KL Sedap 2014 Part 3: Mohd Yaseen Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang

So my family has actually been visiting this same Nasi Kandar joint since Mein Bruder and I were just kids. We used to drive up to KL a lot for holiday and this was always the first stop. It's either we'd drive there straight after arriving in KL which would normally be close to lunchtime and we'd park and makan there or at most we'd pack a few and eat at the hotel.

Yeah we know there're so many Nasi Kandar places in KL right? Guess there's just something special about this one...

They've got quite an array of dishes for you to choose from. Granted that most of them are variants of the same thing (e.g. chicken or prawns cooked in 3 different ways) but you're still going to be hard pressed for choice let me tell you that.

And this place is old school so the rundown is really simple.
You join the queue and when you reach the counter, there'll be a guy ready with a plate of rice. You then proceed to tell him what you'd like piled on your plate and he obliges.

And when you're done, that's when the magic begins!
The guy will then proceed to finish off your plate with a little bit of every type of gravy there is there.
A little bit of this and little bit of that. What you end up with is a plate of yum!

Not sure what I mean? Check this out!


And that's considered not much okay! I've seen guys literally scoop out a little gravy from as many as 10 dishes onto a plate!! Well, suffice it to say that you'll have a very flavourful meal!

But what exactly can you choose from?

So you'll see this giant price list on the wall but not all the items will be available at one time of course. But rest assured you'll have quite a few to choose from. Let me give you a better idea of what you might consider getting.

I know this is not the best picture I could have snapped but hey I was impeded by the glass!
Anyways, this is a chicken dish. In fact, this is the #1 chicken dish here! I'm guessing this is listed as Ayam Kicap on that pricelist but it's far from just being your average Ayam Kicap trust me.

Pretty much everyone gets it because this is the bomb and they wheel this dish out by the bucket (literally) because it's such a sell-out item that goes really fast! It's got a very distinct taste which is really something that makes you wanna have more and more.

They've also got other types of chicken such as Honey Chicken and Masala Chicken but trust me and try this first okay.

Other big ticket items are the seafood dishes and it's not a guarantee they'll be out because I guess it depends on what they can get at the market too.

Crabs are a rarity and the prawns are always a big draw. But the Fish Roe is always the bomb am I right? But don't have too much okay leave some for the others LOL

So this is what our plates looked like.

The plate on top is mine and costs about RM13 somehow. Well, I wasn't counting because this was really a great plate of makan. I always have a little extra Salted Egg on there!!

They also have a few vegetable dishes for you to choose from but I always garnish with a simple serving of ladyfingers and also they have this cucumber/pineapple pickle thing.
Sometimes, simple is best!

My Darling Wife's plate costs a bit more because of the prawns and the fish roe so it;s about RM20. She opted for the Masala Chicken by the way which had a bit of a spicy kick.

And you can wash everything down with some Ais Limau!! Refreshing!

Adam's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 4.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 4/5

The only other Nasi Kandar joint we've tried was Nasi Kandar Pelita.
Yeah it was not bad but I guess maybe because we've been going for so long so it's might be a habit. But there's no doubting the Nasi Kandar here is power.

My Dad has been to Penang and tried the 'original' Nasi Kandar there and he tells me it's really quite different from the Nasi Kandar we get in KL. Well, the original may be different but I think I might still prefer this version instead. :)

PS the newly renovated sign outside the shop reads MOHD YASEEM for some reason...
Maybe a typo?? LOL well look for the old school sign in the shop or just look for the queue.

Mohd Yaseen Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang

351 Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating Hours: 24hrs Daily
Closed between 1-2pm on Fridays

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 8: As-Shifaa Cafe

Not sure what The Chicken Rice Chronicles is all about?
Maybe you should check out THIS LINK first before proceeding.

We are on the 8th installment of one of our most popular series and this time we are smack in the middle of town to enjoy some chicken rice that so many readers have recommended including my very own Darling Wife and co-founder of this blog!

And this is not your typical plate of Chicken Rice!

Chicken Rice ($3.50)

From that picture alone, you can probably spot a few things that you don't really see when you talk about Chicken Rice. Deep Fried Chicken and what's up with that sambal??

