The food is served in easy-to-go packets; nasi dagang, nasi hujan panas (or nasi minyak) with a choice of daging kuzi or ayam masak merah, and nasi lemak ikan. The dishes all pay tribute to one family’s heritage from Terengganu.

The nasi dagang is cooked the authentic Terengganu style (left). Packing the nasi dagang to form a banana leaf triangle (right).
The nasi dagang is cooked the authentic Terengganu style (left). Packing the nasi dagang to form a banana leaf triangle (right).

“We want to push the authentic home kampung taste to others”, explained Zunita Adibah binti Mohamed Adib (or Mok Teh) who heads up the kitchen. She adds, “Our motto is whatever we serve in the house is what we sell or we jual apa kita makan.”

The catalyst for this food business was Mok Teh’s son, Wan Ameer Naqiuddin (Ameer), 25. As a student back in 2008, his first taste of business was when he decided to sell the packets of nasi dagang made by his mother at his uncle’s bread stall.

Look for the eatery in Wangsa Maju that is opposite MBSB.
Look for the eatery in Wangsa Maju that is opposite MBSB.

Located along the busy Jalan Tengah (behind Menara Weld) in the heart of the city centre, he set up a small plastic table and plonked a rattan basket filled with the packets every Friday lunch hour.

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For his first day, he pocketed RM10 for the 10 packets, just enough to cover his parking charges! Buoyed by the positive response from customers, he slowly increased the number of packets each week till it hit about 50 packets which were all snapped up by customers.

At the end of his first few weeks, he had raised enough money to fund a diving trip so he stopped the business to the disappointment of his customers.

The customers are often people from Terengganu who are seeking the taste of their hometown.
The customers are often people from Terengganu who are seeking the taste of their hometown.

As his mother recalls, he then dropped a bombshell on her one Ramadan by telling her that he had signed up for the Ramadan bazaar in Setiawangsa.

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According to his father Wan Ameer Ruzman bin Wan Salaidin, the good-hearted boy had decided to raise funds for his uncle for the Raya season.

After they opened in September, the eatery closed for a few months to renovate to it's present look.
After they opened in September, the eatery closed for a few months to renovate to it's present look.

Mok Teh tells us it was a steep learning curve for them since they had no experience selling food in bulk. In fact, Ameer started to regret his decision after one week as it was such an uphill task undertaking the business and fasting at the same time.

They also found out the hard way that not all types of banana leaves could be folded into a parcel as the fibres are too hard. After many trials, they now hang out the banana leaves in the sun to soften the fibres. It was also a race for time so they would often be late for the bazaar, opening their stall only about 5pm.

Customers would often be hanging around waiting for them to arrive. Within one hour, everything would be sold out to their surprise. That experience saw them venturing into the catering business where food would be cooked and delivered upon order.

They chalked up a few regular clients including companies like Telekom Malaysia Berhad and Scomi Oil & Gas.

Wan Ameer Ruzman bin Wan Salaidin is taking a break from his IT business to help at the eatery.
Wan Ameer Ruzman bin Wan Salaidin is taking a break from his IT business to help at the eatery.

The turning point for the home-based business was when Ameer told his parents who run their own IT company that he didn’t want to continue his accountancy studies in UITM.

Instead he decided that he will make a go in the food business. As the business expanded, they took over this shoplot in Wangsa Maju as their central kitchen. Last September, they decided to open it up as an eatery. After a few months, they closed it for renovations and re-opened in December.

All the food at the eatery is cooked by Mok Teh or their family members as she prefers to jaga the food quality so customers who taste it can feel (or taste) the difference.

From left to right: Wan Ameer Ruzman bin Wan Salaidin, Wan Adib Zahiruddin, Wan Ameer Naqiuddin, Zunita Adibah binti Mohamed Adib and Toh Puan Halimah Tahar.
From left to right: Wan Ameer Ruzman bin Wan Salaidin, Wan Adib Zahiruddin, Wan Ameer Naqiuddin, Zunita Adibah binti Mohamed Adib and Toh Puan Halimah Tahar.

She admits that she had a late start in cooking, picking it up only when she went to university in the US. As there were students from Penang, KL and Terengganu, they would often get together to cook up local specialties.

