Original Kayu Nasi Kandar - my search for the perfect nasi briyani ends here

I was bragging about Tajuddin Hussein's nasi briyani the other day , to this Malay lady , one of the exercise kakis in my fitness circle , when she told me that Kayu's is the best .

" You must go there " 

" Ya meh ? " I huffed .

" Yeeeee betulllllll " she insisted .

So here I am , so obedient yet curious if what she said is true or not , staring at these lovely grains , in shades of orange , white and yellow with raisins and cashewnuts , saying my prayers and hoping that this will not be a disappointment .

Nasi Kandar Simpang Ampat

Before you think that I am crazy for liking this place , I want you to take a good look at the server in the skullcap kopiah , and tell me if you see a glowing complexion or not ? Next , take a peep at his helper and see how clean , ironed and neat his clothes are .

Tajuddin Hussain - mood lifting kandar and briyani

 Many operators claim to offer nasi briyani in Penang , but I've always walked away disappointed . 

 Well , my search ends here . This plate is Da Bomb ! 

Suuuuuper delicious , so addictive and soooooo satisfying , I wish I could eat this everyday without murdering my hips .

KSB Cahaya New Abu - finally , some real mamak food

You have absolutely no idea how difficult it is to find a good mamak stall selling yummy roti canai , mee goreng and maggi sup , at night , in Georgetown these days .

 A lot of the former haunts now rely on factory produced roti canai dough which tastes really awful and the cooks under their employment have tastebuds that are world's apart from us regular Malaysians hence the decline in orders , when it comes to those 3 dishes .

Until you swing into Macalister Lane .

It's close to 11 pm but this quiet lane is filled with hungry owls  .

A scene that is increasingly rare nowadays . 

Waaaaaaa.....will you take a look at the beaming crowd ?

Nasi Kandar Imigresen

 Is there ever a bad plate of nasi kandar to be found in Penang ?

Yes and no .

Depends on your preference really . Some places serve dishes that are oiler and greasier than the rest , some can make you instantly fat in one plate ( I'm not kidding , I avoid those places like the plague ) and then there's the old school type ....reminiscent of those who migrated down to KL and set up shop around the old Batu Road area ....

Nasi Kandar Imigresen .

( these days , they use commercial curry powders so purists....walk the other way )

Nasi Kandar Misai Chowrasta - my favourite hideout

The nasi kandar dished out here is as wholesome , hearty and addictive as the Nasi Ganja in Ipoh .

The more you eat , the higher you get .

However , of late , the stalled market complex construction as well as their competitors , have seemingly muscled them out of the lion's share of customers . Yet , as a regular patron , I tell you , I absolutely love this little nook because 

they've neither skimped on the ingredients nor upped their prices and most of all , the food still tastes as fantastic as always .

What you see now is their new premise . Much smaller than the last causing a lot of their regulars to do takeaways .

Ayam Bawang is a favourite on the south side of the island

6pm on the south side of the island , is still much too early for dinner. 

Deep fried ayam bawang will be your best option . Thing is whether you wanna opt for the Malay version or the Mamak version. 

We had both .

First up .... the Malay stall at Kompleks MPPP , Jalan Rajawali .

Nasi Dalca Ayam Bawang . 

Here's the thing about Nasi Dalca...it is getting increasingly rare and unlike the nasi tomato which only a Penang Mamak can cook extremely well , nasi dalca is an acquired taste , which not everyone finds agreeable . 

Usually found in Gelugor or the fringes of Jelutong , this stall in Bayan Lepas has managed to garner a loyal following amongst fans of the dish .

There goes my resolve

The following is a GST groan post , so if you've had enough of that well, stop don't go on further.

After getting GST-ed for essentials such as sanitary pads , and instant noodles , this is the next shocker.

My favourite mamak slapped us with a 6 % charge on a rounded off total, for 5 pieces of chicken , 4 plates of rice , 3 potato bergedils , 3 drinks , 2 cuts of skatefish. 

@#$^&€£¥@#$/^&€¥₩ !!!!!!

Nasi Kandar Line Clear - Penang Airport

You won't find me in the Line Clear outlet in Georgetown. Don't like the servers , there's a horrible queue, plenty of smokers , rats everywhere and most important of all , they can't even get my teh tarik drink right. Next, there's the ongoing family saga, fight for the business, with guns involved and raids conducted, woooo...darned stupid risk for innocent diners to take.

Now, the outlet at the airport, of course it's not only much more pleasant to dine in, if you have spotted the chef doing his QC and giving his underling a hard time, you want to blow him a kiss and thank him for upholding the standards that earned them fame . 

You see this order ( our order of course ) and you'll immediately think it's suicide right ? 

1 cabbage, 2 squid, 1 beef, 2 different types of chicken ( 1 fried, 1 curry ) plus rice and drinks .

Damage : RM60 with change

Think about it. Clean , airconditioned premise, less people, fussy cerewet chef in da house. Me, I will return, even if it's this expensive. No smokers, good tea, quality Nasi Kandar, spicy as hell aromatic curries . Fantastic !

Location : Arrival floor, Penang International Airport

Cargas Cafe - fret not, they are staying put

Worried over news that some premises in Pekan Bayan Lepas were given 30 days notice to move out, he went to ask the boss for his number.