Yes that's right. This is indeed something different from what we might be used to. No roasted or steamed chicken here. Deep fried goodness complete with some crispy batter bits but a very interesting take on chicken rice sambal.

Despite being deep fried, the chicken was surprisingly not dried out at all. And mind you, I had the breast meat and it was still good and tender! And as a bonus, the outer coating was a nice crispy special batter which was really tasty in its own right!

I'm guessing some of you might be shaking your heads right about now but since a lot of people seem to like it, why not try it first before you cross out deep fried chicken with your Chicken Rice.

The rice was fragrant but was a bit of a let down for me. I didn't really find the chicken rice flavour I was looking for but my Darling Wife seemed to enjoy it. I guess when you eat it with the chicken you won't really notice it.

But then again... maybe it wasn't the chicken. Maybe it was the... Sambal!
Sambal? Don't I mean Chicken Rice Chili? No. I mean Sambal.

Again, anything but usual when it comes to the Chicken Rice at As-Shifaa!
They do have your usual Chicken Rice Chili with the vinegar and the sort but they also have something very unique - a sambal to go along as well!

I guess the closest I can describe is an Ikan Bilis Sambal but a little on the sweet side. This sambal was actually really the perfect partner for the deep fried chicken. I mixed it up by having both types but let me tell you that this sambal was a clear winner.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken 3/5 -- Rice 2/5 -- Chili 2/5 -- Sambal 4/5 -- Overall 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Chicken 3.5/5 -- Rice 2.5/5 -- Sambal 4.5/5 -- Overall 4/5

And if the unique nature of this Chicken Rice is not enough to draw you to visit then maybe the next reason will. They have  Offal too! Liver! Gizzard! Take your pick! I'm not really a fan but my Darling Wife is so she had a nice serving of it with her Chicken Rice!

And remember - THE SAMBAL!!

If you're in town, drop by and try. But go early because the lunchtime crowd takes a big share so they do sell out pretty early.

As-Shifaa Cafe

304 Orchard Road
Lucky Plaza #06-52

Operating Hours:
11.00pm til 5.30pm (or til sold out) Daily
Closed on Sunday

The Quest For Briyani Part 8: Khan Saab Restaurant

Mutton Briyani Dum ($8.00)

This place is actually within walking distance from my workplace so we do drop by for lunch once in awhile. It's actually at the corner where the old Bedok ITE used to be if you're familiar with the Chai Chee area.

They have Briyani every day but please keep in mind that they have Briyani Dum only on Fridays!

I figured I'd start with the rice for this post because... well.. it's different.
Most Briyanis that I have tried, especially if it's the Dum version' have very fragrant rice which is normally moist but quite 'clean' in the sense that it's just the rice. The masala and meat are piled on separately if you know what I mean.

Well it's a little different here at Khan Saab. The rice was - for lack of a better word - wet.
It's as if the masala spices were mixed up together with the whole batch of rice and this made it really thick and wet with the masala. This also means that every mouthful of rice is packo with spicy flavour which does tend to be quite overpowering sometimes.

Nonetheless, it is quite tasty but it's just that I guess I'm not used to that texture for my Briyani rice.

The mutton was expected was nice and tender. It had better be since it was a Dum Briyani. Maybe this was the clearest indication that the meat and masala were all cooked together with the rice Dum style. Maybe that's why the rice was so wet?

Yep that's the Acar that comes with the Briyani.
Kind of putting things into overdrive especially since the rice was already so packo full of such a strong flavour. I didn't really find much need for the Acar or even the Dalcha that came along because the rice was really really spicy full of flavour.

But they do include a small side serving of Raita as well. The onion, cucumber and yoghurt mix do try their best to cool your mouth down.

Maybe they know that your tastebuds are going to be overwhelmed that's why they give you a dessert of Sugee to cool you down. And thankfully the Sugee was actually pretty nice. A sweet finish to a meal which was definitely strong on taste.

Adam's Verdict:
Mutton Dum Briyani 2.5/5

I used to quite enjoy this Briyani the first few times I had it but the more I did, the more I realized it was really something I was not used to. In fact, after my last visit, I reckon I might give it a miss for awhile and probably only have it much much later when I've given my mouth some time to forget the onslaught. But if you are the fan of the really spicy type of Briyani, this is definitely for you!