She would learn how to make roti canai and sell it with her friends. There was even a work stint at a local Chinese restaurant where she learnt to make one of her specialties: fried wantans filled with cheese. “They wanted me to wear a cheongsam but I said I’ll wear my baju kurung!”

She recalls that when her father visited her for her graduation, she decided that she would make nasi dagang. It was her first time tackling that dish on her own but armed with a jar of spices that her mother had given her, she managed to whip up the dish using canned mackerel as a substitute for ikan tongkol. “I was not a good cook but I love cooking,” she admits.

Behind the delicious taste of the eatery’s food is Mok Teh’s mother Toh Puan Halimah Tahar who has been staying with her since 1988. “My KPI is 81-years old and every day I get her to taste the food.”

Occasionally, you get laksam at the eatery.
Occasionally, you get laksam at the eatery.

Fondly known as Che’ Nga as she’s the only child, she learnt to cook from a young age. She recalls climbing on a stool to reach the firewood oven from as young as 5 years old to cook her meal. As told by Mok Teh, she’s the type of cook who can taste one dish outside and recreate it at home.

The incredibly particular lady also insists that Mok Teh makes her own spice mixes for the dishes rather than rely on pre-packaged spices. Till today, she’s the indulgent grandmother who will cook anything for her five grandsons. As she is not the type to be twiddling her thumbs at home, her current project is preparing the pulut panggang for the eatery.

Pulut panggang is one of the items they plan to introduce in the eatery (left). On the counter, you have various packets of nasi dagang, nasi lemak ikan and nasi hujan panas to select (right).
Pulut panggang is one of the items they plan to introduce in the eatery (left). On the counter, you have various packets of nasi dagang, nasi lemak ikan and nasi hujan panas to select (right).

When you dine at the eatery, just walk up the counter and select a package. You will be attracted to the banana leaf parcel which is the traditional way of wrapping the nasi dagang as it imparts a lovely fragrance to the rice.

When customers spotted this packaging at the Ramadan bazaar, they thought it was tapai they were selling. According to Mok Teh, even in Terengganu, it’s hard to find these types of wrapping since it’s deemed to be troublesome compared to the convenience of using brown paper.

It’s a relatively small portion since they want to minimise wastage but if you love the taste of the nasi dagang with the gulai ikan tongkol and acar, just reach out for another packet to satisfy your cravings.

Relish the delicious nasi lemak ikan that is served with a piece of ikan tongkol hitam.
Relish the delicious nasi lemak ikan that is served with a piece of ikan tongkol hitam.

You will notice the grains are pearl white in colour since the Terengganu version does not use beras merah like the Kelantanese one. Mok Teh tells us that the rice is double steamed and the coconut milk is folded into the grains.

Usually the traditional Terengganu way is to cook the grains al dente but Mok Teh has tweaked the recipe a little to suit the KLites’ preference for slightly softer rice.

She has also had to dial back the sweetness of some of the dishes, since the Terengganu versions are often too sweet for the locals here. Nowadays the rice is cooked by Mok Teh’s husband Wan Ameer Ruzman since handling five kilogrammes of rice is a little too much for her.

He gets up at 4am to cook the rice. It’s imperative that the the coconut milk is folded in quickly with the steamed rice grains with a quick and light hand. As Mok Teh advises, the grains have to be shiny and not clump together.

The eatery prefers to use the pricier ikan tongkol hitam that has a softer flesh (left). Nasi dagang is packed in banana leaf parcels to impart a lovely fragrance to the rice (right).
The eatery prefers to use the pricier ikan tongkol hitam that has a softer flesh (left). Nasi dagang is packed in banana leaf parcels to impart a lovely fragrance to the rice (right).

Accompanying their nasi dagang is the gulai ikan tongkol, a lighter version compared to that from other stalls. Mok Teh prefers to use the black variant of the fish that is also known as ikan aya.

The ikan tongkol hitam yields a softer flesh compared to the generic white variant. It’s also pricier compared to the white variant.

The fish is also used for their nasi lemak, as the art of serving it with just a pinch of fish. Not many people know of nasi lemak ikan, a Terengganu specialty. Try it and you will fall in love with the lightly scented coconut steamed rice with a not overly spicy sambal and a piece of the ikan tongkol.

