By Dr Elise Mognard and Prof Jean-Pierre Poulain

In Malaysia and much of Asia, eating out is a deeply embedded social practice.

Recent developments, such as UNESCO's recognition of Malaysia's breakfast culture as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, underscore the significance of communal eating – particularly in eateries – in shaping everyday life and fostering social cohesion.

By understanding food patterns, we gain insights into their dynamics and interactions with broader societal transformations.

These observations led to the development of the Eating Out in Asia dataset, a cross-national research initiative that examines the spatial, temporal, and social dimensions of food occasions[1].

The research indicates that in Malaysia, about 34 per cent of meals are eaten outside the home, and that when including takeaway and delivery meals, this figure rises to 43 per cent.

Comparatively, Singapore exhibits an even higher rate of eating out (54 per cent), whereas in France, only 11 per cent of meals are consumed outside the home.

Food culture

Eating out is not merely an individual choice but is shaped by socio-cultural and socio-economic structural factors.

One of the most significant drivers is the way food culture shapes what is considered a "proper" meal.

For instance, a traditional breakfast may include either nasi lemak, roti canai, or a bowl of noodles, where preparations require techniques and ingredients that are not always feasible in a home kitchen, thus leading to buying at the stalls or eating at mamaks and kopitiams.

Historically, Malaysian urban landscapes have been structured in a way that supports eating out as a daily practice.

Certain hawker centres and food courts in Malaysia offer a unique social space where individuals with diverse personal dietary requirements and cultural taboos can share a meal together.

These vibrant spaces allow Muslims to enjoy halal options alongside non-halal stalls, vegetarians to find suitable meals or individuals to select from a variety of ethnic cuisines.

The shared food-service environment fosters inclusivity, allowing people from different backgrounds to gather at a single table, reinforcing the multicultural dimension of Malaysia’s food cultures.

Not just a lifestyle choice

Eating out is not just a lifestyle choice in countries like Malaysia and in many urban centres – it is often a practical necessity shaped by urbanisation, work culture, and shifting household structures.

Urban areas, with their dense populations and diverse food offerings, foster a greater reliance on external food sources.

For instance, in Malaysian cities, 35 per cent of meals are consumed outside the home, compared to only 21 per cent in rural areas[2].

This urban-rural divide is echoed across the region – lower in Indonesia (31 per cent in cities) and higher in Singapore (38 per cent)[3], a city-state where the boundary between public and private eating spaces is especially blurred.

Urban living conditions, such as limited kitchen facilities and time constraints due to long commutes, make home cooking less practical and drive reliance on external food sources.

Additionally, a strong cultural emphasis on communal eating and food-sharing reinforces the social norm and practice of eating out.

Together, these factors make meals eaten away from home a routine part of daily life rather than an exception.

In certain contexts, eating out can even be more affordable than home cooking, challenging the assumptions that dining out is always a luxury or leisure activity. Yet, if urbanisation were the only driver, all cities would exhibit similar eating-out patterns.

Finally, the post-pandemic era has accelerated the use of food delivery platforms, blurring the lines between home-cooked and restaurant-prepared meals.

With the availability of food delivery services, eaters can enjoy restaurant-quality meals at home, maintaining the convenience while preserving the comfort of home dining.

While some argue that eating out is a sign of modernisation and increased individual choice, others critique it from a public health perspective.

Home-cooked meals

There is a moral dimension to home-cooked meals, often perceived as healthier, more sustainable and more economical.

However, the shift from multigenerational to nuclear families has reduced shared domestic labour, making regular home cooking less feasible. In the context of the rising food costs, the accessibility of affordable street food, and changing family structures mean that home cooking is not always the healthier option.

Eating out is not merely about individual food choices but is highly structured by cultural dimensions, social routines, historical infrastructures and the transformation of food systems in urban centres.

Malaysia, characterised by multiculturality and fast-paced urbanisation provides a great observation point.

It allows us to appreciate the cultural, social and economic significance of food practices and the ways they shape the transformations of our food systems and food cultures.

-- BERNAMA

Dr Elise Mognard serves as the Programme Director for Postgraduate Programmes in Food Studies at Taylor’s Culinary Institute, Faculty of Social Science and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University.

Jean-Pierre Poulain is an Emeritus Professor from Université de Toulouse, CERTOP-CNRS (France).

Jean-Pierre and Dr Elise serve as the director and researcher, respectively, at the Centre for Asian Modernisation, Taylor’s University.

[1] “Eating Out”, spatiality, temporality and sociality. A database for China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and France, 2 February 2023

[2] 3 Malaysia's Culture Of Dining Out, BFM, 22 September 2023