PETALING JAYA, May 14 — There are many nasi kerabu stalls out there catering to the lunch or after work crowd with excellent fare. However, for the sake of this article, we are concentrating on brick and mortar shops that stay open for most of the day. The blue-hued rice that originates from the East Coast is one of my favourite dishes because I just love the umami taste in the budu (fish sauce) combined with the sweet (acar, kerisik), savoury (salted egg, keropok) and bright (ulam, acar) elements.

Bibisik stands out as the most popular restaurant in One City. This little known establishment has one of the best nasi kerabu in the Puchong/Subang area. A word of warning, though. Its Nasi Kerabu Kelantan (Ayam Percik) is served at room temperature, much like how it’s done on the East Coast. This may put off some Klang Valley customers who prefer warm grub, but if you can get past that, you’re in for a treat! The service here is excellent too.

Rarn D’Anggun is a no-frills Southern Thai eatery. The owners of this place actually hail from Kelantan. They do a very authentic nasi kerabu paired with the delicious Kerutuk Ayam Kampung. The aromatic rice is a treat and the seats are always filled by the lunch crowd working in the area.

Kesom Cafe in Aman Suria was one of my regular haunts back when I lived nearby. A lot of places skimp on the kerisik (coconut flakes) but Kesom gives you a proper serving. The serunding ikan here is pretty good too. Sometimes there is Sambal Petai Udang Besar, which I highly recommend.

Dua by SKOHNS is located on the second floor of a row of shophouses, which makes it a bit hard to find. A good mix of Malay and Western food is served here but I usually come for the nasi kerabu. This place uses unexpected proteins served as special or limited-time menu items; the two I’ve had so far — Nasi Kerabu Salted Egg Chicken and Nasi Kerabu Grilled Lamb — were delicious. It’s worth mentioning that they also allow you to purchase meals for the homeless who drop in occasionally. The dishes you buy as well as the servings are listed on a whiteboard outside for visibility.

Restoran Patatimo is the place to head to if you’re craving for nasi kerabu at 3 in the morning. It’s open till 5am and the nasi kerabu comes with freshly fried chicken. It’s surprisingly good for an (almost) 24-hour establishment.

GETTING THERE

Bibisik

D-GF-8, Ground Floor, Sky Park @ One City, Subang Jaya, Selangor

LRT/MRT: USJ 21

From the station: 600 metres

Operating hours: 10am-10pm

Rarn D’Anggun

28, Jalan USJ 9/5N, Subang Jaya, Selangor

LRT/MRT: Taipan

From the station: 450 metres

Operating hours: 10am-9pm (nasi kerabu available on weekdays)

Kesom Cafe

F-46-G, Jalan PJU 1/45, Aman Suria, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

LRT/MRT: Kelana Jaya

From the station: 600 metres

Operating hours: 10.30 am-5.30 pm (closed on Wednesdays)

Dua by SKOHNS

12A, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

LRT/MRT: TTDI

From the station: 300 metres

Operating hours: noon-2.30 pm; 6-11pm (weekdays), noon-11pm (weekends)

Restoran Patatimo

11, Jalan Wangsa Delima 10, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur

LRT/MRT: Sri Rampai

From the station: 400 metres

Operating hours: 7.30am-5am