Nasi hujan panas with its colourful grains is accompanied with acar and a choice of ayam masak merah or daging kuzi.
Nasi hujan panas with its colourful grains is accompanied with acar and a choice of ayam masak merah or daging kuzi.

There is also nasi hujan panas, which is essentially nasi minyak except the grains are dotted with colours to brighten the dish up. There are two choices of dishes to accompany your meal: daging kuzi with tender beef cubes and a sweetish gravy, or ayam masak merah with its fiery reddish tomato sauce.

The taste of the nasi hujan panas brings back memories of a wedding kenduri since it’s often served during those celebrations. For weekdays, lunch dishes are also served with plain white rice. However there’s no menu and it’s dependent on whatever Mok Teh cooks up from their market finds.

The daging kuzi is one of the items that accompany the nasi hujan panas.
The daging kuzi is one of the items that accompany the nasi hujan panas.

The love for food runs deep in the family. As there are five boys in the family with voracious appetites, it’s been more economical to cook at home. Often, Wan Ameer Ruzman would be roasting a slab of beef or lamb for their family dinners.

With Ameer pursuing the food business, Mok Teh is happy that there is someone to carry on the family’s traditional recipes. His mother recalls that it’s a 360-degree change from his younger days when he’ll refuse to visit the wet markets since he couldn’t stand the smell.

Nowadays, you find him shopping for the ingredients for the eatery. She has also taught him the steps to cooking up their family recipes so he is adept in cooking up the dishes himself. However, since they are short of staff, Ameer is often in the front of the eatery handling the customers.

A family specialty is the steamed English fruit cake that is appreciated for its delicate texture.
A family specialty is the steamed English fruit cake that is appreciated for its delicate texture.

Another family specialty is their English fruit cake, a throwback to the old days when Mok Teh’s father, a former judge, used to love eating it. The cake is a mixture of raisins, black currants, lemon peel, almonds and cherries that is mixed together and steamed.

It took Mok Teh about seven years to master the making of the cake from her mother. Since 2003, they have been selling the fruit cake by order and many customers appreciate the delicate texture of the cake that is laden with fruits.

In the freezer, discover Terengganu fare like ropa and keropok lekor.
In the freezer, discover Terengganu fare like ropa and keropok lekor.

About two years ago, Ameer started to make it and just after one year, he has received praises from the other family members for his cake-making skills so Mok Teh has handed the baton to him.

That’s not the end of the food available here as they have also recruited friends and family members to contribute to their specialties. For instance, every Friday they serve ayam percik Kelantanese style at the eatery, thanks to a friend of Mok Teh’s.

You will also notice a freezer at the eatery that is filled with homemade ropa, a Terengganu specialty that is similar to murtabak made by Ameer’s aunt. You also have another Terengganu specialty, keropok lekor that you can buy home and deep fry at your own convenience. You can also pick up karipap ikan and frozen items from NN Kitchen, a friend of theirs from Johor who supplies ayam pandan and pepes ayam.

Every Raya, they make agar-agar kering to sell.
Every Raya, they make agar-agar kering to sell.

Roti paun is a Terengganu specialty that can be made by order.
Roti paun is a Terengganu specialty that can be made by order.

Every Raya, the family also makes their own agar-agar kering. There are more dishes up Mok Teh’s sleeves, like roti paun, a Terengganu specialty, or bekam that is served with a mixture of sweet-tasting kuah manis and coconut-rich kuah merah, nasi goreng ikan panggang, sotong pulut or stuffed sotong with glutinous rice, and the list goes on.

One thing for sure, we know we’ll be in the family’s good hands when we dine here.

Mok Teh Nasi Dagang Terengganu
No. 50, Jalan Wangsa Delima 6
Wangsa Maju, KL
Tel: 012-299 7341
Open: 8am to 2pm (Tuesdays to Sundays). Closed on Monday.

On weekdays, nasi dagang, nasi lemak ikan and nasi hujan panas are available in the morning. Lunch dishes are available from 12pm. During weekends, nasi dagang, nasi lemak ikan and nasi hujan panas are available throughout the day.

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