Nasi Lemak Saleha @ Ampang

I've heard about Nasi Lemak Saleha for quite a while now but have never tried until now....via delivery...and that's because we went to their branch in Dataran Pandan Prima (near Tesco Ampang) once and found the place really crowded.  It seems they started as a small warung in Kampong Pandan before relocating here (they also have another branch in Taman Sri Rampai).

The Ampang branch was full of delivery riders (waiting to pick-up orders) and dine-in customers with tables spilling onto the sidewalks and street (and that was before the Movement Control Order, of course).  Not only was it crowded but it didn't look in tip-top shape (their other branch looks a lot more cleaner and spacious from photos), at least not enough for me to want to dine-in.

So, fast forward a couple of months and a check on their Facebook revealed they have their own ordering platform via www.nasilemaksaleha.com.  The menu prices seem slightly lower than those charged by other delivery partners if you order directly from them (minimum order value is RM30) with a RM10 delivery fee...but the delivery charges will be waived for a first time order.

I wasted no time in putting my fingers to work....click, click, click...and wa-la, my order came delivered by LalaMove and on schedule.  Even though there's a branch in Ampang nearer to me, I noticed that my order came from their Taman Sri Rampai branch (well, that's what the ordering website said...perhaps, that's their main branch for delivery).

I ensured that I put in an order amount that would qualify me for free first-time delivery.  My order total came to RM34.50 and I keyed in the code WELCOME10 for free delivery.

They say you can judge a good nasi lemak by having it in its most humble form...and that is a packet of nasi lemak bungkus.  So, the Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang @ RM2.35 was what I was most eager to try + I really like it this way....in all its simplicity without any special add-on lauk.

For a simple packet of nasi lemak biasa to work, the two most important components have to deliver....the rice...and the sambal! ;)  You can smell and taste that the rice had a fairly good dose of santan (coconut milk) in it except that the texture of the coconut milk-infused rice was a bit soft.  And because of the slightly mushy rice, you actually get a bigger portion of rice as it tends to clump together when compacted, so you'll need a bit of force to press down (separate) the rice.  I would have preferred firmer rice with nicely separated grains but I'd still give them props for the fragrant, santan-y rice.

The spicy-sweet sambal was good too, slightly spicy for my taste buds but tolerable and also very addictive...you just want to keep eating more.  It had a good hint of sweetness from the onions cooked with the ikan bilis (dried anchovies) in the sambal.

Our next order was the Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam @ RM11.19 (don't ask me why their prices have weird numbers like this but those are the prices stated in their website).  First thing I noticed was that the sambal and lauk were packed separately.  I like (and prefer) that coz, for people like me who may not be able to take the spiciness of their sambal/lauk, we can then eat the amount we're comfortable with.

The chicken rendang nasi lemak came with rendang ayam, santan-infused rice, sambal, hard-boiled egg, cucumber and fried ikan bilis but no kacang (peanuts)....ran out of kacang so early in the day? :P

As for the rendang ayam, I got a drumstick because I left a special remark on my order to make sure I got my preferred chicken part...hee..hee (don't think that would have been possible if it was via FoodPanda or GrabFood).  The rendang gravy had good flavours and was especially nice (wished there was more of it) while the chicken meat was tender too, not super tender but tender enough.

The Nasi Lemak Sambal Sotong @ RM10.25 came with the same condiments of a standard packet of nasi lemak with a separately packed and very generous portion of sambal sotong.

Let me show you how generous a portion...there were at least 8 good-sized pieces of sotong which was cooked till sufficiently tender.

Not only were they generous with the sotong pieces, they were generous with the sotong gravy too which was a little less spicy and also not as thick as the sambal.  The sambal sotong was terrific as well.

I also got an extra order of Rendang Daging @ RM6.38 just to see how it tastes but was a bit disappointed that the serving size was rather small for the price paid (ok-lah, I get it, beef is expensive).  Maybe next time I should just order this with the nasi lemak and not as an add-on.

The serving of the beef rendang shown here compared to the squid sambal side by side will give you a better indication of its quantity.

