KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — I am guilty of scrolling through food delivery sites... all the time. Mostly for work but sometimes I just want the convenience.

I came across Taste of Medan on Grab and their food offerings grabbed my attention since I was craving for some lontong.

After reading positive reviews on Google, I decided to give them a try. I'm glad I did as the home-styled food was tasty and I enjoyed it immensely.

In fact, I reckon a little visit to the restaurant, once the conditional movement control order (CMCO) is over, is in the cards as I spy more dishes on Facebook that look really interesting.

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There's the all-time favourite nasi lemak. It comes with a choice of ayam goreng berempah, ayam rendang or sambal sotong. I zoomed in on the fried chicken since it had rave reviews. This was RM18.90 with a drink and a choice of their own-made acar or dessert.

I got an interesting version of nasi lemak. Of course, there was rice cooked with coconut milk, peanuts, cucumbers and sambal but it was incredibly colourful.

You get green hues from the cooked French beans. Then there were splashes of red from the chillies in the fried potatoes mixed with glass noodles.

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Their 'lontong sayur' Medan is tasty with a slight burst of spiciness from the hidden sliced chillies
Their 'lontong sayur' Medan is tasty with a slight burst of spiciness from the hidden sliced chillies

Even the rice came dressed with sliced omelette, bringing a nice bright sunshine yellow to the overall dish.

The side dishes were all tasty and complemented the rice with a light coconut milk taste. You also have a mild, thick sambal served on the side. The fried chicken was finger licking good with shreds of fried lemongrass.

An interesting dish popular in Medan, where the owners originate from, is nasi sayur Medan (RM14.90). You can also choose to have it with compressed rice cubes by ordering the lontong sayur Medan (RM14.90).

The highlight is the stir fried potatoes mixed with tempeh, glass noodles, chillies and sliced French beans. For the rice version, this comes with a small portion of thick creamy coconut sauce similar to what you get with rendang. You mix the rice with the stir-fried noodles and a little of the sayur lodeh given with its creamy broth to enjoy the whole combination.

Something unusual and unique to Medan is the 'nasi sayur' where you mix rice with a stir fry of potatoes, tempeh, long beans and glass noodles
Something unusual and unique to Medan is the 'nasi sayur' where you mix rice with a stir fry of potatoes, tempeh, long beans and glass noodles

You will drink every drop of their 'nasi soto ayam' Medan as the broth is sweet and tasty (left). The set meals offered on the food delivery sites offer an ice lemon tea drink and a choice of acar or this layered 'agar agar' with a nice crunchy texture (right)
You will drink every drop of their 'nasi soto ayam' Medan as the broth is sweet and tasty (left). The set meals offered on the food delivery sites offer an ice lemon tea drink and a choice of acar or this layered 'agar agar' with a nice crunchy texture (right)

I prefer the lontong version since I am partial to compressed rice cubes. The sayur lodeh served on the side was lovely with a nice, creamy taste. These came with shredded cabbage and chayote which infused the broth with a nice sweetness.

A highly recommended dish was the nasi soto ayam Medan (RM16.90). I can understand why as the broth that was served with it was incredibly sweet and addictive.

I'm more used to eating my soto with compressed rice cubes but it's also nice with rice. It reminded me a little of Teochew rice porridge where cooked rice is paired with broths.

You get generous amounts of shredded chicken with bean sprouts. On the side, there's a large bergedil or potato cutlet with frilly fried edges. It's nice on its own but if you wish for an extra spicy oomph, there's a green chilli sauce to amp up the spice levels.

All your food is packed in boxes except the broths and the boxes are sealed with tape to prevent tampering
All your food is packed in boxes except the broths and the boxes are sealed with tape to prevent tampering

The 'nasi lemak' comes in two packages, one is a divided box for the various elements and another is a brown paper bag for the fried chicken
The 'nasi lemak' comes in two packages, one is a divided box for the various elements and another is a brown paper bag for the fried chicken

Even the acar served on the side is nice, reminiscent of a Nyonya acar with slightly less crunch. 

I also liked the dessert: A multi-coloured layer affair with crunchy agar agar and coconut milk. The drink served with the set is ice lemon tea but if you want the true taste of an Indonesian meal, add a bottle of Teh Sosro. That sugar-laden ice tea drink is synonymous with Indonesian food as nothing can beat the combination of spicy food and a super sweet beverage.

Taste of Medan, 10, Jalan 20/38A, Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut, KL. Tel:03-6280 6285. Open: 9am to 5pm. You can order their food via Grab or FoodPanda. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TasteofmedanKL