KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — When wrapped in a brown paper parcel, rice, gulai and sambal are best buddies; the soft, fluffy grains absorb all the spices and even the yellow colour from the turmeric, creating a satisfying meal.

This food truck in Ampang Point leverages this method with its mash-up of nasi berlauk, nasi kukus and even nasi Sumatera, drawing long queues every day.

The frying station works non-stop during lunch time, delivering piping hot fried chicken and ‘paru goreng’ straight from the wok — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
The frying station works non-stop during lunch time, delivering piping hot fried chicken and ‘paru goreng’ straight from the wok — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Rather than pigeonholing its recipe from the town of Pasir Putih into a fixed category, they call it Nasi Lebih Afdal, which literally means “the most excellent rice”.

Freshness is the key to this simple meal, packed in a brown paper parcel with fried chicken for RM10.

It starts with the most important element: Thai-sourced rice steamed in trays until each grain is separate and fluffy, served piping hot.

Select your protein or go wild with the add-ons to build your own yummy lunch.

Thankfully, the fried chicken isn’t drowned in a heavy batter, letting you enjoy the lightly marinated meat on its own — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Thankfully, the fried chicken isn’t drowned in a heavy batter, letting you enjoy the lightly marinated meat on its own — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

The flavours are milder and the sambal isn’t super spicy but offers more like a tiny zap of heat.

Everyone’s favourite is their golden skin fried chicken leg, just pulled from the hot oil.

It isn’t your heavily flavoured ayam berempah nor a plainer ayam kunyit but just a lightly spiced version without a thick crust to drag down the natural flavour of the chicken.

Sliced wafer thin, the cow lung is deep fried until it resembles crackers — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Sliced wafer thin, the cow lung is deep fried until it resembles crackers — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Their use of ayam dara, a spring chicken which has not laid eggs, produces more tender, juicier meat.

As you add more goodies to your parcel like the crunchy pieces of thinly sliced deep fried cow lung or paru goreng, it resembles nasi Sumatera.

Perhaps those thin crackers substitute the fish crackers usually served with this rice.

Boost up your rice and fried chicken with a clutch of crunchy ‘paru goreng’ — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Boost up your rice and fried chicken with a clutch of crunchy ‘paru goreng’ — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Try adding their daging goreng or what they call daging berlengas in Kelantan, which features beef cut into cubes and stir-fried with chillies, sliced onions and a mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce and kicap manis.

It is based on a viral recipe copied by many as the sauces provide an alchemy of savoury and sweet flavours that pair perfectly with the tender beef, sweet onions and spicy chillies.

Diners also like to add the gulai kopeh, which features super soft chicken feet, where the cartilage and meat barely hold together.

The rice is drenched with a mix of different ‘gulai’ from the huge enamel tubs like ‘gulai ikan masin’, ‘gulai daging kerutuk’ and ‘gulai kopeh’ — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
The rice is drenched with a mix of different ‘gulai’ from the huge enamel tubs like ‘gulai ikan masin’, ‘gulai daging kerutuk’ and ‘gulai kopeh’ — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

With all the extra add-ons of daging goreng and gulai kopeh, my fried chicken with rice cost RM15.

The food truck has two queues, one for takeaways and another for dine-in, so pick the correct one.

As the food truck is parked in front of an open space known as Santai @ Ampang Point, wooden benches and tables are laid out for dining.

Each packet is shaped into a cone as you pick what you want, including a fried chicken leg, ‘daging goreng’ and even their ‘gulai kopeh’ with chicken feet — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Each packet is shaped into a cone as you pick what you want, including a fried chicken leg, ‘daging goreng’ and even their ‘gulai kopeh’ with chicken feet — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Or just follow what everyone else is doing: pack numerous brown paper parcels to eat later, allowing the rice to absorb every bit of the gulai campur and sambal.

Join the correct queue (left) at Nasi Lebih Afdal. Limited seats (right) are available at the open space next to the parked food truck — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Join the correct queue (left) at Nasi Lebih Afdal. Limited seats (right) are available at the open space next to the parked food truck — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi

Kedai Nasi Lebih Afdal 

Santai @ Ampang Point, 

6, Jalan Memanda 2, 

Taman Dato Ahmad Razali, Ampang.

Open: 10.30am to 3pm. Closed on Sundays. 

Tel: 011-15657993

Instagram: @nasi_afdal

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.