The Malaysian Food Review

Nasi Lemak is typically referred to as Malaysia’s national dish and ranks very highly on my list of favourite foods. I can never get enough of it, and it’s not unusual for me to have a packet before work and then order it again at a restaurant during lunch. Even while studying in Australia the Nasi Lemak cravings still occurred, which prompted fruitless quests in search of a restaurant that served this amazing dish. Even though we KNEW that we could never find a decent plate of Nasi Lemak anywhere outside Malaysia, it never stopped us trying, and never failed to leave us feeling disappointed and empty at the end of the day.

How great it feels to be back home now and have Nasi Lemak around every corner. One of the more famous ones is Nasi Lemak Cikgu, located in Kelana Jaya. The owners of Cikgu have been around for years, and moved around a lot as well, having started out with just a roadside stall, before finally arriving at their own shop in Kelana Jaya. They even went into franchising, and for a while you could enjoy Nasi Lemak Cikgu at Cheow Yang restaurant in SS2, but not anymore.

I’d lost touch with them for several years due to their moving around, and was ecstatic when i recently discovered them again. They have a nice shop now, but they don’t seem to be getting too many customers. That’s why in the food business, it’s probably better not to be a nomad.

I went with SekSun and 2 other non-reviewers. The shop doesn’t only serve Nasi Lemak, but that’s what all of us were there for.

The fried chicken is probably the highlight of this Nasi Lemak, so I wouldn’t even consider ordering Nasi Lemak Biasa. Naturally, you’d have to get it when it’s freshly cooked, so timing is everything. The sambal is cooked with ikan bilis and onions, and pretty damn good. It tastes a little sweet and is not too spicy so you can add lots of it. My only gripe is with the absence of fried ikan bilis, which, in my humble opinion, should always accompany a plate of Nasi Lemak. That brings my enjoyment down a tiny notch.

This plate has fried egg and some kind of malay meatball (I forget the name) made with beef and potatoes, which wasn’t bad. It’s just a shame nobody wanted to have squid. Next time I’ll definitely try the squid and get them to do a bullseye egg for me. I’ve already had a word with them about the fried ikan bilis. As it stands, I’d rate Nasi Lemak Cikgu a 7.5/10.

Anyway, I hope business picks up for them as I love their Nasi Lemak and don’t want them to disappear again. Go check them out next week after the Ramadan month. To the Malays out there, Selamat Berbuka Puasa.

[Ratings]

By now most of you would’ve heard the shocking news of the passing of one of television’s most memorable personalities. Yes, the Crocodile Hunter is dead - floored (or should I say, sunk) by a Stingray barb. He’s entertained us, educated us, and made us all sound like idiots when we tried to imitate his catchphrases. So I felt compelled to pay tribute to this great man….. by having stingray for lunch.

This mission took me to Jalan Bellamy, the home of 3 famous Ikan Bakar (Grilled/Barbecued Fish) stalls. Jalan Bellamy is located somewhere behind the Istana Negara.

Ikan Bakar Ramli Yusuf was my stall of choice, as it usually is. I’m not sure why I always pick this stall, but I’m guessing it’s because it’s always the nearest to my parking spot. All 3 are supposed to be good anyway.

For some reason, there weren’t as many people as there usually were. Having caught sight of my delicious prey, I quickly grabbed 2 plates of stingray and made for the table, while my lunch partners brought along catfish (ikan keli), shad (ikan terubuk), and a whole squid (sotong) for company.

I attacked the stingray (ikan pari) immediately. In my opinion, stingray was born for ikan bakar. It’s a beeeyooooootiful fish, scaleless, with soft and chewy flesh, and its skin when burnt is very tasty. Another plus point is that the stingray’s bone is a flat sheet down the middle of the fish, so it’s really easy to separate the flesh from it. Some people even consume the crunchy bone altogether. Crikey!

Ok, no more Steve Irwin catchphrases, I promise.

Next up, the catfish (ikan keli). This delicious freshwater fish is easy to eat and extremely soft and tasty.

One thing to note about this fish is that it has plenty of fat. It may gross you out a bit, but don’t worry, because it’s Omega-3 fat and is actually good for your heart.

This is one of my must-have fishes. It’s good even without any sauces.

The shad (ikan terubuk) is not one I would normally pick. It’s immensely popular with Malays, who argue that it possesses a very unique flavour. Personally, I prefer chucking it to the starving cats lurking underneath my table. It’s not that it ISN’T tasty, the problem is that it’s deathly annoying to eat. Terubuk is scaly and chock-full of tiny bones. You need patience for this, and you NEED to eat it with your hands. I won’t recommend it otherwise.

Normally, I prefer my squid fried in a crunchy, golden-brown batter, but my resistance crumbled when I saw this little beauty.

This magnificent squid cost us a bomb, but it was well worth it. It was already fresh and tasty, but dipping it into the superb sour chilli sauce made it even better.

The only question is - would you pay RM20 for it? We certainly didn’t hesitate.

All in all, I think this place rates very highly among other ikan bakar outlets in KL and PJ. There’s a good variety of fish and other seafood, and they all taste great with or without the chilli sauces. Prices are reasonable as well, each fish costs about RM5 or 6, with the exception of the squid which can escalate depending on the size. The only problem I have is that it can be quite difficult to get a seat (or a parking spot) during lunchtime.

Next time i’m there I’ll review the scad (ikan cencaru), red tilapia, mackerel (ikan kembong), and cockles (kerang) if they’re available.

Steve, this one was for you, mate. Yer a bleedin’ legend. Take it easy, and we’ll catch ya later.

Hi gang, Tongue of Fury here sidetracking from my usual furious trip to Penang column to bring you what I feel is the BEST SATAY KAJANG THAT ONE CAN FIND IN PETALING JAYA.

The place is Hj. Samuri and it is situated in the Damansara Uptown area (behind Maybank, same row as the now defunct Fajar Shopping Centre). This place serves a good variety of Satay including: Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Rabbit, Venison, Fish, Chicken Liver and Beef Tripe. I ordered a few sticks of chicken and lamb and also one serving of Nasi Impit. Within 5 minutes, my food was brought to me. The kuah and chilli is seperated so you can play chef and adjust the level of spicyness to suit your own taste.

The Chicken tasted good as usual, there’s something about the way these dudes marinate the chicken, it tastes so much better than the usual satay you get at kopitiams or mamaks. The lamb tasted pretty good too, tender and juicy. I’m not a big fan of beef satay, it’s just too hard to chew. The kuah compliments the satay well, and its rare to see someone not scooping for a second bowl. However, this place can sometimes be quite inconsistent. A few of my satays were burnt to black almost entirely as you can see from the picture below.

After having the satay, if there is still room in your stomach, remember to try the ABC Teringin. It is a solid bowl of Ice Kacang and is the perfect icing on the cake after a scrumptious meal of Satay.

I’d try out the other types of satays (fish sounds interesting) if MFR would furnish me with some budget. As of now, we, the reviewers have to fork out our own money… the horror. Mr. Boss I hope you’re reading this.

Final Verdict:

Taste: Good
Ambience: Good (Shop was clean, TV for entertainment- TV3 that is, no astro here)
Price: RM0.60 / stick
Rating: 8/10

*Look out for the antique typewriter on the counter as you pay for your food.

That’s it for now, will be back with more from my trip to Penang. Until then, SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR!