This semi makeshift restaurant has been operating for the past 3 years already and the prices are so reasonable , it left me speechless when they passed us a chit of paper with the total bill amount scribbled on it .
I'll begin by listing out my favourite dishes then show you what the shop looks like at the end .
Bergedil .
Finely mashed potatoes with teeny weeny chunks of beef and celery embedded in a pattie that's deep fried with a thin egg batter coat .
Packed , fragrant and delicious , I absolutely love this as the few places that serve bergedil in Penang seem to be slacking these days . Don't be surprised to get some that are swimming in oil , coated in chewy batter and as well as those that fall apart when you try to lift it up .
This one's good .
Whole deep fried Kembung fish with head on , entails removed , bone on .
Well marinated . Involves half a day dedicated to salting for it to turn out the way it did .
Soft bodied , crispy on the head , salty enough for it to go well with white steamed rice .
...did not try the catfish nor the Selar
( a small yellowtail ) but I'm betting it will be just as nicely salted and marinated .
In Turkey , this dish is called the Imam Fainted .
The Malays have adopted it yet most times , the brinjal is super oily on the outside only but not on the inside .
This Nasi Padang version being Indonesian in origin , tries to stick to the true Turkish form .
Oily on the outside , soaked in oil on the inside with a scarlet garnish of pounded red chillies individually lining the exposed sections .
Honestly , I still prefer the Malay version .
Here's the other surprise . Green plain vegies cooked Malaysian Chinese style .
Because this is something I can make on my own , I went for the pucuk manis leaves in lemak cili api and the fibrous inner layer that encases jackfruit . Somewhat like a thick and juicy artichoke , you can see those 2 on my plate later .
When you step in here , the first impression is that the variety is not that extensive , however , when you can even spot banana leaf fish parcels , and that very Mexican salsa dip below it ( a signature Kedahan dip ) , it makes you question how much their cooking has been influenced by various cuisines , people and cultures
My favourite Padang dip .
Comparing it to Nasi Padang International , this one is chopped up much finer but it is no less lethal and exciting all at once . Very mouthwatering , if you don't restraint yourself and take too much , it might burn more than you thought it would when you visit the loo .
Right .
Here's what I took .
That small bowl of dessert next to my plate of mixed rice , is served together just as you are about to sit down .
Felt very special indeed .
Wondering how come this doesn't happen elsewhere ?
Very nice touch that is so unexpected of a place like this .
Close up .
As you can see , I have taken more vegies than meat . Just one piece of tender beef rendang ( I prefer the one in Georgetown ) at the back .
Starting with the Bergedil , there's the embriotic inner shell of the jackfruit . Soft and insanely addictive to me , I can't walk out of any nasi padang without this on my plate .
On top of the jackfruit shell is a hard boiled egg that has been deep dried and tossed in more pounded red chillies , the pucuk manis cooked in coconut milk and bird's eye chillies ,
as well as their version of the famous Turkish aubergine dish .
Dessert consists of Black glutinuous rice boiled with tiny sago balls , with a dash of coconut cream .
Damn good .
Penang's version is too sweet for me , this one's done just right .
In fact it tastes extremely close to Nyonya cuisine . And there's so much sago balls inside , it felt like Christmas !
Mmmm....mmmm.....mmmm
Finally , I'm going to show you this little place .
Self service , you pick your favourite dishes from here and an island opposite it , using the ladles provided .
Notice the man on the left of the picture below . Yup , you even have to scoop the rice on your own .
Zinc roofing seems extremely hot but they have a very efficient sprinkler system hosing it down which brings the temperature down tremendously when the outside sun is hot enough to fry an egg .
What I still cannot understand , is why the set up is so Southern Thai and the foods are such a confluence of world cuisines .
Maybe you can find an answer to that but most of us don't question too much and just leave things the way they are .
As a guide , this is what the shop front looks like .
Cross a large monsoon drain to get into the premise . There are dragonflies in the clear water and if you have kids , they will probably love seeing that .
Another signboard for you to spot .
Opens for lunch only so be prepared for a flood of people as Nasi Padang is quite popular in Malaysia .
Location : Kulim , Kedah
Direction : look for Tune Hotel Kulim . Drive away from Mc Donalds towards Tune Hotel , the restaurant is one the same side of the road , on your right .
Price : we paid 13 ringgit for 2 pieces of beef rendang , 1 kembung , all my vegies plus 2 more , rice , dessert , drinks . Believe it .
Warning : LOTS of flies here . So don't tell me I didn't warn you first . Parking could be a challenge .
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