"Banana leaf wrapped goodies..."
Nasi Lemak Marvellous in Bukit Indah is known for their teensy packages of this Malaysian favourite. Tiny in stature but huge in popularity this family-run business is helmed by Pakcik Abu and his wife Makcik Yasimah. His wife does most of the cooking while Pak Abu and his son manage the restaurant. They started with a small stall in 1997 and relocated to their current location in 2003. Most people opt to tapau their Nasi Lemak for small gatherings or to eat at home. One guy even ordered 200 packs for an event. I prefer to dine in. Their packs are so cute that I finish my first one in a couple of minutes. Rule of thumb is 2 packs per person and you eat them on their own or with the lauk. I definitely recommend the latter. In my opinion, it’s the lauk at Marvellous that sets them apart from other nasi lemak joints that I frequent.
The taste of the nasi lemak here is similar to what you probably ate in your school canteen. Sambal is mild and rice is infused with a hint of coconut. This is fine by me because the accompanying dishes are the ones that seal the deal. The best lauks here are the Ayam Masak Merah and an unnamed beef dish which is like a hybrid of dendeng and rendang. (When I asked Makcik Yasimah for the name of the beef dish, she just said,”Takde nama. Ni resipi bantai jer.”- “I don’t have a name for this dish, it’s a recipe I got when I just mixed random stuff together.”) So the beef dish for the purpose of this review should be dubbed Daging Bantai Jer. Other lauks sold here are paru, sambal sotong and fried chicken.
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"Morsels of fat flanked by meaty chunks"
The aroma of beef and chicken being cooked over charcoal fire greets you every time you make your way to one of their restaurants. Long rows of satay grace the grill. Juicy morsels of fat are sandwiched between scrumptious chunks of meat skewered together and then grilled to perfection. The fat melts on the grill infusing its rich flavour into the skewered cuts of meat. Spices like turmeric, garlic and onions intermingle in the marinade resulting in a wonderful coating of goodness to the chicken and beef satay. A stick of lemongrass is used to rub oil on the satay during the cooking process. This helps to achieve that smokey charred quality that we all love.
Whether you prefer beef or chicken, Satay Station serves one of the best satay in town. They're chunky and can be quite a mouthful. The beef satay is sweeter and tenderer than the chicken, which has a more prominent turmeric taste and a chewier texture.
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"Not for tiny tummies...gargantuan portions..delish.."
There’s a reason why Makcik Yati and Pakcik Syafiq have successfully attracted customers to their little stall in Subang for the past 30 years. It’s because they treat their customers like family. If you’re a regular, they keep track, remembering your favourite lauk and sambal preferences. Sometimes preparing your Nasi Lemak just by a simple request of “Macam biasa ye, Pakcik?” (The regular order, Uncle.)
Some people call the Nasi Lemak here the working man’s Nasi Lemak. This is due to the generous heap of rice Makcik and Pakcik pile up in the individual packs. First time I ate here I just couldn’t believe how much rice they pack in a packet. It is literally a mountain. A full portion is made out of 2 huge scoops. Though the amount is quite intimidating but this is a lighter version of Nasi Lemak that has just subtle hints of coconut. Not too rich so that’s why I could pack quite a lot of it away.
Makcik Yati and Pakcik Syafiq have a heavy hand when they’re scooping up the rice for their loyal patrons. I keep this indulgence for the weekends because after finishing a packet, I’ll retreat into a carbo-induced slumber. Which probably won’t be advisable on a working day.
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"Simply good food..."
What is hauntingly good here is the nasi goreng belacan. Go for it. Simple rice fried with soya sauce, onions, shallots, kangkung and belacan. Served with chicken soup and green sambal. The simpler the dish, the harder it is to get perfect but in this case Ayob breezes through it. His fried rice has a semi-wok hei taste, a good hint of soy sauce and a little bit of belacan. The balance is just right and this is hard to describe in writing. One taste begets another. Just delicious.
They also have chicken rice here but you can order the chicken on it's own to go nicely with belacan rice and soup. And if that's not enough, during lunchtime the economy rice stall to the right sells fat pergedil that is just perfect with the belacan fried rice.
