KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — A poster of David Bowie in his “Rebel Rebel” era. A sketch of Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar. The unmistakable scent of pandan in the air.
From the speakers, Debbie Darby’s soulful vocals soared through Roy Ayers’ 1976 classic, Everybody Loves the Sunshine.
The setting? A sunny Friday morning at Nasi Lemak Angah, nestled in the Batu 2 ½ market off Jalan Ipoh.
My life, my life, my life, my life in the sunshine, indeed.
The short line of people queueing for nasi lemak gave me just enough time to read through the “Rukun Nasi Lemak Angah”, of which I am now a devoted adherent.
With lines like “kepercayaan kepada nasi dan sambal” and “kesetiaan kepada ikan bilis”, it was hard not to agree with these commandments.
It felt like a proper induction to the faith as I queued for my order of nasi lemak biasa (RM3.50) with ayam rendang (RM5) and daging rendang (RM5.50).
The lovely man in charge, Fadly Ahmad Fuad (also known as Angah), runs the business with his wife Rashidah.
Originally from Ipoh, Fadly worked as a bartender in various spots in KL during the 90s before starting Nasi Lemak Angah in 2009.
Rashidah is in charge of preparing their nasi lemak, blending recipes from both her and Fadly’s mothers, making it truly a family affair.
As I reached the front of the line, Fadly asked if I wanted to asingkan my sambal.
Before I could reply, he chimed in with “laat jiu?” (chillies in Cantonese) while gesturing to the sambal.
I couldn’t help but chuckle in appreciation before telling him to go ahead and spoon it over the rice.
The rice itself was light, fluffy, and tinged with a pale, greenish off-white hue.
I love the scent of pandan, and here, the rice — liberally perfumed with eau de pandan — is all the better for it.
It lends a touch of character, standing strong against the bold, spicy sambal.
Both types of rendang leaned slightly sweet and were the thicker, chunkier variety, with bite-sized pieces of chicken and beef that made them easier to enjoy.
A small, seemingly trivial but actually essential detail: the cucumber slices and blanched kangkung that come with each plate are prepared with great care.
The cucumber is fresh and crunchy without being watery, sliced on the bias into perfect bite-sized pieces.
As for the kangkung? Rather than a wet, soggy mess, it retains its characteristic crunch without leaking water all over the rice and lauk — a hallmark of a proper nasi lemak.
When done well, like it is here at Nasi Lemak Angah, our unofficial national dish is truly the breakfast of champions.
Nasi Lemak AngahPasar Batu 2 1/2 Ipoh, Jln Sultan Azlan Shah, Sentul, Kuala LumpurOpen Wednesday to Sunday, 9am-2pm.Tel: 017-671 2213
Facebook: Nasi Lemak Angah
Instagram: @nasilemakangah
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
** Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
*** Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
