vegan dining options in any other metropolis.

Malaysia is a multicultural country situated between Thailand and Indonesia and is a former British colony, and because of the colonization there are a number lasting British shops and flavours such as Harrods, Marks and Spencer, and my favourite artificial juice, Ribena.

Kuala Lumpur is a modern, fairly clean (by Asian standards) metropolis filled with thousands of immigrants who all brought the flavours from their native countries. While in the heart of the city, I had the opportunity to gorge myself in Chinese Buddhist fare, Indian vegan, and Malaysian cuisine, and Middle Eastern, north African, and western vegan food is also easy to find.

Buddhist fare

Chinese Buddhist fare is all over Kuala Lumpur. If you are unfamiliar with it, it consists of mock meats made from soy and seitan, and fresh and sautéed vegetables. Think of all the Chinese foods that you cannot eat because they have meat in them, and realise that there is a vegan alternative. Vegan fish, duck, chicken sate, lemongrass beef, its all there, and its all made from vegetables. I can’t say that it tastes exactly like meat (thank goodness) but it has a similar texture, though a little more spongy. A large plate of a selection of “meats” and vegetables costs under $2 USD, and is called “nasi campur” in Malay, meaning “mixed rice” (rice with small portions of other flavours).

(You can also find Buddhist vegan fare in North America. There are often several restaurants that serve mock meats in Chinatowns.)

Indian fare

Because of its proximity to India, KL has a large and vibrant Indian population, which is very exciting because Indian food is amazing! A favourite was dosa: a giant lentil crepe filled with basically anything you want. Roti pisang (roti skin filled with banana and lentil curry) and tandoori cauliflower (vibrant red cauliflower). Indian food in this city is ultra inexpensive. A massive dosa, called a thosai in KL, which is hard to finish is less than one American dollar!

Malaysian fare

Different combinations of fruit juices are always available from road side shops to cool you off. Almost any combination exists, and sometimes even contains salt. These are also quite inexpensive and are a great alternative to soft drinks.

In conclusion, it can be quite hard to find vegan and vegetarian foods when travelling, but in KL, you will have no problem at all, in fact, you might become quite fat because you will want to try everything!