PETALING JAYA, May 4 — Nasi lemak is definitely the breakfast of champions in every corner of Malaysia. 

The dish is a humble one, usually cooked at home or even offered in makeshift stalls in front of a house where a makcik or pakcik showcases their best dishes to earn some pocket money. 

It’s grown into a huge business over the years, evidenced by famous places opening all over the country and commanding long queues. 

With so much focus on the flashier places especially in the crowded social media space, small neighbourhood stalls that provide locals with their morning sustenance often don’t get the spotlight. 

Nasi Lemak Pak Din is one of those places with 40 years of history, quietly offering its homecooked fare to residents near the flats around Jalan 17/1A, where he also resides. 

The rice is soft with a lighter santan touch, probably to cater to a diverse crowd, especially Chinese patrons who tend to avoid anything too rich for health reasons. 

Those fluffy grains are just the backdrop for the sambal, which is made by grinding dried chillies, shallots and sugar to create a version that isn’t overly chili-intense, featuring slight sweetness and a tinge of tanginess, 

A concise menu of side dishes laid out in trays will tempt you to add more to your breakfast. 

The Ayam Rendang is different, resembling a curry with less intensity, yet one keeps eating it as the smooth, silky meat entices with the coconut rich gravy. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the Daging Rendang has more concentrated flavours from the kerisik but the meat pulls away with some resistance—a sign that it requires more time in the pot. 

Paru or cow’s lungs is one of those dishes that sounds scary but I’ve always liked it especially with nasi lemak. 

This version is the rarer spongy type paired with pounded chilies and delightful small bites of fluffy potatoes. 

The nasi lemak is priced according to the type of protein selected; where a choice of chicken or beef is RM8. 

For the paru dish, it’s RM7 with the nasi lemak. 

Like all breakfast spots, there’s an assortment of fried noodles for those seeking a change from rice. 

Their fried beehoon (RM8 with chicken) is well-prepared, featuring a savoury flavour and perfectly cooked strands that pair well with the sambal. 

I added a Sambal Chicken, which is essentially a piece of fried chicken doused with a sambal sauce that’s not too spicy. 

Supplementing your meal is an assortment of kuih for a sweet treat – which we appreciated – in the form of kuih dadar or pandan flavoured pancakes filled with grated coconut mixed with gula Melaka syrup. 

Nasi Lemak Pak Din

Stall 2, Gerai Makan 17/1A, 

Jalan 17/1, 

Section 17, Petaling Jaya

Open: 7am to 11.30am. Closed on Friday

Tel: 011-60931914/013-6155877

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

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