I was extremely happy with the flavours of the rendang though as it was really good (not overpowered by too much lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves or tumeric leaves like some can be) and the beef was adequately tender (again not super tender but tender enough).  I would have loved if there was more of that lovely kerisik (toasted grated coconut) rendang gravy.

The rendang daging ended up as something extra to eat with the remaining packets of nasi lemak bungkus just that the smallish amount wasn't quite enough. :(

There was even enough sambal sotong to go with the other packet of nasi lemak bungkus.

You can also order extra sides of ayam rendang, sotong sambal, ayam masak merah and paru berempah (all at RM6.38 a portion) and ayam goreng berempah (at RM5.16 a piece) or order them as an add-on to your nasi lemak proper.  Besides nasi lemak, they also offer Mee Rebus Johor, Mee Kari Nyonya, Bihun Sup Utara, Penang Assam Laksa, Char Kuey Teow Udang and Mee Goreng Ayam.

If there was something I'm not thrilled about (other than the slightly mushy rice), it would probably be the standard condiments (other than the half hard-boiled egg which, incidentally, was beautifully cooked...with no black ring around the yolk).  Their meagre portion of fried ikan bilis (you can see from the photos I added my own), no kacang and 1 - 2 slices of cucumber seems rather kedekut (stingy) to me (I'm sure they can give more)...after all, this is a RM10 packet of nasi lemak! ;P

Overall, the above order should be sufficient to feed a family of two (even three) as the rice portions are generous enough to satiate an average eater.  Even their nasi lemak daun pandan, great as breakfast, can satisfy as a light lunch too (or satisfy someone with a better appetite as an add-on to their nasi lemak meal).

Since one can order direct from their website (with their deliveries handled by LalaMove), anyone can order it as it's not location bound.  If you have an iron stomach, you can even order extra nasi lemak bungkus/lauk for eating later.  I've kept the nasi lemak bungkus for breakfast the next day and it still tasted good (just remove the newspaper wrapping and re-steam the rice still wrapped in pandan leaves).

My Personal Opinion

I finally got to try Nasi Lemak Saleha and was happy with the outcome.  The plain nasi lemak turned out well with its addictive sambal and I've no complaints on the three types of lauk accompaniments either.

All three (rendang ayam, rendang daging & sotong sambal) I had were equally satisfying, so it depends on what you really fancy.  For me, I prefer the beef rendang (first) and sotong sambal (second) and that's only because I've had a truly awesome nasi lemak sotong (from a street vendor near where I stay) that is unrivalled by anything better.

As you'd expect, the prices are shop prices which means it won't be half as cheap as those you'd get from those gerai nasi lemak di tepi jalan (street stalls).  I like to think of it as a reasonably-priced nasi lemak that I can enjoy anytime of the day, not just in the mornings.

From my positive experience, you bet I'll be ordering this for delivery again but may have to choose to go with FoodPanda or GrabFood now that I've used up my first-time free delivery offer already.  P/S: Probably best to order delivery as there are so many unhappy reviews on their atrocious service during dine-in.

Nasi Lemak Saleha (Ampang)

No. 3 Jalan Pandan Prima 3

Pandan Prima Square

68000 Ampang

Selangor

or

Nasi Lemak Saleha (Taman Sri Rampai)

No. 2 Jalan Seri Rejang 4

Taman Sri Rampai

53300 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 017-747 0100

Where I Get My Fill of Bak Chang

It's bak chang 'season' again....my favourite season of the year...haha (ok-lah, maybe you can't quite call it a season...like durian season)....but we do eat it for an extended period of time as they start selling them way before the Rice Dumping Festival is celebrated.  In fact, these days, they're available all year round.

Since I noticed that my posts on bak chang have been garnering 'extra' visits lately, I thought I'd provide a summary here of the places where I usually get my stash of bak chang (most of the photos are from my archives except the latest new find).  What is it about these wrapped pillows of deliciousness that make us squeal in delight?  Is it the fatty pork belly?  Or the soft, sticky, flavourful glutinous rice for you? ;)

Restoran TO @ Pandan Perdana


My latest (chance) find is from a stall occupying a space in this coffee shop that I visit regularly for char kway teow and chap fan but the stall was never here before.  The worker told me she used to sell noodles (not that I noticed) but started selling bak chang, pau, siew mai, tofu puffs, fish cake, meatballs and stuff like that since the Movement Control Order (MCO).