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"Sambal paru that's tender and moist..."
It's 7 am and I'm stuffing myself with a plate of 'Nasi Lemak Paru'. Only the thought of paru (cow lungs) cooked in sweet spicy sambal would entice me to get out of bed this early in the morning. Serve it with nasi lemak and I'm up and out the door like Speedy Gonzales.
The sambal paru here consists of thinly sliced paru that is fried and then sautéed with chillies and onions. This is quite similar to 'daging dendeng' but paru is used instead of the usual beef strips. Bits of onions and chillies cling to the paru pieces like super glue, their surfaces slick with spicy sambal. Two types of paru I like, the ones fried crispy and the ones like this, soft and slightly chewy. Its savoury meaty flavour mixed with the sambal go so well with the rich steamed nasi lemak.
The owner, Nizam or more affectionately known as Abang Zam has been serving nasi lemak to the residents of Taman Melur for the past 14 years. He wakes up at 4.30am to prepare the rice, sambal and lauks. He cooks it at home and sells it at his humble cafe almost every morning. Modifying his sister-in-law's recipe (she sells nasi lemak nightly at the cafe), his nasi lemak is now a firm favourite amongst the early-risers living nearby. If 'paru' is not your thing, there's a choice of cockles, squid sambal or chicken rendang for sale too. Zaam Instant Cafe also serves roti canai and roti telur.
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"Great food and ambience!"
Subak is an ancient irrigation system that's been used in Bali to transfer water from the hills to the paddy fields. It was his fascination with this system that prompted Haji Salleh Lamsah to name his restaurant Subak.
Nestled in lush greenery, Subak is the tranquil culinary escape for city dwellers looking to get close to nature. Dining areas are named after rooms you can find in a traditional Malay kampung house, so you can choose to dine at anjung, (porch), serambi (balcony), kolam (pond) or loteng (attic). The main area where the buffet stations are set up is called rumah, of course.
Helmed by Chef Hassan Abdullah, Subak's kitchen churn out classic Malay cuisine as well as western dishes like the Lamb Shank Masala and Black Cod Fish, which are a couple of Subak's popular dishes. Their Nasi Goreng is also a great hit, last month, they served 170 plates of their Nasi Goreng.
For Ramadan, they've lined out an impressive buffet menu, rotating dishes throughout the month so if you like a particular dish that Subak serves, call them first so you'll know what day to come. During my buffet, the main dishes were Telur Itik Masak Lemak Pucuk Ubi, Udang Goreng Kunyit Berempah and Daging Hitam. There were also beef soup and stirfry vegetables.
Telur Itik Masak Lemak Pucuk Ubi consists of duck eggs cooked with tapioca leaves in coconut-turmeric gravy. The duck eggs are poached, so when you cut through the yolk, it's still creamy and oozing with flavour. The tapioca leaves add a slight bitterness to the rather rich dish.
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"Charred perfection!"
Though the drive over to Ampang is a bit of a put off, the food to be found at Zaini’s is certainly worth it. This stall has been around for 30years and every night you see people lining up to get their fill or packing some to take home for dinner. Either way they are not short of customers and it is easy to see why.
The beef satay here is far from tough and rubbery. It is tender and succulent without being fatty. A piece of fat is layered inbetween the chunky pieces of meat solely to keep it tender as it sizzles and chars over the flame. The dripping fat keeps it moist. The same goes for the chicken satay that is cooked to perfection. No dry stringy bits in sight. The kuah kacang here, although good is merely an accessory and not a necessity. The charred sticky sweet flame grilled meats are bursting with flavour and hardly require a dunk. I reserve the chunky kuah kacang for my nasi impit, cucumbers, and red onion instead. Delish!
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"Dreamworthy Asam Pedas!"
Mimpi Muor sounds like a mispelt dream but actually, if you are an asam pedas afficianado, you might be in a good one. People flock to this place for the variety of fish used in their asam pedas. Ikan Merah, Jenahak, Parang and Pari. And these are served daily. Combined with a table spread of local Malay ulams, sambal, bergedel, various masak lemaks, salted fishes and malay dishes, the folks at Mimpi Mour sure give people a lot to dream about before they even reach this small restaurant.
