PETALING JAYA, May 7 — For a long time, Nasi Ahmad at Kota Damansara was on my (also long!) list of must-tries.
Unfortunately, it kept getting pushed down as I reviewed other places. Since I now have the luxury of time, I thought I'd give it a go. A big push also came from an IG friend who kept tempting me with pictures of his meals from there.
If you're within the vicinity of Section 3, Kota Damansara, you can order their food via GrabFood, Food Panda and Delivereat.
Should you be further, there's always the option of sending a delivery service to pick up your order from their eatery that opens from noon. During the Ramadan period, they are also offering kuih, murtabak and coconut water but these stalls only open later in the afternoon.
Nasi Ahmad is essentially nasi kandar Kedah style. Select from an array of cooked dishes like daging hitam, mutton kurma and so forth, to be paired with their yellow coloured turmeric rice.
The rice is unique to the state and at some places, it is referred to as nasi lemak too, since it is cooked with coconut milk and a mix of spices. On its own, the rice has a light aroma with just the right touch of coconut milk.
You can easily eat it on its own but then you will be missing out on the ultimate flavour boost... their thick mix of curries. Each different curry is layered on the rice, creating a flavour bomb that will explode in your mouth.
I had a few pointers from my friend so I zoomed in on their kambing kurma. You get a tender piece of mutton on the bone served with a creamy sauce. The combination of the soft meat and that rich gravy was sublime. I am not ashamed to say I was licking up every drop of the flavourful gravy.
Throughout the lockdown, I've eaten some pretty dismal ayam goreng. Some look gorgeous with a golden brown skin but bite into it and I discover that it is tasteless.
This fried chicken was by far the best I have tasted, It's tender and you get a distinct taste of the spices. Since it was delivered, the skin wasn't crispy any more but I can imagine how much nicer it will be when the dine-in option is eventually available.
The daging hitam may look unappetising but the tender beef chunks are packed with flavour. That is because the kicap hitam is absorbed into the meat that is slow cooked till tender.
You can also be decadent by adding a piece of sotong masak merah. It comes with the egg sac within, giving you a contrast of textures from the sotong and soft eggs inside.
The sauce is thick and flavourful but I must admit I wasn't blown away by this item. The winners for me were the kambing kurma and ayam goreng, followed closely by the daging hitam.
You can also ask for vegetables to accompany your meal and I opted for ladies fingers (bendi) that were a nice refreshing touch to the meal. There are other options like long beans, fried bitter gourd and cabbage.
On their food delivery menu, you can choose to order their sets where one portion of rice is paired with a protein and egg. For instance, prices on Foodpanda start from RM9 for the daging hitam set and the most expensive is the kambing kurma set for RM15. If you prefer, you can also order rice and the dishes separate too. My meal came up to RM28.50 for two portions where I mixed and matched my own dishes.
Nasi Ahmad, 39, Jalan Teknologi 3/613, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Open daily from 12pm to 7.30pm. WhatsApp 019-4421611 to place your order and arrange your own delivery to pick up the order. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nasiahmadkds3/
