Dendeng & Sambal by Khairulaming

If you're a regular shopper at Shopee, you'd probably know Khairulaming's brand of Dendeng Nyet Berapi and Sambal Nyet Berapi.  If not, you would have probably read about this popular food entrepreneur and influencer in the papers recently about shutting down both his factories in Kelantan for 5 days to take all his 100 staff for an all expenses paid vacation to Penang (what a nice boss!).

Formerly an oil & gas engineer (popularly known as KA), his first product (launched in 2021) was the Sambal Nyet Berapi which retails for RM14 for a 180g bottle.

He followed that up with his second product, Dendeng Nyet Berapi, 3 years later.  Both his products have raked in millions of ringgit in sales where he was famously known to have sold RM1 million worth of dendeng in under 4 minutes.

And it was this very Dendeng Nyet Berapi that first attracted me to his products.  I'm actually not familiar as to what dendeng is initially but from the picture on the packaging it looked something like a darker version of rendang daging.  On googling, it's described as a classic dark and oily dish of tender beef marinated in herbs and spices.

Since I absolutely love beef rendang, it's a no-brainer that I should get some to try.  It retails for RM15 for a 180g packet of ready-to-eat dendeng daging.  Well, who doesn't like ready-made food which just requires you to pour out the contents into a bowl!  But they do recommend that you soak the package in hot water for a couple of minutes for better aroma and taste or just to warm it up a little.  Those who are weary of reheating it this way can pour out the contents and reheat it in a pan/wok (the conventional way) or microwave it (I wouldn't recommend steaming it though since food that's steamed tends to release water which would compromise its taste).  For those who have no qualms about eating it direct from the package, you can also do so.

It makes one of the most appetising meals I've had at home this year.  All I need is a fried egg (some may need two)...preferably with an oozy egg yolk on hot/warm rice.  The dendeng on its own is lightly sweet and spicy even thought its name has the word berapi in it (which indicates that it's fiery) but certainly a spice level that many can take.  The sweetness is probably contributed by the kicap manis (sweet soy) in the sauce.

The dendeng daging turned out to be absolutely delicious!  You get tender shreds of beef (like the mouthfeel of pulled pork) and some small chunks of beef that's immensely tender and savoury.  It's so good!! ^.^

For those who need to up the spice level, add on a dollop of Sambal Nyet Berapi (and this one is true to its name, it's really fiery all right).  So spicy that you can't really taste the flavours of the sambal (but sweet it isn't)...and I can only tolerate one teaspoon of it!  I've since made use of the sambal to cook prawns and squid too (by adding lots of sauteed sliced shallots and some dark soy or kicap manis).  I think it will be a good addition when frying up some fried rice or mee goreng as well.  I just wish it wasn't as spicy so that I can use more of it.

Even if the sambal leaves a burning sensation in my mouth, it's still an ideal accompaniment eaten with the dendeng.  As with all sambals, you'd find a good layer of oil on top, so just give it a good stir before scooping out the sambal.

Get a bit of sambal, a bit of dendeng and a bit of egg...and it's a sumptuous bite in one mouthful (or handful).  Eating it the traditional way with hands heightens the pleasure even further, if you ask me.  I don't know what is it with Malay rice and sambal that when eaten with hands, it's twice as enjoyable...lol!

If you're too lazy to even fry an egg, have it with a hard-boiled egg or salted egg instead and if you happen to have some crunchy cucumbers in the fridge, why not?

You know what, it's so delicious I can eat two portions of dendeng with two portions of rice...but no, I've to restrain myself. >_<

Or turn it into a nasi lemak with santan-infused rice (plain rice will do too) complemented by crispy ikan bilis, hard-boiled eggs and cucumber.

One 180g packet of Dendeng Nyet Berapi yields maybe 6 tablespoons of dendeng which is good enough for 3 meals (for me lah), for others the portion is more realistically shared by two or possibly just one meal for some.

I'm not sure if I'll buy the Sambal Nyet Berapi again coz the spice level is too much for me but yet the taste is a lot more exciting with it even if it sets my mouth on fire...even if the heat is quite intolerable for me (those who love spicy will do well with this one)! :D  But I'm 100% sure I'd buy the Dendeng Nyet Berapi and I've since restocked another 4 packets in my pantry for rainy days (when I can't go out to eat) and emergencies (when I've nothing to cook or don't feel like cooking) coz not only is it super convenient, it's super delicious too! ^_~

P/S: And no, this is not a paid post (but just sharing something that's delish) nor did I receive free dendeng and sambal from KA.....lol (I wish)!!