" Don't worry , they're not going anywhere . They won't be affected by the development of a new flyover "

At this point I want to thank all the gods in the universe that I can think of, for this piece of good news

Nasi Lemak Royale Hijau Kuning

Been putting off trying this famous stall for some time already. However due to a disastrous food hunt, one thing led to another and we ended up here.

Crowd of diners consists of a nice mix of diehard Chinese and Malay fans. 

Start off by telling them whether you intend to eat in or takeaway. Then point out the ingredients you fancy.

If you ask the locals, they'll say this is the best in the world. What about me ? Read on...

PARAM at Jalan Utama

Pasar Ramadhans or PARAM's are once yearly affairs most look forward to. The one at Jalan Utama features the usual fares one expects to see, so I'll just highlight those I deem to be rarely seen in Penang.

First thing you'll notice is that there is a massive amount of fish dishes on display at the nasi campur stalls....

....and a larger variety of grilled ones by ikan bakar operators

Nasi Kandar Deen Maju - Jln Gurdwara

Know how jammed the roads are in Georgetown today ? It's sheer madness trying to get around. Anyway, we interrupt my long winded travel posts to bring you yet another nasi kandar place.

Mind you, although Deen Maju has become very popular, the prices here, tend to attract a hoard of lower income earners. If you're not comfortable with that, then I suggest you move on. But this being Penang, where the filthy rich and the dirt poor, eat side by side at roadside stalls. Learn how the different classes co-exist if you can. Most important don't start wiping your plates or engage in other demeaning uncouth practices such as staring at the down and outs in disdain , for goodness sakes.

Open for less than a year, Deen Maju has succeeded most admirably in drawing in the locals looking for that cheap and tasty Nasi Kandar fix.

Mee Rebus and Pasembor Edgecumbe Road

Mee Rebus is not one of my favourite dishes , and yet I found myself raving stark mad, hopelessly hooked over the one sold here.


 

" Neh, this is the beef right ? " ( it's got an awesome smoked flavour to it lemme tell you )

" What style is it cooked in ? "

His reply tells me it's a Top Secret recipe.So forget it, his trap is shut.

One bite of the squid and all the fibres unravel. Omg, damn addictive. Damn, damn addictive.

( U ) Famous Nasi Kandar - Juru R&R

Update April 2015 :
Probably due to GST , a lot of stalls here have closed down . Most think it is to restart as a new company under a new name but in this case , to avoid paying backtaxes . That's what everyone thinks. Me I hope it's not because of a tussle for business where the good ones are ditched for hopeless operators who shouldn't even be given the licence to hold a frying ladle.
Currently lots of shops here are in a mess. Go elsewhere for your fix . The nasi kandar in Juru autocity is the nearest to this.

You really don't need to drive all the way into Penang island for a wholesome Nasi Kandar meal .

Because this little highway rest stop along the North South Expressway ( south bound ), is where you can get one of the best.Period.

One of the reasons , is because they have access to extremely fresh meats and seafoods.
Since they cook in small quantities, constantly topping up throughout the day, quality control is guaranteed, making it a win win situation for all. 

( U ) Nasi Kandar Jelutong - Penang's No.1 Nasi Kandar

Update 26th May 2013 :
Massive development in Jelutong has swallowed up this place. The entire row of shophouses have been boarded up. 
If I ever locate their new premises, I will post it up here

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This Nasi Kandar stall is rated by many as the Number One Nasi Kandar in the whole of Penang.

The frenzied pace at the counter, starts as early as 6am here.

Right here is the kandar or carrying case which sellers of old, used to lug around town,hawking their wares, especially around the port area.

When you see this in a nasi kandar shop, it speaks volumes of the long history they have being associated to this dish.

Ros Mutiara - Lemony Pickled Tandoori & Naan ( U )

I've never liked the tandoori , sold in the popular shop opposite Ros Mutiara.



Maybe because this place is frequented by less people,

 you are rewarded with the rare sight of a street chef , lovingly slaving over the clay oven like this.

Transfer Road Roti Canai ( U ) -Tomorrow You Will Know...

You might wonder why everyone is lined up against the wall, facing the dusty road like this.

In case you decide to join in the sweatclub , never take their

"ok ajer" face for granted.

Actually their insides are exploding and they're their best trying to maintain their composure

Others prefer to pour the meat and curry on top of the roti for that extra power kick.

But we're keeping the curry and bread separate.

Our breakfast.....

3 pieces of canai, one piece of chicken and one serving of mutton - all for $11

Close up of the roti canai. Looks burnt, oily and tiny.

Right on all counts. Add salty to the list.

Although this might be a borderline case in the hygiene and cooking school department , you can't help but wonder,  how on earth can something so unappetizing looking , taste so damn gooood ?

Restoran Deen - Nasi Kandar Jelutong ( U )

To me, Deen sells the most moderately priced yet delicious nasi kandar on the island

Most locals, I am sure would concur with me.

There is always a line , any given time of the day .

Restoran Sup Hameed ( U )

 Although this is the best place for sup kambing in Penang, I usually resort to takeaway because the whole restaurant from outside to inside is infested with smokers .

Thus today is the first time after many, many, many years, that I am eating in .

But it doesn't take long for me to regret that decision especially when I'm drinking mutton soup, under a choking haze of Marlboro and keretek.