Owner Reny Sabarina manages this place with family. She has 9 other siblings and she has loved to cook since a very young age. It's hard to get good asam pedas but Reny makes it well. I like the fact that her gravy is not too pedas that it destroys all sense of taste and it's not too soury. The flavours come out well because she uses good quality belacan and tumeric. Of course, it's all about balance as well. Jenahak and Merah have similar taste profile but parang and pari are different. I find that sometimes I want merah which is codlike, and sometimes I prefer the pari or parang which is more flavourful. Spoilt for choice really.
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"This stuff is addictive!"
I’ve tried many a nasi kandar on the island of Penang, from famous stalls to quiet neighbourhood shops but they just don’t have that zing. That zing, my friends, I found a long time ago in a food court right near home in Petaling Jaya. I remember finding out about Zainul Nasi Kandar back in high school. My mom’s friends insisted that it was better than any nasi kandar in Penang. Incredulous, we had to check it out. Needless to say, I haven’t really eaten nasi kandar anywhere else since. I went back the other day with my brother after weeks of not having a proper nasi kandar fix, and boy, was I not disappointed.
Let’s set the scene: Makcik Zainun’s (the boss lady) operations span 3 stalls: one for the main shop, one for drinks, and one kitchen where large vats of curry bubble like cauldrons. Makcik Zainun herself prepares these curries every morning before the stall opens. Women workers were walking around in giant plastic aprons carrying steaming containers full of curry, calling out “Panas, panas, panas” as a warning for people to get out of the way. Drink orders are shouted over the din of the crowd, louder than usual that day as it was raining. The line is manageable as it’s rather early but I’ve been here at 1.30pm before and the slow-moving queue will stretch all the way to the food court entrance.
The crowd is diverse. Everyone eats here; young families, elderly couples, large groups of yuppies, policemen, MBPJ workers, students. Office boys drive away with more than ten bungkus take-away packs balanced precariously in their motorcycle baskets to bring back to their hungry colleagues. And amazingly, they all seem to be regulars. I’ve seen many of their faces before on many occasions; their drinks arrive on their tables without them having to order. The large, varied and patient crowd speaks volumes about the quality of the food.
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"Budu, cili padi, lime and tempoyak- phworr!"
The Terengganuphile club meets weekly at Meka- a famous artist, a Langkasuka enthusiast and a social ecologist. They work their way through the meal, crisply fried ayam kampung, a mountain of sotong goreng, masak lemak with rambai skin (because that’s in season at the moment) and of course budu- the appetite whetter of the East coast. As they eat, they talk about the changes to Pulau Kambing, the finer points of taking a wooden house apart and putting it back together and where the best laksam is.
I was just happy to be part of the conversation. A Terengganu enthusiast myself, Meka has always been a must-stop for enjoying Terengganu cooking at it’s best. The owner himself goes to Pulau Kambing (where fishermen dock with their daily catch) every morning to grab fresh fish. By 7am the cooking and sizzling will start.
This is where you can feast on wonderful local fish from catfish and tongkol to kerisi and kembung. Also on offer are stunningly fat fish roes, laying like fat sausages on the plate- a melange of chewy and crispy richness. Gravies here don’t overpower mostly hanging out at the gulai spectrum of gravy chain and the sambal belacan is mellow with ulams like daun jambu golok (cashew nut leaves), daum salam and jering. The owner, Haji Awang comes often, talking to his customers, pouring them drinks and bringing more food to the table. It’s a laidback affair, help yourself from the counter, grab a chair and tuck in.
A server brings a new batch of ayam kampung still sizzling from their oil bath. You can’t just eat one or two thighs here, at least four will travel down your gullet before you know it. The seafood in Terengganu is forever fresh, the fried squid is cut into rings, just lightly seasoned before fried or grilled. You don’t need much embellishment with seafood this fresh.
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