The Bubur Cha Kitchen @ Taman Cheras Indah

When I clicked into this restaurant named The Bubur Cha Kitchen @ Taman Cheras Indah on Shopee Food, I was expecting it to be selling some kind of sweet (dessert) soups (or tong sui).  Turns out it was nothing like that...but selling bubur (or porridge) instead of bubur cha cha...lol.

Hmmm, porridge isn't something I'd associate the Malays with selling as they're more known for their fare of nasi lemak or nasi campur, for example.  But they have been known to copy some of our Chinese fare like char kway teow, fried yau char kwai (Chinese crullers), steamed pau (steamed buns) and chee cheong fun to name a few although I can't say they've been very successful at it.  It's the same when we copy their nasi lemak but our Chinese version of nasi lemak just isn't the same, especially since our sambal is not quite of the standard of a Malay sambal.

The only Malay-style porridge I've tasted so far is Bubur Lambuk, a porridge cooked with spices and santan (coconut milk) from the Ramadan bazaar.  It's so different from our Chinese porridge that I think it needs a bit of getting used to with all the spices and santan in the mix.

So, you can understand my apprehension when I saw this porridge offered by a Malay vendor but decided to give it a go since it had a 4.9 rating on Shopee Food.  I ordered the Bubur Ayam + Cendawan Goreng (or Combo B of Porridge with Fried Chicken + Mushrooms) @ RM14 for my first taste test.

Let's start with the porridge.  First thing I saw when I opened the box was that the porridge had toppings of crispy batter bits, fried shallots, kacang (nuts) and chopped spring onions....all I like! ;)  But would have liked it even more if they had packed this separately for us to pour into the porridge ourselves when it arrives.  The porridge had the right consistency and was nicely savoury.

My initial apprehension of a Malay-style porridge was not warranted.  I thought it wouldn't be as good as a Chinese-style porridge but I was proven wrong.  I've not had anything remotely this good (from past experience) with Chinese-inspired food from a Malay vendor.

I was pleasantly surprised that the enoki mushrooms were still super crispy even though it had been steaming together with the hot porridge in the box.  This could partly be due to the fact that I'm staying nearby the seller and the food got to me within 10 - 15 minutes.

Encouraged by the good taste of the first combo, I just had to have it again and ordered their other combo of Bubur Udang + Sotong Goreng (or Combo A of Porridge with Fried Prawns + Squid) @ RM14 so that I can try their two other proteins to see which ones I liked better.

The udang goreng was another winner.  The batter that coated the prawns was probably the same one as the earlier mushrooms but somehow this one felt a little bit thicker and fried to adequate crispiness.  I don't know what prawns they used but it had this rather intense prawn flavour to it.

But I can't say the same for the sotong goreng as the texture was very chewy...not something I would want to have again.

Now that I've tasted all four proteins, it was time to order what I enjoyed the most here.....starting with the Bubur Cendawan Goreng (or Porridge with Mushrooms) @ RM8.  When the porridge arrived, I realised that they used the same (compartmentalised) packaging as before...meaning a two-protein combo would share the same (box) space as one protein.

As you can see, there seemed to be a lot more cendawan goreng that can fit into the smaller compartment of the box...hehehe! ;)  This was so good...the fried mushrooms were super crispy and the batter so crisp and light.

Based on this observation alone, it would probably be safe to say that it's more worth it to order the porridge with a single protein (as an additional RM4 can get you a second box of porridge already).  The portion size isn't very big, so those with a bigger appetite can definitely chow down two boxes of porridge...and that's what I did with this order.  I got another Bubur Ayam Goreng (or Porridge with Fried Chicken) @ RM9.

That said, these little cubes of ayam goreng were fairly tender and crispy (but not super crispy as one would expect or want fried chicken to be) but, at least, these little bites of chicken are the freshly made and fried kind (and not the frozen nuggets kind).

And no, I couldn't finish eat the second box of porridge (kept all of it for another meal) but have no problem polishing off the second protein if I really wanted to (but purposely kept some so that I have something to eat my balance porridge with later).  Wish they would just sell the proteins separately as a side dish so that we can choose to have two proteins with one porridge.  Yes, they have the combo for that but it's not quite the same.....just imagine two proteins sharing the same (box) space as a single protein (you get less...haha!). >.<

Next was the Bubur Udang Goreng (or Porridge with Fried Prawns) @ RM9 on its own as I had taken a keen liking to the prawns.  The same number of prawns were given (as in the combo with udang + sotong)...which was three.  They can't very well give anything less since we can count the number of prawns...lol!

