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Monday 26 March 2018

Just One Food - Nasi Kak Wok

Most of us (in KL) would be familiar with Kelantan specialities like Nasi Kerabu and Nasi Dagang but what the heck is Nasi Kak Wok?

I'm just as blur as the next person as this dish called Nasi Kak Wok (or Nasi Kak Wook) also has similarities with other nasi ayam-type dishes like Nasi Ayam Goreng Kunyit, Nasi Soho (as I learned from Mimi's Dining Roomand even Nasi Mmanggey (as per vkeong's blog).  After all, they have three things in common....bite-sized pieces of ayam goreng kunyit (turmeric fried chicken), some kind of a curry and a side of sambal belacan.  So, excuse me if I seem confused! >_<

My first taste of what I thought was Nasi Kak Wok actually turned out to be Nasi Ayam Goreng Kunyit (from a stall in a Ramadan bazaar) where bite-sized pieces of fried chicken are marinated in turmeric (hence the name ayam goreng kunyit obviously).  The packet of rice also comes with some vegetables, a stir-fry of kacang panjang (long beans) and onions.  Well, I'm not so familiar with Malay food and all their names....so, they looked similar to me with the same bite-sized pieces of fried chicken, some kind of a gravy and a fresh sambal.

And then I read that Nasi Mmanggey (more commonly known to us as nasi kukus ayam goreng berempah) also has similarities with Nasi Kak Wok except that the fried chicken is bite-sized pieces of ayam goreng berempah or spiced fried chicken (which has a more prominent lemongrass flavour).

Since I enjoyed eating this turmeric fried chicken, I began keeping an eye out for it whenever I find myself in the vicinity of Malay stalls.  The next time I bumped into something similar was at our neighbourhood pasar malam.  I asked a lady manning the stall if that was Nasi Kak Wok and I felt she kinda made fun of me with her reply...it's Nasi Kak 'someone's name' (I didn't catch the name she mentioned).  She was probably implying that it's her dish, Nasi Kak '(her name)'.  I didn't think she needed to be condescending (we can't be well-versed in every cuisine or know every type of food or its name...ish!).  As I left without buying anything from her, I felt a sense of redemption that even she doesn't know the Kelantanese dish of Nasi Kak Wok....hahaha! :P

And then, when I least expected it, I noticed a shop in my neighbourhood that sells Nasi Kak Wok...and there can be no mistake whatsoever this time since the words "Nasi Kak Wok Pandan Indah" was clearly stated in their signboard!  I think they've been here for quite a while and I've seen them before, I just didn't know what it was.  Inside, the ingredients of a Nasi Kak Wok were laid out simply...cucumber, sambal, ayam goreng kunyit and a creamy "gulai" (a yellowish curry-like sauce).

It's a joy to see them scoop everything so fast...and with precision.  It's like they just know how much of curry and sambal is needed in each serving to ensure a perfect combination of flavours.  The way they pack it in an elongated shape is also unique to this dish.

Nasi Kak Wok starts with warm, freshly cooked fluffy rice...ok, maybe this one not so fluffy! ;P

Next, you need the star of the show...and that's the bite-sized pieces of turmeric marinated fried chicken.

The fact that the chicken is fried in bite-sized pieces makes it extra fragrant with a nice crisp on the outside though it may not be as tender as some of the fried chicken I've had before.

In some places, the fried chicken may be served in larger pieces...as it's the case here sometimes too (when the chicken pieces are not chopped small enough).

I prefer it in smaller pieces as I find that the marination is able to penetrate better in the smaller nuggets of chicken thus allowing the pieces to be well-browned which make it even more fragrant.

Then, there's a yellowish kind of curry sauce, like a creamy gulai, that the rice needs to be doused in.  P/S: Pretend you didn't see the soft yolk hard-boiled egg, that's my own addition...hehe! ;P

And finally, it needs to be finished off with a spoonful of fresh tasting sambal that can be quite spicy, at least this one was.  As you can see from the many different pictures of the Nasi Kak Wok, I've had this numerous times already.

Some places might add on some vegetables like cucumber slices.

This simple serving of plain rice with just three basic ingredients combine so well together to create a delicious meal...and that could be the reason why this well-loved Kelantan favourite is so popular.  The other reason would be the price factor, definitely.  At RM5 a packet, you can't deny that Nasi Kak Wok is cheap.....and good! ^o^

10 comments:

  1. You might want to know:
    http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/copycats-beware-nasi-kak-wook-promises-to-sue-brand-name-imitators#ZbZXDOWcjhsf4ygG.97

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    1. Thanks for the info...interesting article :) Oops, they've patented the name? I wonder if they'll come to other states (like KL) to catch the imitators of their brand name...hehe! ;)

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  2. I am familiar with this food but I myself am not sure what it is called. Even my Malay colleague in office could not tell where it originated from and what exactly the name should be. There is a very famous Warong Kita nearby my office that enjoys long queue from around 9.00am till 6.00pm daily! They also have one branch in Kota Damansara which is equally popular. I really love their bite size crispy chicken and fiery hot sambal. Many times my tummy exploded after eating them for lunch.

    I have made a mental note to try any Kak Wok that I come across from today. Yums!
    Now after reading your post, I would become detective to go and check further from Warong Kita as theirs looked & "taste" similar to your description. I would say that 10 years ago, these rice/tumeric dishes with sambal was not around in KL. I do believe that they are from the East Coasts after my recent visit. My mind was blown by the number of exotic food sold at the Pasar Malam in Kelantan which had some Thai influence too. I could not even catch the spoken Malay in Kelantan...

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    1. So, my confusion is confounded. That combination of bite-sized crispy chicken with fiery sambal is absolute yum! Looking at the comment above, I hope your Warong Kita is not using their patented name...hihihi! >.<

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  3. i've only ever had this in the klang valley and not in kelantan but i can imagine why it'd be popular traditionally on the east coast - a nice, convenient way to get a flavoursome, traditional meal. personally i think the reason i haven't fallen in love with this dish is what you mentioned about the chicken - that it's not as tender as other types of fried chicken. and i guess since we didn't grow up with this dish, it doesn't quite hold the nostalgic comfort-food factor for many of us on the west coast :)

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    1. I guess you can't really have tender chicken when the frying process dries out the small cuts of chicken. But it's extra fragrant and since it's in bite-sized pieces, I can deal with it not being so tender, I guess. I've only discovered this dish of late, so I'm eating my fill...hehe! ^_*

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  4. I only got to know of Nasi Kak Wok when I had it at a shop in Uptown which has already closed down. I like it, simple and so good! It's great that you can get it from your neighborhood. I see that you like it a lot!

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    1. What's not to like...fragrant, crispy nuggets of golden fried chicken! ^.^ You're from that region...but you end up tasting it in KL instead.

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  5. I only can get Nasi Ayam Goreng Kunyit here at my place which is slightly different with the Nasi Kak Wok as the vegetables served along is a mixture of long bean + onion. The NAGY also will be served with drizzles of kicap manis.

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    1. Yup, that drizzle of sweet soy and vegetables of long beans, carrot and onions sets it apart from NKW. NAGK is more commonly found here in KL :)

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