The first time I bought five, I passed two to my sister-in-law and she told me that they tasted good.  I've bought many bak chang for my sister-in-law in the past but she has never commented until this one.


So I gather she liked this one the best.  I returned subsequently and bought another ten which I gave to my two sisters-in-law and my hairdresser and kept only one for myself (so as not to over-indulge + my family isn't into them as much).


Though I favour luk tau (mung or green beans), this one came with mei tau (black eyed peas) and the usual culprits of pork, mushroom, salted egg yolk and foong lut (chestnut).  I have to agree that the glutinous rice was well flavoured and adequately soft.  P/S: I'm not sure if the stall will still be there after the MCO but I enquired from the chap fan lady (coz I couldn't understand the worker who spoke only Mandarin) that the chung is made by the mother of the fish monger at the wet market (who, incidentally, is 'my' fish monger), so at least I know where I can get them if I really need to.

Y E Traditional Dumplings @ Pandan Jaya


This place (which I got to know from Sean of EDKL) is obviously a rice dumpling specialist.  They're probably one of the few who offer many different types of chung for sale from Cantonese Chang to Golden Chang, Roast Pork & Vegetable Chang to Nyonya Chang, Hakka Chang to Chicken Chang, Sambal Dried Shrimp Chang to Brown Rice Chang and Red Bean Chang to even Abalone Chang...the choices are endless! O_o


The Cantonese Chung gets my vote because of its completely white-coloured, soft glutinous rice which I've not found elsewhere.  I like the flavour of the rice in this one...not too savoury.


The only negative is their higher than norm price....and the quality of the salted egg yolk certainly could be better.

Foong Foong Ampang Yong Tau Foo @ Ampang

 
I thought I'd include this one so that you can give the 'lil old lady support just in case you bump into her plying her bak chang for sale in her walkabouts in and around the Ampang area (not sure if she's still doing that though since the MCO).  

Esquire Kitchen @ Any Branch


Esquire Kitchen usually makes two types of chung, the Shanghai Zong (the pillow-shaped one) or the Guang Dong Zong (the smaller of the two).


The Shanghai Zong, being the bigger one will have better ingredients, of course.  It was filled with a big chunk of pork belly (quite fatty for those who enjoy their meat wobbly), salted egg yolk and Chinese black mushrooms.  This one doesn't contain beans of any kind.


I like this bak chang because of its light, almost white-coloured glutinous rice (unlike the dark-coloured ones cooked with more soy).  Those who prefer the rice very soft and neat (without any beans) with a less savoury taste will find this to their liking.

Pandan Perdana Wet Market


Since the lady vendor stopped selling bak chang in my Pandan Indah wet market some time back, I found an even better one from the Pandan Perdana wet market.  You'll find this hawker stall (manned by two sisters) around the middle of the wet market.  I used to order as many as thirty kong fu chung at one go from her to give to family, friends and colleagues.

O & S Restaurant @ Paramount Garden


But my no. 1 choice for the best rice dumpling (according to my taste buds) is without doubt the one sold by a stall inside O & S (not the one outside and in front of the restaurant).  That's because they have my favourite Cantonese Chung with its near white glutinous rice.


Their chung comes with a leaner piece of pork belly, good quality salted egg yolks, mushroom, foong lut and (my preferred) luk tau enveloped in a really soft textured glutinous rice...absolutely yummy! ^o^


They do sell a few different types of chung including kan sui chung, Nyonya Chung and the usual, darker-coloured type (a choice of with or without beans).


But if there's one chung you shouldn't waste your calories on is the Brown Rice Bak Chang.  I've tried it three times already...and all three times it was the same result...urgh (psst...please don't buy me anymore brown rice versions)! >_<  Brown rice just doesn't have that soft, sticky texture and taste that glutinous rice have.  Go for the real deal...or not at all!   If you worry about the health aspect, then just don't eat chung! ;)

This list will benefit mostly those who stay around my area coz I don't believe in travelling too far to get one and I'm not one who is willing to pay delivery of RM2 (!) for each chung either (like phonghongbakes so willingly did...wuahahahaha!).  Call me a cheapskate...but I'd rather pay for more quality ingredients than pay for delivery charges.

