Our Story
Born in Malaysia. Raised on Street Food
What started as showing friends around Chow Kit market has become 14 years of sharing the real Malaysia — one meal at a time.
Meet Pauline
She Started by Taking Friends to the Market
Growing up in Malaysia, I spent my mornings walking through wet markets with my mom. While she haggled for the freshest fish, I watched the hawkers craft dishes that had been passed down for generations. The sizzle of char kway teow on a screaming hot wok. The aromatic clouds of curry. The careful art of folding roti canai. This was my Malaysia.
When I started bringing friends from overseas around, I realised they were missing all of it. They'd eat at air-conditioned restaurants with picture menus, never knowing that two streets away, a grandmother was making laksa the same way her mother taught her 60 years ago.
Simply Enak started in 2011 because I wanted to share what I grew up with. Not the Malaysia in guidebooks — the one I know. The night markets. The family recipes. The vendors who remember your face and your favourite dish. The real Malaysia that tourists walk past every day.
What Guides Us
Three Things We Won't Compromise On
No Scripts
Our guides are licensed professionals, but they talk to you like friends. Real stories, not rehearsed speeches. You'll get a different tour every time because you're different every time.
Slow Down
We walk. We pause. We take the time to notice things: the architecture, the smells, the sounds of the neighbourhood. A food tour shouldn't feel like a marathon.
Support Local
We focus on small, local vendors — many family-run for generations. Your tour fee goes to the heritage keepers of Malaysian food culture — the same people who've been feeding this neighbourhood for decades.
2011 — Present
14 Years of Simply Enak
From a first food walk through Chow Kit to features in National Geographic, BBC, and Lonely Planet. A few things happened along the way.
Present Day
5,000+ guests and still eating
Every week, travellers from around the world join us at the same stalls we've eaten at for 14 years. The guides know the vendors by name. The vendors know us.
2024
BBC World Service
Pauline joins the BBC World Service to share the story behind Simply Enak and what makes Malaysian food culture so unique on the world stage.
Listen2024
Destination Eat Drink Podcast
Pauline joins the podcast to talk about Penang's food culture — Nyonya cooking, nasi kandar, and why Georgetown stays special.
Listen2020
COVID: We Stay
Borders close but we don't disappear. We keep buying from our vendors, keep the relationships alive, and start running virtual food walks.
2019–2020
The Edge TV
Malaysian business news channel profiles Simply Enak — Pauline takes the crew through the food stalls that tell KL's history.
2018–2019
The Food Ranger — 3 Videos
Trevor James (6M+ subscribers) films three videos with our team across KL's hawker stalls. Together they've reached millions of views.
Watch2018
Getaway — Channel Nine Australia
Australian travel show flies host David Reyne to KL. Pauline takes the crew through Chow Kit wet market and Jalan Alor.
Watch2017
TVNZ: Karena & Kasey's Foreign Flavours
Karena and Kasey Bird bring their TVNZ cooking series to Penang — Simply Enak shows them the Georgetown food scene.
2016
TLC: Taste Off with Chef Aaron Craze
British chef Aaron Craze brings TLC's "Taste Off" to KL. Pauline takes the crew through the hawker stalls and morning markets.
2016
Time Out Penang & BBC
Time Out names Simply Enak one of Penang's essential experiences. A BBC film crew joins our Penang food trail and captures the legendary Tiger Char Kway Teow vendor in action.
2015
National Geographic: Confucius Was a Foodie
NatGeo films Season 3 with Pauline guiding the crew through Kuala Lumpur's Chinese culinary heritage. Our vendor relationships open doors cameras usually don't get through.
2014
KL Food Trails — City Hall & Time Out KL
Partnered with Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Time Out KL to map four neighbourhoods that locals eat in every day. The KL Food Trails became a printed map — our first step beyond tour guiding into shaping how KL presents its food culture.
2013
Le Guide du Routard
France's most-read travel guide lists Simply Enak among Malaysia's top food experiences — our first major international press recognition.
2012
Lonely Planet
A Lonely Planet researcher joins one of our Petaling Street tours — incognito, as they always are. Simply Enak makes it into the guidebook.
2011
Simply Enak Founded
Pauline leads her first food walk through Chow Kit market with a small group of friends. Nobody calls it a tour yet — it's just lunch.
The Team
The People Behind the Flavours
We're a small team, all licensed with Tourism Malaysia. More importantly, we grew up eating at these same stalls. We know the vendors by name, the neighbourhoods by heart, and the stories behind every dish.
Pauline
Founder & Lead Guide
Pauline
15 Years Building Relationships
Started Simply Enak in 2011 after watching too many tourists miss the real Malaysia. Grew up walking wet markets with her mom.
Danny
Licensed Guide
Danny
Tourism Malaysia Certified
Licensed guide with deep knowledge of Malaysian food heritage and culture.
Wei Shen
Licensed Guide
Wei Shen
Tourism Malaysia Certified
Specialising in the cultural history of Malaysian cuisine. Expertly navigates the blend of Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences.
Ronald
Licensed Guide
Ronald
Tourism Malaysia Certified
Extensive knowledge of local neighbourhoods and vendor relationships. Brings energy and real storytelling to every tour.
Maarten
Partner
Maarten
Operations & Growth
Manages operations and business development, ensuring every aspect of Simply Enak stays true to the same standard: stalls we'd take our own families to.
What Guests Say
"The Penang Heritage tour exceeded our expectations. Our guide shared amazing stories and the food was outstanding. Every dish had a story."
David Lee
USA
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