Poppo Kanteen @ Pandan Indah

I first came across this eatery when I spotted it across from Cheras Leisure Mall one day (they have another outlet in Sri Petaling).  I was attracted to try when I saw their tagline "nasi so lemak!" but then later forgot all about it.

So, imagine my surprise when I noticed that a branch has opened up (in late October 2016) in my housing area, so there was no excuse not to try Poppo Kanteen @ Pandan Indah...and to see if they live up to their #NasiSoLemak hashtag.

Since they're all about the nasi lemak, it's a no-brainer to start off with anything other than their signature dish of Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang @ RM9.90.  It comes with all the standard condiments of a whole hard-boiled egg, ikan bilis and kacang, cucumber and sambal...plus a crispy cracker.

The rendang was decent but, at times, it's a little dry (like the one before this) and on other days it's wetter with a gravy like this which I prefer.

The portion of the beef rendang was very generous though the same cannot be said of the rice.  If you order an extra helping of just the rice, Nasi Lemak Kosong @ RM2.50, two light eaters can definitely share the rendang and make a meal of this.

But if you want more than just rice, then order the Nasi Lemak Classic @ RM5.90 that comes with a big rice + everything.  The hard-boiled egg is crumbed and fried (a unique twist to the standard egg which I first came across when having Nasi Lemak Tanglin).  The ikan bilis is crispy (not hard) and the kacang is extra crunchy and tastes fresh.

I wasn't a fan of their sambal though but the nasi certainly lived up to its name #NasiSoLemak as the coconut milk infused rice was very aromatic and lemak (rich in santan) though the rice grains are a bit broken up and soft.

On another occasion, I went with the Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng Berempah @ RM8.90 featuring a piece of fried chicken and all the same condiments.

The main rempah (spice) in the marinated chicken was lemongrass as you can taste that straight away.  Other than that, I'd have preferred a deeper marination as the chicken meat was pretty bland.  The batter coating on the chicken, though crispy, was on the hard side.  This wasn't among some of the better tasting ayam goreng berempah I've eaten before.

I also tried the Misiam Red Chicken @ RM9.90 (without chicken, RM7.50).  Didn't like the taste of the ayam masak merah either as it was dry and too spicy but I liked that the mee siam was perfectly cooked with the meehoon strands nicely separated and not mushy and broken up.

However, it might taste more like a normal fried meehoon than actually tasting like mee siam to some...maybe because it was missing the shredded kaffir lime leaves.  But, I was fine with it as it was tasty and well cooked.  Again, the portion size was so humongous I couldn't finish (better to share).  I packed the balance and had it for breakfast the next morning! >.<

I've heard great reviews of the Roti Boom @ RM4.50, so I wanted to try one.  You can choose to eat it with sambal, the savoury route, or go the sweet route and have it with ice cream.  I've always thought of it as a form of roti canai (I don't know how people can pair it with something sweet!), so I chose to eat it with sambal.  It was the same one as the nasi lemak and I had to push away most of the generous sambal :(  The roti was no doubt crispy and very fluffy but I personally prefer to eat it with some curry, not sambal.

They have quite a lot of snacks on their menu, the Tempura Platter @ RM7.90 was one.  Made up of fried onion rings and some green leafy veggie (I think it was shiso leaves) and served with a Thai-style chilli dip, the batter was thick, but crispy, just that it had no flavour whatsoever.

As for the Belacan Sotong Goreng @ RM9.90, the fried squid was soft but the batter wasn't all that crunchy. Again, quite tasteless overall.

The Tofu Sumbat @ RM4.90 also received good reviews.  Yes, it was super crunchy but also rather dry.  The deep-fried tofu was stuffed with finely shredded vegetables of sengkuang and timun (jicama and cucumber) and crushed peanuts in a sauce that was rather similar to fruit rojak (but not as thick).  Nope, I won't be ordering this again either.

Many have said that Poppo's Cendol @ RM5.50 is a must-try.  Since my husband enjoys cendol (and ais kacang), we ordered one to try but it didn't leave an impression.  It came laden with sweet corn and cendol sans the red kidney beans (which he doesn't want).  The shaved ice and the taste of the gula melaka (palm sugar) was alright until you get to the cendol (the green worms)....they were partly frozen (I guess they didn't defrost it all the way through).  It certainly wouldn't make it to my list of best cendol in KL! >_<

Not only are we spoilt for choice when it comes to the food, the drinks menu is just as extensive and here are just some but most of what we had missed the mark completely.  All the juices were overly sweet and had an artificial taste to them.  If you're one who can't take sweet juices, you may have to ask them to dial down the sweetness by a lot (perhaps the sweetness overload was there to cover up the artificial taste?).

Teh Tarik (Cold) @ RM4.90 & Ginger Drink (Cold) @ RM4.90 (hardly any ginger taste).

Orange @ RM4.90 & Kedondong @ RM4.90...the kedondong juice was alright though the vibrant green colour looks a bit suspicious (maybe some powdered mix involved?) but taste wise it was nice and refreshing.

Kedondong Nenas Asam Boi @ RM5.90 (but it came with tinned, not fresh, pineapples...not having this again).

After my disappointment with canned pineapples, I made sure that the Pineapple Assam Boi @ RM5.90 was made with fresh pineapples (and the server said yes).  When it arrived, I took one sip...and, no, it wasn't fresh pineapples.  Maybe the server's definition of fresh is 10% fresh pineapples and 90% artificial pineapple flavouring! :P  Luckily for me (or was it unlucky), a fly chose to "commit kamikaze" by diving into the juice, so I was given a replacement drink.

I chose a safer bet this time of Cucumber Asam Boi @ RM4.90 coz I don't think there's canned cucumber juice, right?  Even if this was fresh cucumber, the taste was a bit off and didn't have the freshness that I seek.  

My Personal Opinion

For nasi lemak lovers, this is the place for you as you have a vast choice of having it with either (let me take a deep breath first)....chicken rendang, chicken curry, ayam masak merah, ayam masak kicap, ayam goreng berempah, mutton curry, beef rendang, beef stomach, oxtail rendang, ikan kembong sambal or ikan kembong masah merah...phew! :P  The food showcased here is just a fraction of what they have on offer as the menu is so extensive.

I can't explain it but once I've had a plate of their average tasting nasi lemak, I have this feeling that I won't want to eat it again for months! @_@  Though their nasi lemak is their signature dish, it was the mee siam that I enjoyed most.  None of the snacks I had so far (including the cendol) left an impression.  If I had to choose one, it'd probably be the roti boom.  And best to stay away from the drinks unless you want to be in a diabetic coma! 

The upside....portions and price! ^_*  Portions are very generous and will appeal to the bigger-eaters with many of the main dishes costing under RM10.  If your tastebuds are easily satisfied, then make a beeline for this place as it'll certainly fill your stomachs to the brim! :)

Poppo Kanteen
27G Jalan Pandan Indah 4/2
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4288 6923