Anyway, you don't have to travel far for one as many hawkers are quite skilled at making good chung these days, so finding a good one near you won't be too difficult.  Happy Dumpling Festival everyone....and may you indulge in more glorious bak chang in the days to come. ^_~

Minimal Cooking, More Deliveries During CMCO & RMCO

During the initial days of the Movement Control Order (MCO), at least for the first four weeks, I was very rajin (hardworking) and cooked most of our meals (certainly all dinners and, sometimes, even lunch) coz everyone was adhering to the MCO or, more like, everyone was afraid to leave the house unnecessarily.

As the MCO progressed further, we became less fearful of stepping out and more eateries began to open during the period of an Extended MCO.  When I ran out of ideas of what to cook, got tired of eating my own cooking and started to be less hardworking, I subscribed to the idea of buy some, cook some for our meals.

When the Conditional MCO (CMCO) kicked in in early May, I finally took a break from cooking as even more eateries resumed business with some catering to dine-in customers as well.  We're now in the Recovery MCO (RMCO) phase and I'm relying more on food deliveries, self pick-ups and takeaways...and will probably continue to do so for at least a while more until such time I'm confident enough to dine out again.

#1 - Burger King

I have to admit that during the entire period of MCO, one of the things I ate most frequently was fast food...and Burger King topped the list.  The reason was because I find that it was one of the easiest food for takeaways + they had lots of promotions..Meal Deals, Bundle Deals, Family Bundle Deals, Flamin' Hot Deals (at RM5.90 a set with drink)...wah, so many deals!  Where to get a Double King Beef (or Chicken) for only RM9.90 a set (with fries & drink, not that I want any soft drink).  My usual order is the Whopper Beef.  Tried the Mushroom Swiss burger once and realised that there was hardly any mushrooms in it. >_<

#2 - KFC

I can't say I'm a fan of KFC (I'd rather eat the fried chicken from my neighbourhood stall, even Cookie agrees) but had it a few times during the MCO itself...in order to get rid of use a KFC voucher (for a 2-pc combo) given to me before it expires and to try the Nasi Kari Atuk and Kari Atuk Rice Box which turned out quite nice.  I like that these fast food chains practise good social distancing rules where they'd usually allow only 2 - 3 customers inside the premises for orders (while others wait outside) and a separate queue for the delivery riders.

#3 - McD

McD was also a popular choice coz we had a drive-thru outlet just 5 minutes away, so it was even more convenient (not to mention safe).  During the MCO, they brought back the Samurai & Shogun Burgers.  The Samurai Burger comes lathered with teriyaki and mayo sauce (on both sides of the bun).  It was last offered in 2015 but I never caught it the first time round, so I got my chance this time.


The Shogun Burger is exactly the same as the Samurai Burger...with a choice of beef or chicken patty (my choice is always beef) dipped in a sweet-savoury teriyaki sauce and mayo, crisp fresh lettuce in between two soft sesame buns except the Shogun Burger comes with eggs-tra (and fuller) satisfaction! ;D  I actually quite like this Samurai (or Shogun) Burger as the teriyaki sauce was rather pleasant (just wish they would lighten up on the mayo).

#4 - Texas Chicken


Texas Chicken makes up the fourth and final fast food chain that has a presence in my neighbourhood.  The visits there were, more often than not, for the honey biscuits rather than the chicken itself....hee...hee (is it just me or are the honey biscuits getting less buttery and even less sweet?).

#5 - Eatomo


Well, if I can't get to Eatomo....I guess Eatomo will have to come to me then...lol! ;)  I've dined in at their Bangsar and Taman Desa branches countless of times and I've also written numerous posts on this place over the years.  So, it'd make sense that I'd think of ordering delivery (which comes from Eatomo Ampang apparently) for our usual favourites like Mentaiko Seared Tamadon Combo, Wok-Fired Spicy Gyutandon Combo, Mentaiko Seared Salmon Don Combo and Enoki Fries Basket.  P/S: Combo means it comes with a forced drink.


