Tag Archives: malay food

Capital Nasi Dagang Kelantan

Posted on by
1

Of late, Malay restaurants serving Chinese cuisine are getting popular in the Klang Valley. However,  the reverse is less common. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a Chinese shop selling authentic Malay food.

Nasi Dagang Kelantan Capital is run by a Chinese family from Kota Bharu. They have been operating in Kelantan for 9 years and opened in Petaling Jaya a month ago. I conversed with the owner, a Mr Foo, in Kelantanese Hokkien (Fujian dialect). The other option was to speak with him in Kelantanese Malay which sounded like Double Dutch to me.

Served in waxed paper, this East Coast speciality originated from Southern Thailand. The rice is cooked with coconut milk, shallot, lemongrass and fenugreek. For the ‘lauk’, you have a choice of tasty beef rendang, curry chicken, prawn, squid or ikan tongkol (mackerel tuna).

I tried the chicken with rice soaked in gravy (photographed here) and found the combo very delicious. The condiments include a slice of boiled egg, a big piece of anchovy, salad and sambal. For buka puasa (breaking of fast), you need to takeaway before 7pm as the shop closes by that time.

Capital Restaurant is at 29 Jalan 21/1A, Damansara Utama (Uptown).

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f5, 1/60 sec.

Capital Nasi Dagang Kelantan

Beriani Gam

Posted on by
Reply

Happiness is Beriani with Rose Syrup.

Nasi Beriani Gam Johor in Bangi (Putrajaya) is out of the way but it is a treat always. Tucked away in kampung-like surroundings, the famous stall is consistently good but a little expensive for casual lunch. The Kambing Kuzi (lamb) rice is RM 23.

Biryani originated from the Mughal Empire and it remains popular cuisine in many parts of the Indian sub-continent today. The local Johor version derives its name from the gum-like sticky gravy.

The ultra-wide angle lens is not the usual choice for a food shot but I used it here for a reason. Its exaggerated perspective made the bicycle (that was parked too close) appear further. It also allowed a split view of the table and customers walking in.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f4, 1/250 sec.

Nasi Briyani Gam Johor Putrajaya

Nasi Campur

Posted on by
Reply

It is rare to find a Malay nasi campur shop with 40 different type of dishes. What’s rarer is to find one with so many dishes and yet the food still has a home-cooked taste to it. The Chinese version which is called economy rice or mixed rice (chapfun) usually has a mass-produced taste to it.

This shop with a view of the mynah birds (mentioned in the previous post) is in a quiet corner of Section 17. Overwhelmed, I settled for a simple meal of brinjal (eggplant), pancake omelette and cauliflower achar. Washed it down with a glass of rose syrup. A very satisfying lunch indeed.

Currently, the restaurant has no signboard nor name although the owner calls it Nasi Campur Nasional. It is self-service and prices may be a bit stiff for people from outside PJ.
Average price per plate is about RM 9 to RM 10. It depends on what you choose, of course.

Address: Jalan 17/47, Section 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya. (corner shop in middle of short row of shophouses)

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/80 sec.

Nasi Campur