PETALING JAYA, May 29 – I remember the first time I heard of Jaleel's nasi lemak bungkus.
It was from my ex-colleague. He had discovered it back in 1993 when hunger pangs drove him and his friends to look for supper at the food court.
Even though it wasn't the only nasi lemak there, the simple taste of the nasi lemak bungkus reminded him of his younger days back in his hometown in Batu Pahat.
After that, it became his go to for supper with friends. Sometimes, he would happily eat at least four to five packets in one go.
Those same buddies even threw him a farewell party there before he moved to Hong Kong.
After he relocated to Hong Kong, he even persuaded us to bring him the nasi lemak bungkus when we visited him. We painstakingly froze the packets and brought them over so he could savour that old taste.
Till today, whenever my friend visits Malaysia, he tries to make a beeline there to take away a few packets.
One evening, when I drove past, I decided to drop by the food court to try this nasi lemak bungkus. The strange thing is despite hearing so much about it, I have not tasted it before.
You know you're in the right place when you spy a plate stacked with triangular shaped nasi lemak, right in front of the Jaleel Teh Tarik stall.
Grab a packet and they will give you a plate with a spoon. You also have an option to add a whole hard boiled egg for an extra RM1.
What I liked was how each packet was still warm, as they wrap it in small batches to keep it fresh. Each packet is RM1.50, a far cry from its early days about 30 years ago when it was only 80 cents.
Unlike other places where the sambal is bright red, this one is a more natural hue as they don't use pre-prepared chilli paste and everything is cooked using dried chillies, fresh chillies and onions.
The taste is mildly spicy but tasty. This pairs well with the fluffy rice with a hint of coconut milk. Mix it all with a small slice of hard boiled egg, fried peanuts and ikan bilis.
You must chase down the rice with a glass of teh tarik. It's fragrant tea with a not too sweet, creamy taste. It's a great combination that makes you want to continuously order seconds.
The stall is run by Kak Ida who does everything from making the drinks – frothing each cup – by "pulling” the tea between two steel mugs. She makes the nasi lemak too with the help of the friendly Kak Ani, who was cleaning the banana leaves at the stall when I visited.
The stall has been selling drinks and the nasi lemak bungkus for 30 years.
For the nasi lemak bungkus, it's available the whole day except from 3pm to 5pm, when they take a break.
Jaleel's Teh Tarik, Stall No. 11, Gerai Seksyen 8, Jalan Lampam 8/3, PJS 8, Petaling Jaya. Open 24 hours.
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