The prawn bodies are deshelled (with just the tail intact), so eating it is super easy but you do get some with prawn heads intact occasionally (I think this happens when the prawns are smaller)...but no worries since they're fried to crispy perfection, you can chomp down the heads (and tails) as well.

I mentioned earlier that their prawns have this intensified prawn flavour to them, so much so that there was once I could even taste it in the cendawan goreng.  They must have fried the mushrooms in the same oil as the prawns...hah..hah! ;P

Initially, I was very tempted to drizzle light soy sauce over the porridge (as I would always do with any Chinese-style porridge) but luckily did not as it would change the taste of this Malay-style version.

I once ordered a side of Telur Masin (Salted Egg) @ RM2 (for half) as this is something we've always paired with our Chinese porridge so that it wouldn't be so bland.  Actually, it wasn't needed as the porridge itself had a nice savoury taste already.

There's also a side order of Sambal Bilis Lobak Asin @ RM2 which I initially thought would be a strange combo to eat porridge with a sambal but I remembered that I thought it strange also to eat porridge with something spicy like kung po-style frog (cooked with dried chillies) which turned out to be a revelation as it was so good eaten together! :O

So I gave this sambal bilis lobak asin (as in lobak masin or salted preserved radish) a try and it was a dynamite combination!  This sambal lobak asin is like a spicy sambal cooked with salty-sweet preserved radish (choy poh) though I didn't detect much of the ikan bilis taste.  Who knew a spicy sambal (the taste is unlike those sambal you get in nasi lemak) would go so well with porridge.  It was very good...but too small a portion given (some might think it's not worth paying RM2 for)! O_o

My Personal Opinion

The success and taste of this Malay-inspired porridge took me by surprise.  It's now one of my most ordered food delivery through ShopeeFood.  My favourite is the Cendawan Goreng followed by the Udang Goreng.  A new revelation would be eating porridge with a sambal...and it turned out to be an excellent combination (only a Malay vendor would think of pairing it with a sambal, after all, sambal is a mainstay of their cuisine).

Now, why didn't any Chinese food operators think of pairing something fried and crispy with porridge?  Our Chinese-style version always usually offers something braised.  Well, if you like something crispy with your porridge, this is it...but obviously not a porridge to have if you're feeling under the weather.

This Malay-style porridge has changed my perspective that porridge need not always be paired with something braised or boiled like duck, peanuts, pork innards or minced meat but can be with something crisply delicious...and you can enjoy it with a sambal too.

The Bubur Cha Kitchen

No 22 Jalan Indah 33

Taman Cheras Indah

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Dee Nasi Ayam @ Pandan Indah

It's not always that you'd find me trying out Malay-style nasi ayam (chicken rice).  Why would I when we have an abundance of good Chinese-type chicken rice stalls and shops which we're more accustomed to.  But I've seen this Dee Nasi Ayam @ Pandan Indah in my neighbourhood filled with delivery riders outside their shop regularly.

That piqued my interest enough to walk-in for a takeaway but I was left standing inside the shop without anyone attending to me.  I could see that they were very busy but that still doesn't warrant ignoring me altogether.  They should at least have asked me what I wanted or tell me that I need to wait.  After a period of time that felt too long to me, I walked out.  So, when I saw them on ShopeeFood, I thought I can now finally try through delivery.

Although Malay-style chicken rice shops are more known for putting out chicken rice with ayam goreng berempah or any fried chicken for that matter, this one have roast (nasi ayam roasted) and poached chicken (nasi ayam hainan) on their menu too.  These two are their best sellers (and I can understand why since not many Malay chicken rice shops sell that) but why would I want to eat that when I've endless Chinese chicken rice shops selling just that which I often eat.  Of course I'd go for something different like their Nasi Ayam Crispy Lemon @ RM15.90.

I specified the cut I wanted (thigh) but when it arrived, they obviously used thigh as that's the part most commonly used for fried chicken chop after all.  I felt kinda silly asking for that specific cut then (not sure if they use any other cut though).  The fried chicken chop/thigh was nicely crunchy on the outside but tender within.

The lemon sauce tasted really good, not too sweet and slightly watery in consistency which I prefer coz when it's overly thick (like how some places do it), it's kinda cloying and some end up too sweet for my liking. ^o^

I was also pleasantly surprised by the taste and aroma of the rice.  If you've eaten Malay-style chicken rice before, more often than not they come in bright yellow (I think turmeric must have played a part).  The rice here is closer to those we find aplenty in our Chinese chicken rice stalls in terms of both looks and taste that's more similar to the rice being cooked with a good chicken stock.

