KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — Sometimes all it takes is a little tweak or a thoughtful add-on to elevate a dish from typical to transformative.
At Fullman Kopitiam, everyone’s beloved nasi lemak gets levelled up a smidgen with the inclusion of a moreish side: a fiery sambal stir-fry of eggplant, long beans and okra.
The kopitiam humbly calls this their Signature Nasi Lemak; I call it “Nasi Lemak with Three Heavenly Kings,” after the celebrated Malaysian Chinese dish of Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王) or Sei Dai Tin Wong.
It’s missing one Heavenly King, sure (more on that later) but even a trio of assorted vegetables stir-fried with sambal is redolent of wok magic.
Add to that the cerulean-hued coconut milk rice (a judicious use of blue pea flower extract), a just-fried and therefore incredibly crunchy chicken drumstick, a beautiful fried egg, the requisite fried ikan bilis and fried groundnuts (fresh tasting and not stale) and you have an amazing plate of nasi lemak.
Absolutely delicious.
Located in the bustling Cheras neighbourhood of Taman Bukit Segar, you can’t miss the shop thanks to its distinctive green signage.
Once inside, your attention might be drawn to the colourful enamel plates on the walls — that is, till you are given the menu, which is varied and extensive.
If you find yourself subdued by a paralysis of choice, it always helps to ask the staff for recommendations.
This is how we came about ordering their Milk Toast with Yoghurt Seaweed Floss.
We had originally wanted to order their Pad Krapao Toast, a roti bakar take of their Thai style holy basil minced pork rice (sans the rice, in the case of the toast version), but it wasn’t available that day.
No regrets, however, given the unexpected delight of the thick cut shokupan (milk bread) jazzed up by a tangy yoghurt sauce and umami-rich seaweed floss.
Cut into bite-sized cubes, the way French toast is prepared in certain cafés nowadays, this is ideal for snacking or dipped into half-boiled eggs.
For here is a fine ritual: Whatever dish we might order, we will always make room for the dynamic duo of every kopitiam breakfast — a cup of hot kopi and a couple of half-boiled eggs.
Sometimes we take it neat, just a robust kopi O to sip on as we slurp on the molten eggs seasoned with soy sauce and ground white pepper.
Other times we order some toast as well, to dunk into a milky mug of frothy cham.
Consider this an in-betweener that lubricates our throats for more to come. Which, today, is an order of Fullman Kopitiam’s Petai Otak-Otak Pocket Buns.
These are fluffy steamed guabao or lotus leaf buns, an increasingly popular addition to kopitiam menus around town. Here they have added a wedge of otak-otak ... and several petai beans.
(Petai, of course, is the missing Fourth Heavenly King of the famous dish. We are pleased to complete this winsome quartet, after a fashion.)
If you happen to visit at the right time, you might observe the otak-otak being grilled in front of the shop. It doesn’t get fresher than this, folks!
The soft lotus leaf buns, especially when it’s steamed to order, is a lovely vessel for the mildly spicy otak-otak and aromatic stinky beans. An unusual pairing, sure, but one that works.
You might imagine that we’d call it a day after so much food — there are only two of us, after all — but how could we leave without trying the kopitiam’s dessert and tong sui offerings?
Alas, they had just run out of their daily special, the pak kor yee mai fuchok (ginkgo barley and beancurd skin); another batch wouldn’t be ready for another half an hour.
We opted for their cendol instead, an icy mountain of a dessert. Green pandan noodles, cold coconut cream and a very generous dousing of gula Melaka syrup more than saved the day.
Leaving with full bellies, we made a promise to return, if only to try the aforementioned Pad Krapao Toast. If it is anything like the food we enjoyed today, it will be well worth the repeat visit.
Fullman Kopitiam
38G, Jalan Manis 1, Taman Bukit Segar, Cheras, KL
Open Tue-Sun 7am-4pm; Mon closed
Phone: 016-216 2788
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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