Otak-Otak

Otak-otak is spiced fish paste grilled inside banana or coconut leaf — the name means 'brains' in Malay, a reference to the soft, yielding texture of the finished paste rather than any actual ingredient.

Shiok Factor

The Malay and Peranakan communities of the Straits developed two distinct versions: the Malay version, strongly associated with the East Coast and Muar in Malaysia, is a flat, charcoal-grilled packet with a smoky, spiced fish paste that is almost custard-like inside

The Peranakan version is thicker, made with coconut milk and a more complex rempah, and cooked in coconut leaf. Both are served warm, both are eaten in one or two bites, and both are better than they have any right to be given their simplicity. In Singapore, otak-otak is the companion dish — the thing you add to a laksa order, the side you bring to a BBQ, the snack you eat standing at a hawker stall at midnight.