Not only did the rice bear a closer similarity to our Chinese chicken rice stalls, the soup did too (though it was extra peppery).  Usually, their soups have a stronger spice taste (especially of star anise and/or some other spices) as they like to cook it with what we call Rempah 4 Sekawan that contains star anise (bunga lawang), cardamom (buah pelaga), cloves (bunga cengkih) and cinnamon (kayu manis).  This is one soup that I relished which won't end up being poured down my kitchen sink. 

Next on the list to try was the Nasi Ayam Madu (Ayam Dara) @ RM13.90 which is basically Honey (Spring) Chicken Rice (or virgin chicken for a more direct translation of ayam dara...lol).  The picture in the menu clearly showed a chicken leg, so I didn't think twice about asking for a specific cut (especially not after the first order).  But, lo and behold, I got the wing part.  I actually don't mind the wing, just not the part attached to the wing. >.<

The sauce has a slight tang with a taste of sweetness that's obviously not from sugar but from honey.  Just that the honey sauce didn't taste good, must be from a poor quality honey.  The sauce wasn't quite what I expected as it turned out more watery while the picture in the menu shows a thick sauce coating the chicken.

As a result of the not-so-stellar quality of the honey and the chicken breast (attached to the wing) being dry, there can be only one conclusion.....I obviously did not finish my chicken as the honey sauce wasn't great.

The Nasi Ayam Crispy Mango @ RM15.90 was actually the first thing I wanted to try but I accidentally clicked Ayam Crispy Lemon instead.  So, I got this for my third order.

From my previous mistake, I wasn't going to take another chance and made sure I asked for the thigh portion (even if it was a given).  The ayam crispy was similar to the one in the nasi ayam crispy lemon.  Crunchy, tender, like any fried chicken should be.

The mango turned out to be finely shredded pickled mango.  I don't know why I initially thought I'd be getting fresh, ripen mango cubes (like a salsa).  This is much better as the slightly tart and crunchy julienned mango provided the fresh element needed for the dish + it also opened up my appetite.  The accompanying chilli sauce for the ayam crispy is quite similar to a Thai-style sweet chilli sauce that also has sour and spicy notes.

Finally, besides the usual timun (cucumber slices) we get in our traditional Chinese-styled chicken rice, the one here serves pickled timun instead along with some lettuce leaves, sliced chillies, onions and mustard seeds for that tiny pop of sensation in your mouth.  Nicely done.

Besides the three more unique/uncommon nasi ayam that I've tried, nasi ayam masak merah, nasi ayam goreng berempah (fried spiced chicken), nasi ayam chicken chop, nasi ayam goreng rangup (crispy fried chicken) and nasi ayam BBQ rounds up the rest of their chicken rice options (other than nasi ayam roasted and nasi ayam hainan) together with a few noodles and vegetables dishes.

My Personal Opinion

They first started as a single lot, non-airconditioned restaurant before expanding to two air-conditioned shoplots currently.  That shows they're doing something right and business must be good.  I can certainly understand why coz there aren't many Malay chicken rice shops that sell halal roasted and poached chicken that's common in Chinese chicken rice shops.

Well, I certainly enjoyed their nasi ayam crispy lemon and nasi ayam crispy mango that's different from what's offered by our traditional Chinese chicken rice shops.  For me, the nasi ayam crispy lemon takes top spot of the three I tried because of the taste of the lemon sauce. ^.^

So, when I find myself in the mood for something other than our traditional Chinese-style chicken rice, I know where to go. ^_~

Restoran Dee Nasi Ayam

No 41G Jalan Pandan Indah 1/23

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 019-953 5090

Nasi Lemak Tanglin @ Jalan Tun Perak

When I was reminded by phonghongbakes that a Nasi Lemak Tanglin (original recipe since 1948) opened up near her, I was reminded of just how much I've missed eating their impressive nasi lemak.  So, I was elated when I found them on ShopeeFood recently (and I was not out of distance for them to reach me...yay!).

The branch I first ate at was at their original outlet in Jalan Cenderasari.....and this outlet is well known to be perpetually crowded all the time (I witnessed that myself when I was there).  So, not wanting to be in an overly crowded place (in these post-pandemic times) and having to queue but still with a desire to eat it, delivery is the next best option.  I tekan tekan (press) my phone to order from the Jalan Cenderasari branch and noted that delivery was RM8 (haiya, I still have to pay RM3 after offsetting a RM5 delivery discount).  I'm quite kedekut (stingy) when it comes to paying for delivery coz I'd always add that charge to my food (in my head) and find that it becomes no longer worth it especially if you order for one person only! >.<

Just as I was about to confirm my order, I decided to click on the restaurant's info button and found that they have a third branch (the second one is in Bukit Damansara as informed by my blogger friend) in the city centre at Jalan Tun Perak (and, guess what, the delivery fee is cheaper at only RM6).  Nasib baik I belum tekan (luckily I've not confirmed) my order yet...hehe!

