Disclaimer: I love Penang. I really, really do. For such a small state, the sheer variety and quality of street food is tremendous. Unfortunately, one thing keeps falling just short of my (very) high expectations – nasi kandar.
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.
"This stuff is addictive!"
Since I haven’t had nasi kandar in a while, I decided to order the works. And by the works, I really mean the works. Ayam goreng, sotong goreng, ikan goreng, hati ayam, telur masin, telur ikan and the all-important daging masak hitam. The fried items were done to crispy chewy perfection. My favourite here is the sotong goreng, flaky batter bits adding a tasty crunch to my meal. The telur ikan here is served a little differently: fried then drowned in kuah campur. Lip-smackingly good!
A cannot miss item is definitely their daging masak hitam. I have daging masak hitam whenever I have nasi kandar at any restaurant, but their version is the best. It’s hearty and thick, with a nice background medley of spice. Imagine a good thick beef curry jacked up with Malay-style soy sauce. The beef itself has had a good healthy soak in the gravy so the flavour has seeped right through. To quote a famous foodie, “Die-die must try!”
One tiny shortcoming is that as with most other nasi kandar stalls, the vegetable offerings are not very imaginative. Avoid the taugeh if you can (I blanched at the blanched beansprouts) and go for the slightly better kubis instead.
I don’t know how my brother and I managed to finish the lot but we did. It was however probably due to their kuah campur. There must be something here in the water at New Town PJ, because this stuff is addictive. Get a pile of pappadum and a bowl of kuah campur on the side and you’re set. The individual gravies are excellent on their own, but in combination it becomes a million times better. Top it up with some sambal belacan and mint sauce (yes, they have mint sauce!) and it’s kandar perfection. That’s why I’ll keep coming back to Zainul. Sure beats the drive up to Penang! Just make sure you don’t have any assignments to work on after lunch. I can tell you right now that you’re going to be napping on your desk. Ah, curry...
More Photos To Drool On
So many tasty items to choose from
Agreed this place is good and beats many Nasi Kandar pretenders in PJ and KL. But I beg to differ that they are better than the Penang guys. The small places in Penang places Line Clear would this place flat. My advice : Avoid the 'franchise' places in Penang and stick to the single-store-passed-down-from-generations places. Heheheheh.
by JonJanuary 08, 2011 6:11PM
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Agreed this place is good and beats many Nasi Kandar pretenders in PJ and KL. But I beg to differ that they are better than the Penang guys. The small places in Penang places Line Clear would this place flat. My advice : Avoid the 'franchise' places in Penang and stick to the single-store-passed-down-from-generations places. Heheheheh.
by Jon January 08, 2011 6:11PM
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