The best nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur

Last year, I took an American friend to Kampung Baru where we had the much-heard Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa (International Fragrant Rice) and she really loved it, though I wasn't really impressed. I mean... I've tasted better nasi lemak in lots of other places
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Little did I know if I had walked just 50 metres further, I would have reached a much better spot for nasi lemak. And last night, my family and I happened to have found out about it. To our surprise, not only this restaurant looks bigger, cleaner and more presentable, the nasi lemak and the sambal (sauce) are also much more delicious than the previous one we had
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And to complete it, they have this mango juice that you simply would die for - I would say it's 80% mango, and 20% water+milk. I thought I would never find better #mango juice than in Kota Kinabalu but now I know I don't have to go back there to enjoy a good glass. It's heaven! My hubby had a cup of coffee, and he said it was really good too

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It seems that this restaurant was the first ever nasi lemak restaurant to be established in Kampung Baru and has been there for more than 50 years. Impressive, isn't it? Now we already know the best #nasilemak spot in #KualaLumpur for dinner or supper 😄😃
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Mima Zohds
📷: @heyychadeyy

Padang rumput savana di Bromo

Tidak semua kawasan di Bromo dilitupi oleh pasir. Hanya beberapa kilometer di selatan Gunung Bromo, merentasi lautan pasir berbisiknya, terdapat kawasan Blok Savana yang dipenuhi rumput.

Laut Pasir Berbisik

Padang rumput savana

Pemandangan di sini amat berbeza daripada pemandangan di sekitar Gunung Bromo, namun tidak kalah indahnya. Kawasan yang bernama Lembah Jemplang ini turut digelar sebagai Bukit Teletubbies oleh penduduk tempatan. 

"Three wise monkeys" di Bukit Teletubbies😁

Ada rakan-rakan yang memberitahu bahawa mereka tidak ke sini ketika melawat Bromo. Bagi saya ini adalah satu kerugian bagi setiap pencinta alam kerana flora di sini amat indah.

Sebahagian daripada bunga-bunga rumput tinggi yang cantik. 

Di kawasan padang savana ini juga kami sempat mengisi perut yang kosong sejak awal pagi dengan bakso seorang peniaga muslimah. 

Mengopi di Penanjakan

Untuk melihat matahari terbit di Bromo, kami perlu memulakan pendakian pendek ke puncak Gunung Penanjakan seawal jam 3.30 pagi. Jeep tidak dapat membawa kami terus ke puncak kerana ramainya orang dan banyaknya jeep lain yang turut ke sini. Suhu pada waktu ini di gunung setinggi lebih 2700m dari aras laut amatlah rendah dan bagi seseorang yang tidak biasa dengan cuaca sejuk, pendakian agak mencabar kerana tubuh dan pernafasan seolah-olah hampir beku.

Kalau di Malaysia, frasa 'kat atas nanti ada kedai kopi' sering digunakan sebagai bahan lawak motivasi di kalangan para pendaki, kerana hakikatnya tiada sebarang kedai baik di sepanjang jalur pendakian mahupun di puncaknya.

Tetapi kalau mendaki di Indonesia, itulah bab yang seronoknya. Kalau dikatakan ada kedai kopi, memang betul-betul ada! 😅 Pelbagai jenis minuman panas dan gorengan boleh dinikmati di kedai-kedai kopi yang banyak di puncak gunung ini.
Dapatlah para pengunjung mengurangkan kesejukan sementara menanti matahari yang terbit sekitar jam 5 pagi.

Aiskrim Pedas

Pernahkah anda merasa aiskrim yang pedas? Sekiranya belum, sewaktu di Goa Pindul, jangan lepaskan peluang untuk merasa rojak aiskrim ini.

Ia merupakan campuran hirisan buah-buahan seperti rojak buah, lengkap dengan hirisan cili padi, yang kemudian diletakkan aiskrim di atasnya. Bayangkanlah apabila aiskrim bercampur dengan rojak buah yang pedas ini, rasanya sungguh umphhhh 👍👍👍.

Terkagum sekali lagi dengan kekreatifan peniaga di sini - betapa mereka sentiasa berusaha mencipta kelainan (Unique Selling Point) biarpun hanya menjual aiskrim.

Walang goreng

Bukan sekadar minuman eksotik kopi luwak dan buah eksotik salak madu yang dapat saya cuba di Jogja, saya juga berpeluang merasa makan eksotik walang goreng buat julung-julung kalinya. Walang ertinya belalang.

