Yaseen is the kind of place where your Penang-born grandfather will come for some nasi kandar. This place has been in Kuala Lumpur for more than twenty years and has continually served good nasi kandar for its loyal fans. If you are familiar with the Nasi Kandar scene in KL, you will know that among the old rustic colonial designed houses along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman hides some of the oldest nasi kandar houses in town.
Nearer to the Coliseum, you have Ibrahimsha. Within the vicinity of Yaseen, you can find Eusoff and Kudu. The new more commercial ones are the likes of Pelita and Kayu. Whilst some of these places can be good, you loose the nice rustic ambience that places like Kudu and Yaseen offers. So, while the Chinese have old charming coffee houses such as Yut Kee's and Sing Seng Nam, the Indian Muslims have Yaseen and Kudu.
Now, why is it called Nasi Kandar you say? Ask any Penangite senior citizen. They will know. The story goes that back during the olden days, indian hawkers used to sell rice to townspeople by balancing a long stick in the middle, with both ends tied to pots of rice and an assortment of curries. The act of balancing a long stick in this manner is called 'kandar' in Malay, hence the name Nasi Kandar. The best nasi kandar houses in Malaysia is still located in Penang. They win hands down. In KL, Yaseen comes close (but still not close enough) to the ones in Penang. But then again Kudu, Eusoff and Ibrahimsha are worthy competitors as well.
"These curries are probably about 20 years old"
Yaseen's has over twenty five different curries and dishes on offer, neatly lined out in front of the shop display for all to choose. Some of the offerings include fish, chicken and mutton curries, fish roe, chicken in curry soy sauce, fried fish, cuttlefish in curry seasoning and an assortment of biriyanis. And the great thing is, just like any real nasi kandar worth their salt, they top your rice with at least two different types of curries. Why is that so great then? The art of nasi kandar is actually in the way they make the curries. So, to get the best taste of nasi kandar, you must let the mamak mix at least two different curries to your dish. Therefore, no two plate of rice will taste the same. Ask them for papadoms too. It enhances the taste of the nasi kandar.
For curries, we recommend the pomfret(bawal) curry which has a nice light curry taste. If you prefer something heavier, the mutton curries are flavourful. Fans of Yaseen swears by their Chicken in curry soy sauce. Mix and match the cuttlefish curry with some fish roe if you fancy. Or try the beef curry with some papadoms and rice. Yaseen's curries are delicious. These curries are probably about 20 years old. The secret to make a good curry is leave it overnight. The indian curries use tairu or yogurt instead of coconut milk so their curries do not go bad as fast. The longer you leave it, the more flavourful the curry taste becomes. So, the urban legend is that most curry houses just refill the curry cauldron instead of throwing out yesterdays unsold portion and reheat the whole lot. So, the theory is, since the curries are not thrown away, perhaps there are remnants from the first curry made 20 years ago which explains why old curry houses appears to have better curries than newer ones. That's the legend anyway....
Another thing, get barley panas (hot) with your nasi kandar or some lime juice. Barley cools you down, and lime juice breaks down the fats in your digestive system. Price per plate is approximately RM8.00 depending on what you order. Chicken starts at RM3.50, prawns and crab averages about RM8.00 a piece and mutton at RM4.00 apiece.
More Photos To Drool On
This will also go great with your curries and white rice
You have a point as well. That's why we highlighted Kudu and Eusoff in this review as they are worth mentioning. In the end it is up to personal taste as the taste and quality is almost neck and neck sometimes with these Nasi Kandar houses. Will try to have it bungkus to try out the infused flavour. Thanks!
by The FoodsterJuly 11, 2007 4:19PM
Must revisit this place sometime. As I recall, the weekday lunchtime crowds lining outside to the taxi?/bus? stop always added an extra zing to the appetite. Still, with due respect to your granpa,I prefer Kudus like my penang-raised dad. The family white glove test for nasi kandar is to bungkus with pomfret curry and beef with the black sauce (half salted duck egg opitional but recommended). Somehow, Ive always preferred to have it bungkus than on the spot as it allows the flavours of the skillfully blended curry sauces to infuse the rice more fully. Weve even been known to bungkus the stuff back to the hotel when on holiday in Penang just for the effect."Nasi tu, kena kandar. Baru nasi kandar!";P
by asian-malaysianJuly 10, 2007 7:11PM
You must be logged in to post comments
Join the conversation. We love to hear your views.
Foodster's Verdict
Mohd. Yaseen Nasi Kandar
Address:
351, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03 2694 8927
Open:
Pros:
Taste of the curries haven't changed much through the years
.JPG)
.JPG)
You have a point as well. That's why we highlighted Kudu and Eusoff in this review as they are worth mentioning. In the end it is up to personal taste as the taste and quality is almost neck and neck sometimes with these Nasi Kandar houses. Will try to have it bungkus to try out the infused flavour. Thanks!
by The Foodster July 11, 2007 4:19PM
Must revisit this place sometime. As I recall, the weekday lunchtime crowds lining outside to the taxi?/bus? stop always added an extra zing to the appetite. Still, with due respect to your granpa,I prefer Kudus like my penang-raised dad. The family white glove test for nasi kandar is to bungkus with pomfret curry and beef with the black sauce (half salted duck egg opitional but recommended). Somehow, Ive always preferred to have it bungkus than on the spot as it allows the flavours of the skillfully blended curry sauces to infuse the rice more fully. Weve even been known to bungkus the stuff back to the hotel when on holiday in Penang just for the effect."Nasi tu, kena kandar. Baru nasi kandar!";P
by asian-malaysian July 10, 2007 7:11PM
You must be logged in to post comments