吉隆坡十大辣死你妈

Klang Valley´s top 10 nasi lemak

Location : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Zalina Mohd Som

Source :New Straits Times,30 December 2011

NASI lemak is considered part of our national dish. But what makes a perfect nasi lemak?

The rice has to be rich in coconut milk and comes with strong tinge of ginger and pandan while the sambal, spicy and fresh with a slight sweetness to balance. It is also served with fried anchovies, fried peanuts, egg and slices of cucumber. Here are the 10 best nasi lemak spots in the Klang Valley.

1. Nasi Lemak Cikgu

From a humble shophouse, Nasi Lemak Cikgu has now moved to a more elegant venue at Dataran Glomac in Kelana Jaya. But the menu is still kept simple with a choice of chicken and egg. Its sambal is the spiciest so far, though slightly sweet.

2. Nasi Lemak Kafetaria Istana Budaya

Istana Budaya is not a place for makan-makan. The world-class theatre is known for its top-notch shows but regulars will head to the cafeteria for its nasi lemak. Although small in size, it tastes just as good as home-cooked. Both the rice and sambal are perfect. And since it comes in a small packet, you won´t feel guilty going for a second helping.

3. Nasi Lemak Tang Ling

Located at the food court at Jalan Cenderasari (behind the National Mosque), it is so famous that an elegant eatery in Bangsar features it in its menu. It has also been featured in numerous blogs and some labelled it "the best nasi lemak in the Klang Valley", if not the country. The rice is perfect but the sambal, I think, will be perfect with more chilli. Nasi Lemak Tang Ling keeps it simple with a choice of only chicken, beef, squid or egg.

4. Nasi Lemak Kukus Misnaidi

A newbie, Nasi Lemak Kukus Misnaidi is probably the fastest selling of them all. Misnaidi Nawawi sets up his stall in front of Hospital Columbia Asia in Taman Bandar Puteri Puchong around 5pm, only to wrap it up about three or four hours later! And mind you, he cooks 10kg of rice and fries 14 chickens daily. The star of his nasi lemak is the fried chicken, which is marinated with herbs and spices. Even the crumbs are good enough to eat on their own.

5. Nasi Lemak Sri Kulai

Sri Kulai produces halal, microwaveable and ready-to-eat frozen meals. Its nasi lemak comes in two variants - with boneless chicken rendang and sambal sotong. But the almost RM7-packed nasi lemak comes without slices of cucumber and hard-boiled egg. Nasi Lemak Sri Kulai is available at Sri Kulai Lifestyle Concept Outlet in Jaya One Shopping Complex, Petaling Jaya and selected supermarkets.

6. Nasi Lemak Wan Manjor

Though it´s right next to another famous nasi lemak eatery in Kampung Baru, Nasi Lemak Wan Manjor still receives rave reviews from food lovers. The restaurant is simple and rather empty, but if you peek into the kitchen, you´ll see pots and pots of sambal. The sambal, which is thick and spicy but slightly sweet, is also sold in small containers at RM3.50 each.

7. Nasi Lemak CT Garden

This food court-concept restaurant in Kampung Baru is often packed even past midnight.

The nasi lemak is pre-packed in a 70-sen packet but there is a huge selection of dishes. Though it´s just as good on its own, the dishes give the nasi lemak an extra oomph.

8. Nasi Lemak R.A Dang Wangi

Although its signboard says Nasi Lemak R.A, but most patrons refer it as Nasi Lemak Dang Wangi as it´s situated behind the Dang Wangi LRT Station in Kampung Baru. At breakfast time, you will see cars lining up on both sides of the busy Jalan Raja Abdullah. The rice is soft and fragrant and is cooked from a huge wooden rice steamer.

9. Nasi Lemak Mali´s

You just need to find your way to Taman Bunga Raya, and the big crowd at Mali´s will tell you that you have reached the destination. There are four different queues - each for the drink and nasi lemak, and two for Mali´s special char koay teow. Mali´s operates on a self-service system and patrons have to queue at the preferred station to get their orders. Mali´s rice is soft and rich with ginger and coconut milk but the sambal is slightly watery.

10. Nasi Lemak Mak Lang

Mak Lang´s nasi lemak wins hands down when it comes to presentation. The plate that arrives at your table looks as if it´s been prepared by a hotel chef. The coconut rice is soft and rich but the sambal is a tad too sweet. Its chicken rendang is a must-try. It is located at the Futsal Sports Centre in Section 19, Petaling Jaya.