Sebenarnya agak geli juga apabila melihat walang yang sudah digoreng ini kerana warnanya menyerupai lipas, terutama apabila melihat kakinya - memang terbayangkan kaki lipas. Tapi rasa ingin tahu saya mengatasi segalanya, apatah lagi bila Syafie Sahdan betsungguh-sungguh meyakinkan saya yang ianya enak - segera saya padamkan gambaran lipas dan gantikan ia dengan gambaran udang goreng rangup. (Masa ni rasa seperti sedang beraksi dalam rancangan Fear Factor. 😅)

Dan... saat saya merasa keenakan walang ini, saya sudah tidak boleh berhenti mengunyahnya... terus mencuba satu lagi dan satu lagi dan satu lagi... serta menggalakkan rakan-rakan yang lain untuk mencuba. Walau bagaimanapun, saya tidak tergamak untuk makan kepala belalang. Maka, hanya badannya yang saya makan dan kepalanya saya serahkan kepada supir kami Wandha Imawan untuk dimakan. 😁

Terima kasih Wandha, untuk pengalaman ini.

Buah salak

Orang Malaysia, kalau nampak buah salak di Indonesia, memang tersangatlah teruja. Kiranya buah ni sangat eksotik di Malaysia kerana agak sukar ditemui di mana-mana. Apatah lagi rakan-rakan saya yang berpeluang melihat buah ini di pokoknya.

Di gerai ini, di Jalan Kabupaten Sleman di Jogja, ada salak biasa dan salak madu. Walaupun saya bukan penggemar buah ini dan hanya merasa segigit saja, saya terpaksa akui yang salak madu sangat lazat. Harganya pula hanyalah IDR20000 sahaja untuk sekilo. Salak biasa pula cuma IDR7500 sekilo. Kalau ibu-ibu saudara saya ke sini, pasti berkilo-kilo diborong mereka.

Adakah anda penggemar buah salak? Cer komen sikit.

Kopi Luwak Pawon

Tidak jauh dari Candi Pawon yang saya ceritakan sebelum ini, terdapat sebuah kedai kopi yang comel. Bukan kedai sebarang kedai, ianya juga merupakan sebuah rumah produksi kopi luwak (di Malaysia dipanggil kopi tahi musang), yang terkenal sebagai kopi yang paling mahal di dunia.

Bijian kopi yang masih bersalut tahi luwak dijemur dan dikeringkan.

Bijian kopi yang telah dicuci dan dibersihkan dijemur semula sehingga kering.

Walaupun telah lama tahu tentang kewujudan kopi ini, tidak pernah saya rasa teringin untuk merasanya. Saya fikir, gilalah saya kalau hendak minum sesuatu yang telah menjadi tahi... 😅 Siapa sangka akibat termakan desakan rakan-rakan, dan melalui penerangan yang diberikan oleh pihak produksi dan jaminan bahawa kopi ini 100% "hygenic", saya minum juga sesisip dua.

Kopinya saja yang perlu dibayar, kerepeknya boleh dimakan percuma. ;)

Harga sebungkus kopi luwak pawon ini adalah IDR400000 (lebih kurang RM126) untuk setiap 100 gram, terdapat dalam bentuk biji dan juga bentuk serbuk. Bagi secawan kopi luwak ini pula, harganya di sini adalah IDR25000 (RM8... ok la... murah sikit kot daripada kopi starbucks).

Walaubagaimanapun, kalau anda tanya saya apakah istimewanya - pada saya sama sahaja seperti kopi pekat yang lain, baik kopi Aceh, kopi Penang ataupun kopi di mana jua... iaitu pahit - kerana itulah saya tidak minum kopi. Jangan marah... 😁😅

Breakfast old style

Steamed curry pao - a set of 3 for RM6.50 and a cup of white tea for RM2.50. Location: PappaRich Cyberjaya. A real diversion from my coco crunch or roti kaya, n dutch lady milk breakfast every morning at home.

Black n White

Our favourite teatime restaurant, located in Bandar Baru Nilai, right across th clock tower that is still being built. Nice range of local n western dishes. The kids' favourite ones are black n white burger, and mexican burger - RM3 and RM4 each. Mine is the local char kuey teow, at RM3.50. Wanna try?

Lontong Klang

Lokasinya di bawah Emporium Makan (nama lama, nama baru aku tak tau) di seberang jalan bertentangan dgn Pasar Jawa di Kelang.

Masa aku mengajar di sebuah SMJK(C) yg berhampiran lebih kurang 14 tahun dulu, di sinilah tempat aku membeli sarapan pada waktu rehat setiap hari. Kadang-kadang lebih drp 10 bungkusan akan ku bawa pulang ke sekolah dikirim oleh kawan2, juga anak murid.