And please remember - Dum Briyani is only available on Fridays and very often sells out early too.

Khan Saab Restaurant

Blk 55 Chai Chee Drive
#01-186

Tel: 6244 4430

Operating Hours:
24 hours Daily

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 7: Evertop Family Restaurant

Oh yeah... The Evertop review is finally here...
But first, why not recap our past visits of The Chicken Rice Chronicles HERE.

So Evertop is such a famous name when it comes to Chicken Rice in Singapore I reckon. I know lots of people who tell me they love to go to Evertop with their friends and family because there's lot of food to choose from but the draw is definitely the Chicken Rice!

You all know I'm a fan of Mackenzie Rex Chicken Rice and  I hold that as the top level.
So how did I find the Evertop version?

Chicken Rice ($4.50)

Okay that picture is actually of half a chicken serving by the way. The normal serving is definitely gonna be lesser than that. But you get the picture right? Looks good and really super appetizing am I right or am I right?

The chicken was really tender and not tough at all. It was also nicely bathed in the soy sauce just the way I like it similar to the Chicken Rice at Tang Tea House but this one was not as salty though.

And I'm not sure if you noticed but they have a serving of pickled cucumber and carrots on the side which I found kind of weird. I normally only get that when I order something like Ngoh Hiang at Rex and this was the first time I was receiving it with Chicken Rice that's for sure. But don't worry they have the normal cucumber too.

I think this is where it started to go a little downhill for me.
I actually found the rice quite bland. I guess I was expecting more since everyone was telling me about how nice the Chicken Rice here was.

In fact, this is the same case as Tang Tea House where I found the rice to be totally out of sorts.

Just one look at the Chilli and you know it's packing quite a punch. None of that watery stuff here this is the pekat stuff!

And just like Tang Tea House, this was the spicy-spicy kind of Chicken Rice Chilli. No vinegar or lime juice or sugar or anything like that. Seems like just chillies and garlic (and maybe some ginger) and that's it. Nothing complex. Just plain heat.

And even though I compare this Chilli to Tang Tea House, this one was definitely spicier.
In fact, I'm gonna say this is the spiciest Chicken Rice Chilli I've tasted so far in this series!!

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken 3.5/5 -- Rice 1.5/5 -- Chilli 2/5 -- Overall 2.5/5

To be honest, I feel that the Chicken Rice at Evertop is very comparable to the chicken rice at Tang Tea House except that Tang Tea House edges out on top because their roasted chicken is better. But other than that, it's a pretty close fight.

Still looking for the chicken rice that will make us change our minds about Rex Chicken being #1!!

Evertop Family Restaurant

89/91 Joo Chiat Road
Tel: 89/91 Joo Chiat Road

https://www.facebook.com/evertop.joochiat?ref=ts&fref=ts

Operating Hours:
11.30am to 11.00pm Daily

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 6: Fitra Chicken Rice

Well we're already at the end of Ramadhan and we've run out of special posts for the month so we've decided to release the next installment of The Chicken Rice Chronicles!

"Chicken Rice Chronicles? What the heck is that?"
If you're not sure what we're talking about, you might wanna read THIS first...

And this time we are at another reader-recommended Chicken Rice joint in the East this time!

Chicken Rice (4.50)

Fitra is located in Century Square's Food Junction now (I heard it used to be in the now closed Food Culture) and they serve all kinds of goodies like noodles and the likes. But some of our readers pointed out that the Chicken Rice at Fitra was worth checking out.

And since it's nearby for us, we decided to drop by after some shopping!

Maybe I'm just being fussy but I feel that the guy who cut up my chicken was lazy.
You may not be able to see it in the picture but there was still some parts of the chicken which I guess I don't normally get when I have Chicken Rice at other places. I'm talking about small things like the excess gristle etc.

I guess overall the chicken was quite tender but not as tender as some other places. I am basing this on a Roasted Chicken standard of course. Wasn't too fantastic taste-wise either.

Found the rice a tad dry. You can see from that picture how dry it is.
Not too bad when you eat it all at one go withe the chicken and the chilli though. Add some soup if you must!

Despite all that, I think I was most disappointed with the chilli.
If the chilli is goof, I think I could have been more forgiving with the chicken and the rice.

