Malay food concentrates on subtleties of taste using a blend of spices, ginger, coconut milk and peanuts. Popular Malay dishes include satay , which consists of a variety of meats, especially chicken, barbecued on small skewers with a spicy peanut dipping sauce and a salad of cucumber, onion and compressed rice cakes. The best sauce often takes several hours to prepare to attain its subtle flavour. There are many regional types of Chinese cooking including Cantonese, Peking, Hakka, Sichuan and Taiwanese.
Indian food is also popular, with curries ranging from mild to very hot indeed.
Vegetarian food, chutneys and Indian breads are also available. Indonesian cuisine also combines the use of dried seafoods and spiced vegetables with the Japanese method of preparation with fresh ingredients cooked to retain the natural flavour. Korean and Thai food are available in restaurants. Amongst Malaysia's exotic fruits are starfruit, durian, guavas, mangos, mangosteen and pomelos. Western food is served throughout the country, particularly in major hotels which have continental menus and international coffee shops.