Monday, April 21, 2008

Nasi Lemak, SS2 - Makcik Yan & Pakcik Wahab

ORIGINALLY POSTED 2 SEPTEMBER 2006

I am away from April 11-22. Jason has kindly offered to assist me in republishing some old posts (back at a time when only a handful of people read my blog. Hee hee hee...) for this period. Comments are still and always welcomed but I will only be able to reply when I get back after the 22. Thank you all!


While I was waiting in UMMC recently for my monthly eye check up, I sat next to a makcik and we both started chatting. Turns out that she, Makcik Yan, sells nasi lemak in my area, SS2 and she has been doing it for the past 30 years! She and her husband, Pakcik Wahab drops by the stall over the weekends which is usually operated daily by their 3 boys. She told me that her stall has quite a lot of customers and the best time to drop by was about 9am (opens from 7am till 10 plus am, close on Sundays). I was surprised as I didn't know of the stall and promised to try out her nasi lemak.

Arriving there on a Saturday, I was greeted with a long queue at her stall. It's located at the lane between BHP petrol station and the police station, at the end of the row of stalls (there are several nasi lemak stalls there. If in doubt, just look for the one with the long queue! Ha ha ha...)
This is not your restaurant type of eatery but one with zinc roof, cement rendered floor with plastic tables and chairs. Eating here reminded me of my childhood days when I used to follow mom and my dear ol' dad and eat at the old Bukit Bintang market which has made way for KL Plaza/Lot 10 donkey years ago. To further remind me of that, there is also a drink stall here operated by a Chinese auntie and an elderly man (he's around 80 years old, I think). He will take and deliver drink orders in his slow but orderly manner. Not that many drink stalls such as this type are operated by Chinese nowadays. Maybe they have been around for 30 years too. So, yeah, I felt like a kid again!
Makcik Yan was not around but Pakcik Wahab and his boys were expecting me to my surprise. Wonder what Makcik Yan told them! Well, the rice is scooped from the wooden container (a plus point for me - Makcik Yan had earlier told me that it costs about RM300) and the customers tell the boys what they would like from the array of deep tray dishes.
Well, apart from the fried chicken, almost everything else was spicy! I asked for sambal petai ("smelly" green beans with chilli) and sotong (cuttlefish). Lyn, who went with me, had beef rendang. Even if one is eating there, the food is served on the brown paper. Makcik Yan had told me that she had once tried changing to plates after starting out that way earlier. However, customers complained that it wasn't as nice and chicken pieces flew out easily from the small plate. Ha ha ha....So, they will hand you the rice in a cone shaped brown wrapper with a fork and spoon "planted" into it!
I tried to unwrap it gently to take a nice photo but messed up the presentation when I failed! Ha ha ha...But nevertheless, it tasted good.
I must say I do like the nasi lemak here. The sambal and rice is nice (not soft, but separate grains) and the beef rendang was tender (thanks Lyn for letting me steal some beef!). The sotong was good and easy to bite (not the rubbery type if you know what I mean). Our two packs came to RM8.80; didn't get a breakdown. Well, I now know where to look for good nasi lemak in PJ (I eat at Tang Lin's when I'm in KL). As a matter of fact, I had already gone back to eat again with my other friends.

My friends and I call nasi lemak "fatty rice" but that has never stopped me from eating it!
- wmw


10 comments:

HairyBerry said...

they still keep the nasi in wooden buckets?..wah, havent seen that in a looong time...

wah, your whole experience can be made into a merdeka tv advert leh...hehe...

daphne said...

oo.. it sounds like the rice taste better if in the wooden container? or is it because it insulate better?

Anonymous said...

errr this place is opposite wong kok?

JOjo said...

That's a long Q!!! I tot i only get to see Q in singapore =p

ling239 said...

the sotong looks good !!

Precious Pea said...

I had a dose of it last week ;)

Simon Seow said...

I think they used to put up stall in the tai pai tong in Kepong Baru at night. I tapau almost every week last time.

wmw said...

Nic : Hahaha...yes, it can be made into an advert. I think I mentioned about this nasi lemak the last time you were back. Next time....we all go there. Precious Pea's a fan too.

Daphne : I don't know whether it's the case, but we just enjoy eating it there. Not the same when packed.

Aidan : Not really, if you're standing with your back towards Wong Kok, you will see a BHP Petrol Station on the right. Take the first left turn after the station. It's the stall at the utmost end. Better still, let me take you there, you belanja me! Hahaha...

JoJo : Eh, here in Malaysia also got Q leh.... hehehe...

ling239 : The sotong is one of my fave orders!

Precious P : Ee yer...so bad! hahaha....

Simon : Oh, didn't know about that. But am glad it's near my home now :o)

Ady said...

OMGGG!!!!! I absolutely LOVE Pakcik Wahab and his nasi lemak!! And I miss his nasi lemak SOOO much I could cry lah! (Can you tell I dun live in PJ ... I live in the UK - completely devoid of good nasi lemak and I am so sad coz I sometimes even dream of Pakcik Wahab's nasi lemak!!) I discovered this wonderful stall some years back on a visit home to see my mum (she lives in SS2) and on the very rare occasions I get to go home (like once every 4 - 5 years! Wail!!), I walk out to this stall every morning that they are open! Yep yep - EVERY morning! And that sotong is awesome! Thanks for this post and the photos. Brings back good memories for me!

Peejabubakar said...

I've been eating Nasi Lemak At Pakcik Wahab for ever since I was expecting my first child 25 yrs ago & it tastes exactly the same!! The rice is actually steamed.

I have three kids now & they all crave for his nasi lemak at least once a week.

FYI, Pakcik Wahab started the Village Park restaurant business in Uptown D'sara with his partner then. Things didn't work out for him & fmly & he's back in SS2.

Long Live the best Nasi Lemak joint in Klang Valley!!!!