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Want a great start to your day? Head to Kelana Jaya's Nam Gor Hainan Kopitiam for this Chinese style ‘nasi lemak'
PETALING JAYA, June 23 — Wake up to this Chinese style nasi lemak that hits differently from the usual Malay version.
Judging from the continuous stream of customers for this stall inside Nam Gor Hainan Kopitiam in the early part of the day, it's obviously a top breakfast choice for those who work or live nearby.
The cooking here is done by a youthful-looking Chinese Burmese lady with 22 years' experience.
Her cooking is confident with the use of quality ingredients.
The nasi lemak is built around a plump mound of rice with a distinct coconut aroma, a bright red sambal and the usual accompaniments of deep fried ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumber and hard boiled egg,
The lightly coconut scented rice is a big plus point indeed as usually Chinese style nasi lemak stalls ditch the santan or use just a smidgeon, as some patrons deem it to be devilishly unhealthy.
Her sambal is a spicy-tangy combination, balanced with sweetness from the soft sliced onions.
For those tired of rice, reach for the fried mee with thin curly strands or beehoon, coloured a darker hue.
Curate your plate of nasi lemak by upgrading the basic version with your favourites.
Be warned, one can easily get seduced by the spicy, sinful selections, piling your plate until every inch is covered.
Don't miss out on the juicy fried chicken and mutton curry with the tender pieces of chopped mutton with your 'nasi lemak'. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
It was a temptation I couldn't resist as seen by my laden plates.
Daily items include fried chicken, luncheon meat and an oozy centred egg.
The fried chicken is the classic Chinese version, covered with a thin golden crust that hides moist, marinated meat inside.
Chicken curry, sotong and petai cooked with ikan bilis seem to be the mainstays, while mutton curry, pork curry or even rendang chicken pop up on rotation.
What makes each dish enjoyable is the proteins are cooked with care, like the melt in the mouth, tender pork belly slices in the pork curry, moist chicken leg swimming in that creamy rendang and tender chopped mutton pieces floating in curry,
For a change, go for a choice of fried noodles like 'beehoon' with their 'sotong sambal' and melt in the mouth, tender pork curry. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
A big surprise is the sotong as it takes a texture totally unlike the typical sambal sotong we get in nasi lemak stalls.
Here, the whole brown dried cuttlefish including its tentacles is reconstituted to a soft, slightly bouncy texture, reminiscent of what we usually find in a dish of sotong kangkung except it's cooked in a thinner sambal.
Again, careful consideration was taken to not overcook the cuttlefish till it hardens, unlike most stalls.
The curries feel restrained with santan but punchy with aromas like kaffir lime leaves in the pork curry, while the deeper mutton curry is peppered with star anise.
Don't miss the petai, a brilliant addition for nasi lemak, cooked with sambal and crispy ikan bilis.
Even after tasting almost all of their offerings, it's hard to select a favourite one, as everything is well prepared.
Prices range according to what you select and based on the quality of ingredients, it's fair pricing.
For my nasi lemak with fried luncheon meat, rendang chicken and petai ikan bilis, it was RM14, while my selection of fried beehoon with an add-on fried egg, sotong and pork curry was RM15.
And at my greediest level, my whopping plate of nasi lemak with fried chicken, petai and mutton curry was RM23, probably because mutton is pricier than the other proteins.
The buzz for this coffee shop is in the early morning, when people get food before they start work.
The stall does is operated by a Chinese Burmese lady with 22 years of cooking experience. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
After 9am, it quietens down until the stall closes mid-morning, making way for the economy rice stall next to it.
Parking around this area isn't the best with its limited spaces so patience is required.
For those unfamiliar to the Nam Gor Hainan Kopitiam name like me, it used to be New Yew Sang Seafood until it was refreshed to attract the younger generation, enticing them with Siamese Laksa, Salted Coffee and so forth.
It created a social media buzz when it was rebranded but faithful regulars patronise this place for the chee cheong fun, yong tau foo, fried noodles, pan mee and so forth.
Located just off the Damansara Puchong Highway and opposite Paradigm Mall, this corner coffee shop has many varieties of food. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Nasi Lemak Stall, Restoran Nam Gor Hainan Kopitiam, 18, Jalan SS6/8, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya. Open daily: 6am to when food runs out. The restaurant only closes for Chinese New Year.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
