We tried KL’s best-rated Chinese nasi lemak

I’ve been seeing people share about Nasi Lemak Peel Road on social media for quite some time now. The snaking queues have become one of its iconic features, and it’s no longer a strange sight to the regulars. So, what’s so good about this nasi lemak hidden in Maluri?

Holding a glowing 4.1 stars based on 683 reviews on Google (at time of writing), Nasi Lemak Peel Road is indeed a hidden eatery. Its entrance occupies only half a shop lot, the neighbouring Da Ma Cai, a lottery shop. Due to its inconspicuous storefront, I almost missed the shop, but thankfully, Google Maps helped me find it. 

Learning from netizens’ experience, I arrived at the place as early as 11am, just as they were opening, in order to avoid the crazy queue. Surprisingly, the restaurant hadn’t started operating yet when I reached; the gate was half-open, and the owner was still preparing the dishes. However, there were already a few patrons standing outside, waiting for them to be ready.

In the end, I still couldn’t avoid the queue, but I was lucky to be the third in line. The restaurant opened at 11.30am, and soon it was my turn. Notably, the dishes served were quite straightforward, with only a few options. On the day I visited, they had curry chicken, wild boar meat, potato, squid, mutton, and egg.

What I tried at Nasi Lemak Peel Road

I ordered a plate of nasi lemak accompanied with a curry chicken drumstick, curry wild boar meat, and a fried egg adorned with a blob of sambal sauce on the side. All of these added up to a reasonable RM13. The plate of food might have looked slightly messy with all the sauces mixing together, but trust me, it was a harmonious blend.

The most important thing in a dish of nasi lemak is undoubtedly the rice (at least for me). So, I wasted no time taking a bite. The rice was incredibly aromatic; with just a small mouthful, I could feel the fragrance of coconut milk lingering in my mouth, ending with a subtle salty note. After savouring the original taste, I mixed it with curry sauce from the meat, which added depth to the flavour of the rice.

The drumstick was particularly impressive. Not only was the curry flavourful, the meat was also cooked till tender— I could easily tear it apart with a fork and spoon. It was perfectly infused with the scent of the curry, making it a perfect match with the nasi lemak. 

I also discovered an ideal way to enjoy the chicken: pair it with some sambal sauce. The nuanced sweetness from the sambal helped elevate the whole dish with the interesting blend of tastes.

And guess what? The restaurant even offers wild boar meat, a rarity in nasi lemak. Its gravy was slightly thicker than the one in the curry chicken. The texture was somewhat tough and made it hard to chew. Since this was my first time trying it, I’m not sure if this is how wild boar meat is supposed to taste.

Instead of a hard boiled egg, I chose a fried egg for my dish. It was an excellent pairing with the coconut-infused rice and sambal sauce; all the ingredients complemented each other very well.

Final thoughts

As I exited the eatery, I noticed a throng of people queueing outside still. I was amazed by how consistently it attracts patrons! However, there weren’t many who were dining in; most of them opted for takeout.

I must admit that the food there was delicious. While I believe it lived up to the ratings, I don’t see myself arriving early again to wait for it to open its shutters. However, given the proximity to Cochrane MRT, I might consider returning at an off-peak hour when I crave their aromatic rice with sambal and tender curry chicken next time.

Expected damage: RM13 – RM20 per pax

The post We tried KL’s best-rated Chinese nasi lemak appeared first on SETHLUI.com.