Kelantanese are known for their sweet teeth (yes they have more than one) and love of rich, creamy dishes and delicacies. Coming here might make your blood sugar level go a little crazy but if you enjoy the sweet life then Fathi is the place to start.
Now here's the thing, if you're not from Kelantan and spend most your life as a West Coaster, the chances of coming across Kelantanese food in your daily life is sporadic at best. That is unless you really seek it out. So when in Kelantan, let your tastebuds go wild. Hence first stop from the airport should be this bustling little roadside stall selling all you need for a good, bracing Kelantanese breakfast.
They have laksam here and nasi dagang and nasi kerabu as well as all sorts of kuihs. They even have duck rendang and nasi Jawa which you eat with satay and kuah kacang (their version is of course sweeter). In amazement I watched local punters carrying plates laden with rice and lauks to their table (I am not even sure I can eat all that for dinner much less breakfast). All hail the magnificent Kelantanese appetite.
I of course had to try a bit of everything. Nasi Kerabu is the disturbingly blue rice that tasted really different from anything I’ve ever eaten- it’s so alien to me that it could have come from Venus and I’d be none the wiser. All nasi kerabu comes with its accompaniments such as sambal nyiok (pretty much dry-fried coconut with hints of fish), budu (salty, local fermented prawn gravy with chillis in it), bbq chicken, salted duck’s egg, bqq beef, ulam (a fragrant bouquet of local leaves shredded finely), fish crackers and solok lada (a boiled large chilli stuffed with fish paste).
It’s a real mouthful isn’t it? Frankly nasi kerabu is an acquired taste. Those who love it, dream of it at night while us lesser mortals try it and move on to something more familiar. Though the rice is okay enough, I found the pile of ulam that you're supposed to mix it with a little too herb-y. I much prefer the nasi dagang. The Kelantanese version is white glutinous rice speckled with lots of wonderful browns and khakis unlike Terengganu’s which is all white. Nasi dagang is one of my favourites eaten with a nice tuna curry (KB’s is of course sweeter but delicious). Here they also eat it with a nice chunk of duck rendang cooked until soft. It's barely 8am I and am eating duck slow cooked in oil and coconut and spices and who knows how much sugar. It felt a little wrong but its so tasty, I finished the whole lot in no time.
"Anyone for blue rice?"
Another wonderful favourite here is the laksam. This is hand made fat, starchy white rolls of noodles chopped into pieces with a white broth rich with coconut milk poured over it. It comes with sambal belacan on top and a little bit of ulam, beansprouts and green beans. This is lovely and fresh with a fragrance of early morning. Again, incredibly sinful for breakfast but oh so addictive. It’s not easy to get a good laksam in KL so enjoy all you can in KB. Fathi also serves a wide array of kuihs some familiar, others not so. Most of them are starchy and sweet but I find the ones here not too cloying.
Leaving this stall, the sugar rush to my bloodstream made me a little dizzy. And really most of the other dishes you will encounter in Kota Bahru will give you the same effect. Kelantanese are also obsessed with rice in all their fabulous incarnations. This is a State passionate about rice of different hues and colours, whether steamed plain white or glutinous blue or pressed into cubes. They love rice so much that each year they have a food fair called Nasi Ratus, with yes you’ve guessed it; 100 over rice dishes under one canopy.
Mad I say.
More Photos To Drool On
All kinds of kuihs here
Can anyone share the GPS coordinates please?
by dvproMarch 09, 2010 4:49PM
Jon : I love these honest side street joints. Almost everything I tried was delicious. They open really early in the morning so even if you get a morning flight back to KL, can still tapau for friends and family as well.
by The FoodsterMarch 07, 2009 2:12PM
1. The ulam bits are meant to be mixed thoroughly with the rice so the flavours should not be too strong. Best done with fingers !
2. Both Kelantan and Terengganu nasi dagang I have tried had the brown bits in the rice - but both taste delicious anyhow.
I used to fly to Kota Bahru on work almost on a monthly basis and my first stop in the mornings were these local haunts by the road side. Your review brings back fond memories ........
by JonMarch 06, 2009 12:13PM
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Foodster's Verdict
Kedai Makan Fathi
Taste
Address:
Lot 2034.A,
Kg. Pengkalan Nangka,
Jln Pengkalan Chepa,
16100 Kota Bahru Tel: 012 901 6450, 09 774 9725
Open:
Opens early for breakfast
Pros:
Fantastic array of kuihs and dishes. A great showcase of what Kelantan has to offer
Cons:
With all that sugar and carbs definitely not the healthiest of breakfasts but hey at least you have the rest of the day to burn it off
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Can anyone share the GPS coordinates please?
by dvpro March 09, 2010 4:49PM
Jon : I love these honest side street joints. Almost everything I tried was delicious. They open really early in the morning so even if you get a morning flight back to KL, can still tapau for friends and family as well.
by The Foodster March 07, 2009 2:12PM
1. The ulam bits are meant to be mixed thoroughly with the rice so the flavours should not be too strong. Best done with fingers !
2. Both Kelantan and Terengganu nasi dagang I have tried had the brown bits in the rice - but both taste delicious anyhow.
I used to fly to Kota Bahru on work almost on a monthly basis and my first stop in the mornings were these local haunts by the road side. Your review brings back fond memories ........
by Jon March 06, 2009 12:13PM
You must be logged in to post comments