Ben and I had a miserable night. We took turns to run to the bathroom. We were drained and exhausted.
Although we love the breakfast buffet at the hotel, we had to avoid spicy food. So, we went to the Kopitiam in the next door mall. Kopitiam is a franchise coffee shop.
The marble top tables and wooden stools reminiscent to old style coffee shop.
I had teh (milk tea) while Ben had white coffee. Both were RM2.90 (CAD1) each.
The above is typical coffee shop cup and saucer. Oops, a chip saucer.
I had a simple kaya and butter toast for RM2.90 (CAD1). They were grilled to crispy on the outside.
A slab of butter on a toast spread with kaya (coconut jam). Kaya is made with eggs, coconut milk and sugar.
Ben had rice roll with sweet brown sauce. The total bill came to RM12.10 (CAD4).
After breakfast, we went to the mall in the same building and bought a loaf of pandan bread for meal for the rest of the day. The loaf was RM4 (CAD1.40). We also bought some over counter medication for diarrhea and drinks to re-hydrate our body.
SuAnne, If it is not too personal, do you mind revealing what you thought gave you and Ben belly problems? I will be travelling to Bali with my family next December and hope to NOT have Bali belly… but is it unavoidable?
I am actually very surprised at you and Ben’s choice for breakfast! I thought with a bad stomach, you should avoid butter and heavy sauces??
I have backpacked in Thailand, eating delicious food in open cafes and got horrible food poisoning. In Malaysia, we stayed in a Shangri-la and only ate hotel food — no problems. Food courts at shopping malls may not be too safe then? What about foreign fast food chains? Any advise from a (former) Southeast Asian local would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Carol, we have not been back to Malaysia for many years. So, our system probably is not used to the food there. One thing you can do is to get a prescription of Dukoral vaccine from your doctor at least 2 weeks before your trip to help prevent food poisoning or at least reduce the effect of it.
I would not give up trying local delicacies.
I find that after living away from SE Asia for so long, it is wise to stick to the cooked food n hot beverages/desserts when in Asia.
Well after reading of your food poison problem I now careful where to eat. No outdoor food stalls indoor one only and fresh made food not one sitting on counter for who know how long. I got food poison from eggs products now careful.
It is best to avoid coconut based foods like cendol and even curry from roadside stalls. The coconut milk tends to be the culprit in many food poisoning in Asia
my grandma used to say that when you arrive in a new country, you should eat a little tofu there, and it will help acclimate your tummy to the water in the new location. keke. well, this is an old wives’ tale, but unless you’re soy intolerant, it couldn’t hurt, right? ^O^
This is exactly what we do in our family and so far it has worked. Have tofu at your first meal and your tummy would be fine.
Okay, I’ll try to find some tofu! We all like it so it doesn’t hurt right? We can’t completely avoid coconut milk in curries… It’s a balance between being careful and enjoying your holiday. Thanks for all the kind advice!