So, I quickly changed and confirmed my order with Nasi Lemak Tanglin @ Jalan Tun Perak and got myself the Nasi Lemak + Daging @ RM13.50.  This, incidentally, was what we wanted to try when we visited the Jalan Cenderasari outlet the first time but it ran out when we got there late morning.

Their daging is actually beef rendang lah....and they gave two good-sized chunks of it (if you're not a big-eater, one chunk is more than enough for breakfast, so you might want to share your other chunk). ^_~  When I had to ply it apart with my fork and spoon, I thought...oh oh....it must be tough.  Surprisingly it wasn't.  It was still fairly tender but not to the extent of fall apart tender as some would prefer.  The rendang flavours however were spot on. ^.^

As for the sambal, it was difficult to ascertain the flavour on its own as it was mixed in with all the rendang sauce already.  All I know is that it didn't feel spicy at all (and based on my previous review, the sambal was lightly sweet but more savoury).  The rice tasted even more delicious with all the sambal and rendang sauce all mixed together (eat it like nasi kandar style...lol).  Though it was just a tad salty for me (should be fine for others), I still enjoyed it overall.

If you're someone who always feels that some nasi lemak vendors are too stingy with ikan bilis (fried anchovies) and nuts, you certainly won't have cause for complaint here.  They were so abundant, it was too much for me.  They were big ones, not necessarily good quality though (coz I can see the strip than runs through the ikan bilis is black, not white) but at least they were crunchy and not hard.

In order to be eligible for the RM5 off discount voucher for the delivery fee (that I bought), my total order had to be at least RM15, so I went with a second pack of Nasi Lemak + Telur Bali @ RM7.90 (might as well satisfy myself cukup-cukup, eh?).  With that, I also got a RM4 discount off the food.

What is this telur Bali you might ask?  Well, I was wondering the same thing myself too....egg from Bali? Kekeke!  Anyway, it looked like a crumbed (and fried) hard-boiled egg cooked in sambal...but tasted no different from any sambal-cooked hard-boiled egg (except this one had a slightly firmer bite)...just the name sounding a bit more intriguing, that's all.

This packet of nasi lemak however tasted a lot more spicier than the earlier one with beef rendang.  Not sure if it's because they gave a lot more sambal for this (than the one with rendang) or the spiciness was from the sambal in the telur Bali.  Definitely preferred the one with beef rendang.

One thing that caught me by surprise was just how hefty the portions were although I did manage to finish my packet for breakfast, I'd rather have a smaller breakfast portion at a lower price.  I remember the serving portions to be really small when I dined in at their outlet (and even commented in my earlier review) that one might need two plates to be fully satisfied.  Then again, the dine-in prices (then) were also a lot cheaper than the delivery prices (now).  So, be warned that the big portion sizes are more suitable for lunch rather than breakfast.

After such a heavy breakfast, I could barely finish my second packet for lunch.  When a nasi lemak comes served on a banana leaf, I keep my portion for later along with the banana leaf.  There's no throwing away a banana leaf for the aroma it lends to the food (perceived or otherwise...haha) + food always seem less oily when it rests on a banana leaf (like banana leaf rice), don't you think? ;D

My Personal Opinion

Tanglin's nasi lemak is still one of my favourites although I don't eat it often enough because of the location but now that it's on ShopeeFood, that could be a different story.

Although overall the food is a tad salty for me, I'm sure others would be ok with its more robust flavours.  My favourite is still the sotong (squid) but the daging is good too especially the rendang flavours.  An add-on telur Bali could offer something different from the standard hard-boiled egg.

Other nasi lemak choices include ayam Bali, ayam gulai, ayam goreng (fried chicken), kerang (cockles), paru (cow lungs) and limpa (cow spleen) if you prefer these options.  They also offer some noodle dishes, lauk and Nasi Padang (for lunch on weekdays).

This is certainly worthy to be in my saved list on ShopeeFood for nasi lemak (along with Mak Su Corner) even if the flavours are a bit robust but since it's good, I'll see past that.....but I think I'll need to order this for lunch and not breakfast! ^o^

Nasi Lemak Tanglin

10 Jalan Tun Perak

City Centre

50050 Kuala Lumpur