We usually always double-up on the beef tongue coz...double the beef, double the pleasure...and also double the pain (hehe...it'll set you back more than RM40!).  Warning: Containers are big but portions are small (especially the amount of rice) >.<  Sometimes, we'd even cook our own additional rice and egg to buffer up the servings.  Someone with a good appetite will need two portions at least (or one main and a side) to be satisfied.

#6 - Quan Ice Cream & Coffee House


This neighbourhood cafe is one of our regular dinner venues for affordable, no-frills rice and noodle meals.  Their menu is really extensive and you can easily get a dish for under RM15 that not only tastes good but also value-for-money.  Their dine-in set lunch (at around RM15) for a main+soup+ice cream+drink is really great value.  See, even a small outlet like this can afford to use paper boxes...shame-shame to the bigger enterprises!

We eat here so often (and have tried so many dishes) but our preferred choices are the simple comfort food like one-dish rice meals, fried rice or noodle dishes.  P/S: From the name of the place, I would think that they specialise in ice cream and coffee (though it's not what we come here for as their ice cream is run-of-the-mill and their coffee is nothing special)...kekeke! ;P

#7 - Nasi Lemak Saleha


I heard about this good nasi lemak from Nasi Lemak Saleha (there's a branch near Tesco Ampang) some time back and had always wanted to try but didn't manage to when a recent trip there wasn't fruitful as the place was packed to the brim with customers (spilling onto the streets)...with delivery riders (hogging all the car park space).  So, we turned around and headed elsewhere.  During the MCO period, it was as good a time as any to order food right to our doorstep.

It turned out very pleasant (ordered through their own dedicated website) which I will write about in a separate post (since this is something new I've not written about).  So, here's a little teaser of what we had to get your juices flowing. ^_~

#8 - Sushi Mentai


Seeing how phonghongbakes enjoyed her (delivered) sushi in a recent blog post, I realised I missed having sushi too since our regular neighbourhood haunt, Sushi Mentai, was closed for a good 6 weeks until they reopened in late April for takeaways only.  We passed by the place a couple of times since then but was horrified by the long queue we saw which made us change our minds until one day we decided to head there early (just before 6 pm) to beat the queue.


Oh goody, we were in luck, only second in the queue...but what we didn't expect was that our order would take almost half an hour to get done! :O  Fortunately, it led to a satisfying meal as food always tastes especially good when we've haven't had it for a long time.

 #9 - Spag & Ju's


When we're thinking of eating pasta, we'd order from Spag & Ju's in Sunway Velocity through GrabFood.  My husband and I always go for the Slurpy Chicken with chicken chop, wok or pan-tossed spaghetti and sauteed vegetables in black pepper sauce while my son's regular order is the Slurpy Fish (note that their menu is rather limited).


There was once when the food arrived in cheapskate plastic packaging (sorry, no pics) like those used by chap fan and chicken rice stalls.  Their meals cost upwards of RM20, certainly they can use better packaging than that.

#10 - BigBowl Thai Food


We've dined in at BigBowl Thai Food on two previous occasions before the MCO and found their Thai food to be quite alright and so we decided to order delivery but decided to pick it up ourselves when FoodPanda offered a discount for self pick-up.


But what we ordered for pick-up though didn't quite turned out as expected this time...but that'll be a story for another day...a story that needs to be told...a story I'll probably write in the not too distant future. :P

#11 - dahmakan


Of course, there have been orders from dahmakan during this period.  They remain a choice not so much for the fantastic (but still acceptable) taste of the food but for the simplicity (and ease) of their ordering system (especially the feature for ordering in advance up to a week) and their effort in keeping me informed of delivery every step of the way.


This feature is very helpful as it allows you to plan ahead on days you know you don't have time to cook thereby giving you peace of mind that your meals are already taken care of without the need for last minute scrambling on what to order or dealing with late deliveries.  During Ramadan, dahmakan put some kuih-muih on their menu...and they were excellent. ^.^

#12 - Kak Ani Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah


Kak Ani Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah in Kampung Pandan is pretty popular for what else....nasi kukus ayam berempah, of course, and I finally got to try it (via delivery) during the RMCO...and it was pretty good, especially the curry.  I appreciated that it came wrapped in banana leaf and paper (as opposed to a plastic box) which makes eating with a fork and spoon much easier too or pakai tangan aje (just use hands).  More on this.....later, maybe.

