Otak-otak is a Malaysian snack that ranks high on my “Favourite foods of Malaysia” list. It is essentially a blended paste of fish and/or prawns mixed with coconut milk, spices and chilli, wrapped up in a banana leaf and then steamed or grilled to cook it and bring out its glorious flavour.
I love mine grilled. You don’t see this everywhere. In most places they are steamed to cook. I believe that in Penang, they are wrapped up in banana leaf like a pyramid and then steamed. You can find a similar style in Thailand too. I’m not a fan of those or of those that have too much coconut milk. The ones I go for are slivers of delightful morsels, folded in coconut leaves, then grilled over an open fire to perfection.
What you get from a grilled stick of otak-otak, is a strip of delicious springy, smokey snack you can pop into your mouth once cooked. I can eat up to 20 or more sticks of these at one go all by myself. Yes siree! 😀 Gluttony is my middle name 😀
It is also absolutely delicious paired with some plain noodles, or even with some piping hot steamed rice. For a blend of east and west, I sometimes eat mine inside a crusty bun as a sandwich and its the best sandwich I can ever have! The best ones are spicy but flavoursome, have chunks of firm fish meat in them, are springy with good bite, not bright red (!!) and importantly, come in a slightly charred coconut leaf, held together now with staples, but previously, with 2 short sticks at both ends. The coconut leaf adds a smokey flavour that cannot be replicated by any other method of cooking.
The best grilled otak-otak sticks everyone will agree, come from the small sleepy town of Muar, in the southern part of the country. Lots of wannabes abound here in the big city but nothing comes close to the original. I’m extremely picky 🙂
Most Malaysians will be familiar with this – do you enjoy snacking on otak-otak too? 😀 I’m still looking for a good authentic grilled otak-otak snack here in KL so if anyone knows of any, please feel free to share. Or even if you do know of anywhere good to have otak-otak, do share too!
Paris B
Scrumptious Saturday : One day in a week where I dish out random scrumptiousness from my other love – food!
Absolutely. Only Muar makes the real deal.
*high5* accept no substitutes!
Hi Paris, any idea what is the shop name and the address of the “authentic” famous Muar otak?
There are a few stalls selling them in town, but the only shop I know is A-Class (I think that’s the name) at Jalan Bentayan but I’ve never eaten theirs although I know people who have and like it. Good luck!
I never heard of this…would definitely love to try it out 🙂
If you’re ever in Malaysia, do look out for it. Not easy to find but you never know where you may find it 😉
Oh my Otak Otak~ ^.^ Yep the ones in Muar are the best but Batu Pahat’s Otak-Otak are not that bad too! ^.^
Usually I get my Otak-Otak fix from the mamaks at Jalan 223 in PJ but they’re too… red, seems like they use lots of food coloring and not spices. So… am still on a lookout for better ones.
Ergh! Yes I know what you mean about the red colored otak-otak, who are they trying to kid?! Well city folk maybe hehe….
Oh Paris you’re making me so hungry! A good otak is hard to come by in Singapore because many of them are factory-made. My relatives sometimes travel to Kukup just to stock up on these really yummy, thick ones that you can taste the fish meat in. I love them with nasi lemak, with a soft bun, and sometimes just on their own 🙂
Now YOU are making me hungry 😛 I have never been to Kukup but I have heard that many people go there for the seafood 🙂 hope you have some stock coming in soon! 😉
The grilled type is my favorite as well. It goes really well with mee rebus too. They have one shop in Stulang JB, sells mee rebus and otak otak. Best combination.
Mmm…. That sounds delicious! I haven’t had Mee rebus, a good one, in a while. Can’t get that here in the city either. Sigh… Will have to check with you where this place is for the next time I’m in JB 😉
Hi Paris, I’ve tried otak-otak at a restaurant called The Otak-Otak Place in the Ground Floor of One Utama new wing. They are specialist in otak-otak and are selling them with nasi lemak, toast bread, grilled stick and even pau. Think they have other branches too, you can google their website to see the menu also. Pricing is simply affordable and they have special tea time sets which are even cheaper.
Thanks for the heads up, Millie! I will have to keep a look out for it. Hope it’s good, so I can get my otak-otak fix! 😉
Yummy delight! I heard of the famous Muar otak-otak but have not tried it though. You’re right, gotta be picky about this dish because some has awful fishy taste. I like the steamed ones better and I am a coconut junkie 😀
Teehee… I guess I just never got the hang of the taste of the steamed ones because I found the coconut taste and smell too strong. Guess it goes without saying that I’m not a coconut junkie! Except for the coconut water 😉
Ah…. I miss the flat grilled sort of otak-otak! I love those and the steamed ones in Penang equally!
It’s so much harder to find these grilled sticks right? Many nyonya restaurants will serve the steamed penang style ones. Ah… I can’t believe we can sit here holding conversations about otak-otak! 😀
I only like the penang steamed one. Been buying it from the same little shop near a roundabout on the way to Western Gardens. Shop being run by daughter of original founder.
Sounds like its a good one for it to survive so many generations! Maybe I should try it too. I may not have tried a good one 😉
They always grilled it in Malacca that I didn’t know there’s another method to cooking it .
I can happily munch all by myself.
Maybe it’s a southern thing 😉 I personally prefer Southern food. Maybe it’s just familiarity 😉
Few years back there is this pakcik that sell otat-otak from Johor during the Ramadhan season in TTDI near the pasar. I am not sure if he still sells there. But it tastes great. 😉
Ahhhh…. And Ramadhan is here soon! I shall stalk the pasar malams 😉
my goodness, but i LOVE these! i too can eat 20 sticks – ss2 pasar malam has these, i’d buy 20 sticks, then 20 pieces of keropok leko – the half crunchy, half chewy kind, then go home, pour a humongous mug of iced water and gorge myself to death in my room. next day get super scolding by my dad – WHY UR ROOM SMELLS LIKE A DEAD WHALE CRASHED INTO IT!
Hahaha that was crazy funny. I can just imagine what your room would smell like! But it’s so good right!? I love keropok lekor too especially the slightly chewy thick ones with that lovely sweet chilli sauce. Mmm……
ohhhhhhhhh!! they used to sell these in my college few months back but somehow it stopped 🙁 guess the vendor had better opportunities than serving a bunch of hungry uni kids 🙁
Oh boo! I hope you enjoyed them while they lasted 🙂
Tried these from Muar too, love it. I have tried the ones from the Otak Otak restaurant but the ones from Madam Kwan’s much better though 😛 Just way too pricey 🙁
Err.. the Otak Otak Place I tried once at the Tropicana City Mall was a tad too oily for me 🙁 First and my last visit 😛
And yes, don’t like it if it’s too much of the coconut milk (High Five~) LOL
Oooh does Otak Otak or Madam Kwan do grilled ones too? I haven’t tried the Otak Otak places but if you say its oily, I’m not sure I want to try 😛 Too geli if there’s too much oil and coconut
Err.. I cannot recall the Otak Otak place is grilled ones but Madam Kwan’s one is not though, perhaps steamed ones 😀
i love otak otak with lots of fish,you make me hungry now!!
heard abt Otak-otak from Muar … tried when i was a kid …
enjoyed it a lot !!
Hahahaha 😀
But, juz out of curiousity, most of the otak-otak stall in Muar, run by Chinese ?
got malay ones ?
I usually eat the ones made by the Chinese. I don’t know if there are any Malay otak otak sellers. I’m sure there are, but I don’t eat it so I don’t know 🙂