The best eats in the Malaysian GE14's hot seats, from Bentong to Seremban

The Seremban siew pau is best consumed when it is fresh out of the oven. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The Liew Kee (Ah Lek) Chee Cheong Fun stall does not drench its rice noodle rolls with sauces. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The popular mee rebus (left) and mee rojak at Mastan Ghani. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Malaysians near and far often travel to Bentong in Pahang for a taste of amazing durians. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

(THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Some of the most heated political showdowns in Malaysia's 14th General Election are expected to take place in smaller towns. Fortunately for voters, these places double as great foodie hubs. Here are some of the delectable food you can find at three hotly contested constituencies.

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

The culinary flavours of this capital is predominantly influenced by the cooking style of the Hakka, which forms the majority of Chinese people here.

An obvious food recommendation is the iconic Seremban siew pau. People from all over the country travel here for a taste of the buttery pastry buns filled with juicy roast pork. The siew pau is best consumed when it is fresh out of the oven.

Two big establishments here are Empayar Seremban Siew Pow and Asia Siew Pow Master.

Fresh and flaky grubs aside, Seremban is also famous for its selection of noodles. The beef noodles are usually paired with beef jerkies and beef balls. Then there is the vermicelli with squid, a dish that is unique to Seremban. The dish comes with delicious thick gravy, aromatic pork and, of course, a generous serving of squid. Make a stop at the Seremban Market to sample some of these dishes.

The Liew Kee (Ah Lek) Chee Cheong Fun stall does not drench its rice noodle rolls with sauces. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Teluk Intan, Perak

Whatever ideas you have about chee cheong fun, leave them behind when you are in Teluk Intan (known as Teluk Anson in the old days).

The rice noodle roll dish is given a unique interpretation at the Liew Kee (Ah Lek) Chee Cheong Fun stall. Here, visitors are treated to chee cheong fun without any sauce. The rice noodle roll sheets are packed with dried shrimps, jicama and shallots.

The popular mee rebus (left) and mee rojak at Mastan Ghani. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Another famous food in Teluk Intan is the Mastan Ghani mee rebus. It is so good that even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak posted about the dish on his social media accounts. The third-generation establishment serves its mee rebus and rojak with a special sweet-and-spicy gravy.

Elsewhere, the Gulam Rasul nasi kandar is quite the crowd-puller. The fried chicken with curry leaves is especially famous. You can opt to try out other mamak staples such as the rotis and noodles here too.

Malaysians near and far often travel to Bentong in Pahang for a taste of amazing durians. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Bentong, Pahang

Durian, durian and more durians. The King of Fruit is pretty much synonymous with this charming town.

The road leading to Bentong is often packed with cars from out-of-towners whenever the fruit is in season, so drive around and look out for the best deals.

The town is also home to many Chinese restaurants that incorporate the famous Bentong ginger in their dishes. Whether it is steamed fish or stir-fried wild boar, you can be sure of an aromatic taste, thanks to the ginger.

Some dishes to look out for include yellow rice wine chicken, claypot frog, cereal fried tofu and pumpkin yam abacus.

After a hearty lunch, how about ice cream for dessert? The more than four-decade-old Kow Po coffee stall serves refreshing housemade ice cream.

It produces a range of flavours such as strawberry, chocolate, pandan, coconut, coffee, corn and peanut. Made fresh daily, the texture of the ice cream is smooth and absolutely delicious.

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