#13 - Tai Chow

One of the most affected F&B business (I think) is tai chow.  Somehow, the packed tai chow dishes just don't taste the same when eaten at home.  For example, sweet & sour pork just didn't have the same effect as eating it there and then coz by the time the dish reached home, the pork cubes would have soaked in the sweet-sour sauce and thereby lose most of its crispy exterior.  The same happened to say stir-fry cabbage with dried prawns & cili api which should have had a crunchy bite but ended up softened as it 'steamed' in its packaging.  The dishes ended up tasting something like economy rice.  Anything fried and crispy...you can forget it.  The only things that travelled well were dishes like omelette and braised tofu.

#14 - Bak Chang & Other Steamed Goodies


One of the things that frequently popped up during the MCO period was bak chang (or glutinous rice dumplings)...either that or it's because we're nearing the chung festival...and this chung (which I've not had before) turned out surprisingly good (perhaps I should write about this since I noticed my bak chang posts have been garnering extra interest lately, probably due to the upcoming Dumpling Festival which will be celebrated on 25 June).


This, together with pau (steamed buns), siew mai (Chinese steamed dumplings) and lor mai kai (steamed glutinous rice with chicken) I noticed popped up at coffee shops (and markets) where they were never there before.  I suppose it's quite convenient to rent a small spot (in a coffee shop that has been vacated for dine-in) to sell these very easy to sell items.  I saw lots of people buying them in large quantities to take home as they're easy to store and ready to eat (all you need is to just re-steam them).  I bought my fair share of them too (from different vendors).

#15 - Bubur Cha Cha


A chance find when I was out to do some chap fan takeaway from a coffee shop we patronise frequently.  Even after the shop opened for dine-in, the lady boss could only fit in one row of like 5 tables (instead of the usual cramped 3 - 4 rows), so it wasn't like she'd be expecting a lot of customers coming for her drinks.  She improvised and started selling tong sui (sweet soup), anything for supplementary income (I suppose).  She told me she makes a different sweet soup each day.  Well, it was my lucky day that day...coz she has my favourite tong sui....bubur cha cha! ^o^


This one was moderately sweet and had all the trappings of a good bubur cha cha...soft yam, sweetish orange & yellow sweet potato cubes, yummy sago pearls (though I prefer medium-sized ones to these big ones) and chewy tapioca jellies (hers were huge & colourless ones).  Making tapioca jellies is the most complex (aka difficult) part of a bubur cha cha recipe (I've tried..and failed).  Well, if I'm ever in the vicinity, I know where I can get my fix of tong sui now.

When ordering food delivery, one thing we have to bear in mind though is that prices via delivery are never the same as in-store prices even if it's stated as such (on GrabFood's app/website).  And that's because they're very clever at disguising it by doing a combo (which effectively means forcing a drink on us).  That way they can blame the higher price charged on the cost of the drink and it won't be so obvious.  Most of the time the drinks are diluted and tasteless...and not worth the amount paid (usually +/- RM5)! >.<

For FoodPanda, there's usually a mark-up of up to 30% on in-store prices (depending on the restaurant).  Even when Nasi Lemak Saleha handled their own deliveries (via LalaMove), the prices were slightly lower than FoodPanda but still higher than dining in (as they have to factor in the delivery charges).  I actually don't mind paying slightly higher prices for food deliveries as I know I have to pay a bit more for the convenience (and I understand that the delivery partners and riders need to make money too, I just wish they'd stop saying "prices are same as in-store" when it clearly isn't...or force a drink on us when we don't want one.

Hmmm, with the prolonged MCO, then CMCO and now RMCO, I may just be getting too comfortable with food deliveries, self pick-ups and takeaways already.....and getting too lazy to dine out. ;P  As much as I love the convenience of food deliveries, there's always the issue of non-environment friendly packaging as there are just not enough restaurants that use paper boxes instead of plastic...bummer! :'(