When it comes to my affair with nasi lemak, I do look for specific things. Sambal is key, rice should have hints of coconut and if there's a lauk selection, there should at least be one that is so spectacular that it would entice me to come to the joint over and over again.
With Nasi Lemak Kak Hani in Damansara Uptown, the pulling factor is her ayam masak merah. A family recipe that has been passed down from her mother-in-law, their ayam masak merah differs from other places because it has an aromatic citrus flavour to it. Along with the usual tones of tanginess and sweetness that comes from chilli and tomato sauce, Kak Hani adds kaffir lime leaves to the dish to give it a fragrant kick. She uses blended dried chillies and fresh chillies in her ayam masak merah, simmering it down for hours to allow the chillies to be fully cooked thus allowing their natural sweetness to come through.
Her sambal is pretty mellow with a low level of heat so it's ideal for wussy tongues that can't handle too much chilli in the morning. It has a sticky ( almost oily ) consistency that makes it perfect mixed into the subtly flavoured rice. The rice has a smidgen of coconut flavour, light and fluffy. The portion of rice is quite big, your tummy will be full after just one packet.
"Ayam Masak Merah with a hint of kaffir lime leaves"
Kak Hani has been operating in Damansara Uptown for the past 8 years. She opens as early as 6.45 am and finishes at about 10 am. She has plenty of regulars so her ayam masak merah is usually the first dish to finish every day. Due to the popularity of her stall and to meet growing demands, her husband, Abang Ramli has set up another nasi lemak stall on another location in Uptown. Both locations are equally busy but sometimes if you're lucky, when one of the stalls runs out of nasi lemak ( it's usually Kak Hani's ) you can go to the other one to see if there's still some left.
The nasi lemak served by Kak Hani and Abang Ramli is a no-frills affair. They have plenty of lauks to choose from but of course the one to try is the ayam masak merah. With it's thick sweet gravy. it's the perfect lauk for the creamy coconut rice. For curry puff lovers, the karipap sardin here is also worth mentioning. With a flaky crust and a sardine filling generous with onions and chillies, it's also an ideal addition to your nasi lemak breakfast.
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Nasi Lemak- A Classic Malaysian Breakfast.
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Foodster's Verdict
Nasi Lemak Kak Hani ( Uptown Damansara Bus Stop )
Taste
Address:
Kak Hani's stall : Jalan SS 21/1A, Damansara Utama, ( bus stop in front of Beauty & Slimming Express ), Abg Ramli's stall : Jalan SS 21/56 B ( in front of Bank Rakyat ) Tel:
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