It was watery and I wasn't really enjoying it very much.
I'm a bit fan of the type of chilli which has quite a bit of vinegar in it but even that could not redeem this one. It does have a bit of a spicy kick to it which might be why some people like it I guess.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 1.5/5

Unfortunately this was not the best of the series so fare...
Why oh why do the nice Chicken Rice joints always seem to be so far away!!

Oh well, maybe we'll have more luck next time.

Fitra Chicken Rice

Food Junction @ Century Square
#03-20/29

Tel: 6781 3114

Operating Hours:
10.30am til 9.30pm Daily

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 5: Mackenzie Rex

Part 5 in our Chicken Rice Chronicles bring us to what is actually one of The Halal Food Blog Team's (well, some of us anyways) favourite makan places EVER and it just so happens that it's a Chicken Rice joint.

We actually wrote about Rex in a previous post but that was before we started our Chicken Rice Chronicles series. So we had to visit again to include it officially!

Roasted Chicken Rice ($4.50)

Mackenzie Rex has been around since the 60s and is one of the more popular name when it comes to Halal Oriental food including Tzi Char style dishes like Fried Baby Squid, You Char Kway with Sotong, Yam Ring, Sweet and Sour Fish etc.

But we are here to talk about the Chicken Rice which has been my favourite since my parents brought me there when I was 11 years old. Back then it was located where Rex Theatre stands but has since moved to Prinsep Street. They also have a branch at Changi Road.

Some people will say that they find the breast meat a bit too dry for their taste but I actually find it okay and to my liking. In fact, I know quite a few people who agree with me on this one.
I guess everyone has their own individual taste.

If you're the type that goes for the more juicy parts, you can always ask for the thigh or the drumstick. Just take note that drumstick will cost you a bit extra since it's a favourite part! And as with any respectable Chicken Rice place, they also have the Steamed or 'White' Chicken for you if you'd like.

I love the rice here. It's fragrant and it's tasty and it's the bomb.
Again, some people might argue it's a bit too hard or grainy but again to each his own I guess.
The rice is so tasty that my dear old Dad often buy extra packets of plain chicken rice and fry it up as fried rice at home which gives it an extra kick.

In my younger days when I had more of an appetite (and a bigger stomach), I'd almost order and extra bowl of rice at $0.50 whenever I had the Chicken Rice. POWER!!!

And here comes the one thing that almost all the people I have spoken to come to an agreement.

It's spicy. It's salty. It's got a tang to it. It's one of the best Chicken Rice chilli you will find around!
And trust me - it's got a spicy kick but you'll definitely keep scooping more and more and more.
Whether you put it in the small dish and go in doses or you put a generous amount to mix in with your rice, I think you'll agree with us in saying that this one of the best parts of Rex Chicken Rice.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 2.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 5/5

Yana's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 3.5/5

Well in my books, this is the #1 Chicken Rice around.
I know the list of places for us to visit remains a very a long one and I might very well come across a new place that is a really really good Chicken Rice joint but until then, Rex wins.

In fact, we even appeared on 987tv and told them all about our favourite Chicken Rice.
Check out the video here :)

Mackenzie Rex Restaurant

66 Prinsep Street
Tel: 63361702
www.macrex.com.sg/index.htm

Operating Hours: 10.30am til 10.00pm Daily
(Closed on Chinese New Year & Hari Raya Aidilfitri)

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 3: Aspirasi

Harlow harlow harlow!
Is everybody ready for some Chicken Rice Chronicles?!?!

Well if you have no idea what we are babbling about then please READ THIS before you go any further!

Well our 3rd installment of the Chicken Rice Chronicles brings us to a far side of the island.
I say far because we live in the East and this place is located all the way at Harbourfront!
But hey... anywhere for good food right?

Chicken Rice ($3.50)

Another fan-favourite with our readers - Aspirasi Chicken Rice at Seah Im Food Centre!
I'll be 100% honest with you - the name Aspirasi was not familiar to me at all until our beloved readers responded to our call for their fave Chicken Rice places around SG. This was one name that popped up!

The first thing I noted is the very distinctive coating on the chicken.
Deep fried and crispy perfection, I can see why so many people love the chicken here!

