By The Level and FMT
Hanging out with friends at the mamak is one of the most Malaysian things to do, because you can never enjoy the same experience anywhere else. The overly-bright lights, the kopi kaw, the Maggi goreng, the miscommunications with wait staff, the variety of roti, and don’t forget the slapstick and repetitive telor jokes.
Some of the things mentioned above might be negative, but aren’t they things we’ve all learned to love?
Nevertheless, since we spend so much time at mamaks, can we ask for more from our favorite lepak joints? Imagine, in a few months, new, innovative products and services suddenly emerging at all mamaks that will shape how we lepak, – until the cycle of trends turns again, at least.
Here are the things we wish were available at mamaks:
Milo/Teh Ais Tower
Milo/Teh Ais tower can be found in Sunway Pyramid, and we’re dying to have it mamak-style (price-wise, that is). A big tower of malt chocolate and milky tea goodness, it’s a to-die-for beverage. For Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool fans, what’s better than watching Manchester United lose to their noisy neighbors Manchester City with a tower by your side?
Roti in the Afternoon
For late risers and brunch lovers, we all find it annoying that most mamak restaurants don’t serve any kind of roti in the afternoon. This is due to the availability of the nasi campur section and, well, most of the love comes from there. But of course, we still love our bread, and it would be cool if mamak restaurants started making roti in the afternoon as well.
Burrito Roti Canai
Why not? We SHOULD have an Indian-Mexican fusion of tender mutton, coriander, a jab of curry wrapped with crispy roti canai (because of reasons). After all, mamak is all about diversity. If we can have burgers, dim sum, or even goat’s milk at a mamak, we think Indian-Mexican fusion food shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s just hope they don’t overcharge, like certain food trucks.
‘Bosses’ who understand and take your order properly
This is something we truly need. For people who dislike vegetables in their Maggi goreng, it can be a pain in the a** to keep picking out the tauge and sawi one by one, when you had already specified “tak mau sayur”. If mamak waiters can understand us properly, then it would make a world of difference in our midnight mamak sessions.
Birthday drink
We’re thinking of something like Milo, mixed with banana – but really, really kaw. Non-alcoholic, of course (so you can remember it the day after). A birthday sing-along led by staff would be nice too, if slightly sad.
Cereal
This is the dream! Imagine getting tired of roti canai and nasi lemak every morning, and finally getting the chance to eat un-Malaysian and healthy food, light like cereal (and maybe get to read the back of the cereal box while you’re at it). That would be heavenly, especially for 90s kids who miss eating Trix or Koko Krunch while watching Sunday morning cartoons.
Horlicks shots
For some people, Horlicks is the way to start the day. But for others, Horlicks is only good for the first two sips, and then – as how Malays describe it – you might feel muak or jelak afterwards. So why not have small shots of Horlicks at 50 cents an order, maybe? Especially for the ones who just want to taste a bit of Horlicks and still keep their Nescafe Ais.
‘Proper’ French fries
There’s something awful about the fries at a mamak. Maybe this is due to the quality of the potatoes, as mamak operators tend to go for something that costs less. But don’t we all want good quality fries that are crispy, tender, and hot enough to accompany your politically-inclined after-work chat with your colleagues?
First published in FMT’s youth portal, www.TheLevel.my