Nasi lemak dan lontongnya memang sedap tiada bandingannya. Masa dulu2 nasi lemaknya disertakan sayur kangkung. Sekarang cuma timun. Lontongnya paling sedap, ditambah dgn sambal sotong, tempe goreng dan pegedel.

Lambat sikit datang waktu pagi pasti kempunan. Yg bagusnya kalau terdesak, boleh datang di sebelah malam. Sekarang, yg empunya gerai ini sudah memiliki restorannya sendiri di Seksyen 7 Shah Alam, jadi jika lontong klang di Kelang habis, tuju saja ke Shah Alam, pasti dapat.

Sampai ke hari ini, bila2 dan di mana saja aku makan lontong, pasti aku teringatkan Lontong Klang yg masih belum ku jumpa tandingannya.

Kafe Che Tom, Menu Cendawan Segar

Somewhere in Batu 4 3/4 in Gombak - between Jatikraf furniture shop and Seng Hock Metal Engineering workshop, opposite Masjid Sg. Mulia - there's a cool restaurant by the roadside named Kafe Che Tom.

The interior design is very simple but neat, and what's great is it's very clean. It offers great choices of food, both western and local. Our favourite is the mushroom soup - at only RM2.50, it's none like the instant powdered soup that we get elsewhere. It's originally homemade and comes with a piece of garlic bread. The restaurant's mushroom fried rice which is priced at RM3.50, are also worth given a try.

The mushrooms are homegrown, right behind the restaurant. If you are nearby, why don't you look for this particular spot?

Zul ikan bakar, Kuala Besut

Tiap kali pulang ke Besut, mesti abah belanja makan ikan bakar. Selalunya abah akan berpesan, jangan makan apa2 sebelah petang - abah nak kami makan ikan bakar puas-puas, kenyang-kenyang. Ikan fresh lagi, memanglah memuaskan.

Medan Selera Buluh Kubu, Kota Bharu

Variety of delicious food available especially with the food night market going on but the dirty surrounding would kill anybody's appetite. One can see big rats dead, and alive, here.

The best satah n otak-otak

We bought these at the roadside in Kuala Besut, right at the place where they were made and grilled. So much cheaper than the one we used to get in the Klang valley - satah is only 25 sen per piece, and so much tastier. The fish tasted so much fresher and sweeter, especially when eaten under the tree near the "Beach of Whispering Breeze".

Cheng Ho Restaurant review

We were invited by dear Norish to taste the new food in her new restaurant on the 5th of March. She has been talking about her plan to open a restaurant for few years and alhamdulillah, now it's taking flight...

Food was umphhh... fabulous, no where that I've tasted food as good as those they served us that night ever before. The kerabu mangga was out of this world. The mix vege was excellent, nothing that I could complaint - the vege were all fresh and crisp, even the prawns inside tasted like they came fresh from the sea - like those I used to have back in Kuala Rompin. Not to mention their fried prawns... umpphhh..... can't describe its deliciousness. You simply got to taste them yourselves!

The tom yam - only now I've found one that is better or close to the one I used to like in a restaurant in Kuantan so many years ago. Can't recall the name of that restaurant though. Was it Restoran Pattani? For years, I've lost appetite eating tom yam since nothing that I've come across was at par with the one there, but in Cheng Ho, I've found that appetite again.

The last dish was siakap masak nyonya. We were almost full by that time by so many dishes they served us and was surprised that there was another one. We thought we wouldn't be able to finish it - but well, as it was so good, we manage to clean the plate. He he!

All in all, it's a restaurant that I would recommend to anybody, not because it belongs to someone dear to me, but because the food is really, really good you wouldn't regret ordering (or paying for it). Ah yes, and the kids were given oreo ice-blended, I couldn't resist tasting it - it was so surprisingly good - make sure you order that too when you happen to visit the restaurant!

And the ID, though according to Norish, is not 100% completed, is still catchy and attractive. White and red - plus black and white large buntings on Chinese Muslims' lifestyle - I really like the surrounding. Red is always a good choice for eating places - increase the appetite and make people hungry but combine it with white - it looks so stylish and create peacefulness while eating.

Location? Wangsa Maju, the road behind Carrefour, Jalan Wangsa Delima 10 - 15 & 17G - you wouldn't miss it.


I pray to Allah that this restaurant will become a success story, that Norish and Amy will be able to open more branches across Malaysia as they have planned, and that their life together is always blessed by the Almighty in the world and in the hereafter, forever.

Ameen...

My two handsome but 'comot' boys

Picture taken last few weeks at Kuala Sg Baru in Melaka, right after we had some seafood for dìnner. Food was umphh! But service was so slow one could have dinner twice elsewhere. There were tons of people hvg dinner there though, so can't really blame them. Price? Very affordable, lots cheaper than in KL or Penang.