I'd never really had chicken rice where the chicken was coated and fried this way before.
I guess the expectation is to have either Roasted or Steamed Chicken when you have your Chicken Rice but it seems like this type of battered and crispy chicken is really popular nowadays!

Well anyways, the crispy coating was quite a delight but I guess I still prefer the Roasted version. It's a pity that Aspirasi only has one type of chicken which the specialize in. But perhaps it's true when they say 'A jack of all trades is a master of none' because they've really mastered the fried chicken here.

I didn't really fancy the rice very much though.
I found it quite dry and lacking any flavour that you'd expect in a plate of Chicken Rice.

It's quite a pity though because the chicken was really nice and would have been great to have some tasty rice to go along with it.

Thank goodness the chilli rocks!
Nice and tangy and a very nice compliment to the crispy fried chicken. And one of the best things is that they are not stingy with their chilli! There's a big tub of it at the front of the shop so help yourself!

And they may have only the fried chicken but you can get that in a few versions including Sambal, Sweet and Sour, Lemon, Black Pepper, Penyet, Nasi Goreng Ayam and also Tomato Sambal. Maybe next time we'll try one of those...

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 3/5

This was the first time I'd tried crispy fried chicken with my Chicken Rice and it was definitely a good first impression. Guess it'll take a little getting used to. But the chilli was the bomb! Pity about the rice though.

Aspirasi

Seah Im Food Centre
2 Seah Im Road

Tel: 9297 2025
www.facebook.com/aspirasifoodgalore

Operating Hours: 9am til 9pm Daily
Closed on Mondays

The Quest For Briyani Part 6: Saffrons Cafeteria

Here we at at stop number 6 in our Quest for Briyani series and this time we are visiting a place that we normally visit for something else (not the Briyani) but quite a few readers have been egging us to try the Briyani here. WE HEARD YOU!!! :)

Mutton Briyani Dum ($6.00)

When someone says Saffrons to me, the first things that comes to my mind are Mee Goreng and Prata because that's basically what I almost always have when I go there. I've always seen lots of people ordering the Briyani there but never really thought much about it. Well it seems that a lot of people knew something I dind't and I'm here to find out what it is.

The first thing that hit us as soon as they brought the Briyani to the table was the aroma. Now here was a plate of Briyani which had the strong aroma you'd expect from a power serving of Briyani! We've had Briyani where there was surprisingly no smell at all but this was definitely something else!

Maybe it had something to do with the banana leaf? Well I'm not sure about if it made a difference but it definitely made a good impression.

At first I thought the rice looked kinda dry but boy was I wrong.
The rice was nice and fluffy and full of flavour. The rice was so tasty that I could have gone on eating it without any meat or anything else.

But thankfully, I remembered the meat!

The mutton was absolutely the bomb! The masala gives you a nice strong kick but it doesn't overwhelm you so when you have it with the rice, you can still taste the rice and the masala compliments it. The mutton was tender and easily torn apart with just my fork. Add all that into one satisfying mouthful.

I'm quite confident in saying that this is one place that calls it 'Briyani Dum' and really means it!

The acar and the dalcha only add to a dish that is already delicious on its own.

The acar has a nice tang and spice to it. Don't be afraid of those chillies you see, it's not that spicy.
And the dalcha was simply sublime. I guess one of the reasons it was so good was that they add in some of the lamb fat (tetelan) when they cook it (similar to some of the other places we reviewed) and it seems to make a world of difference. You don't have to eat the fats though! It's already done its job :)

As you can see, I really enjoyed my meal!!!

And of course, finish off with a nice cup of Teh Tarik!

Adam's Verdict:
Mutton Briyani Dum 4.5/5

I know I still have hundreds more places to have Briyani. Half of which have been recommended by you - our beloved readers. Don't worry, I'll try my best to cover as many as I can. But for now, Saffron's is one of the best Briyani's I've had so far.

Just an extra note, we normally eat at the Tampines Saffrons because it's so close but they also have a new outlet at Swan Lake in Opera Estate. And so far, the high standards are upheld at both venues!

Saffrons Cafeteria

23 Swan Lake Avenue

Tel: 9185 0954
www.facebook.com/SaffronsCafeteria

Operating Hours:
8.00am til 10.00pm Daily