SHAH ALAM, March 20 — Glenmarie’s light industrial area with its many car workshops and light factories is the most unlikely place to find an eatery serving nasi kandar. Surprisingly, Raihan Nasi Kandar draws quite a crowd from its neighbours, students from the nearby KDU campus and office workers.
Tracing its roots back to Penang, Raihan Nasi Kandar has been in this area for around 20 years where it’s made a name for itself with its addictive nasi ganja. The eatery that started out as a roadside stall is run by two brothers, Raihan who is the founder and Abdul Rahman who helps to manage this place.
The siblings are continuing a legacy passed down from their grandfather who once peddled the rice and curries on the streets of Penang. A few years ago, citing a lack of space, the nasi kandar shop moved to bigger premises in Denai Alam but about three years ago, the shop relocated back here when this larger space with two shoplots was made available.
Come during lunch time from noon to 2pm, and you will bear witness to the popularity of their nasi ganja. There’s no ganja in the rice; apart from it being a reference to the addictiveness of the dish, the ganja also refers to the dark and almost black looking fried bits that are ladled out when they fry their chicken. Regulars know the drill here and would join the queue to get their food. The nasi kandar is available from 9.30am onwards but the peak time is during lunch.
Once you reach the counter, choose your preferred piece of fried chicken from the basket. The fried chicken marinated with a mix of spices and chilli powder is prepared in batches to keep it juicy and fresh. Your plate of fluffy rice is also given the typical nasi kandar treatment, as the man behind the counter ladles up their assortment of curries like an expert mixologist.
Watch him as he scoops a ladle of fish, chicken and the dark beef curry from the huge pots. With lightning speed, he’ll add a dash of sotong and lamb curry from two smaller containers on a shelf. Next it’s a scoop of bean sprouts cooked in turmeric and your plate of rice is ready for your fried chicken that is chopped and flattened. Don’t forget to help yourself to a scoop of ganja to add oomph!
For RM7, it makes for an incredibly satisfying meal. The smell of the fried chicken with its succulent meat is alluring with its mix of spices. Our only gripe is they tend to be a bit heavy handed with the salt levels, so avoid the skin should you prefer a less saltier meal. For Fridays and Saturdays, you have a choice of nasi biryani with your fried chicken.
If you prefer, there is also an assortment of cooked dishes available at the counter for you to select. Popular choices include their sotong cooked in curry or fried with curry leaves. Other goodies available at the counter include all kinds of fried items like fish eggs, potato chips and bitter gourd cut into thin slices. You can also select from the various curries, if you prefer.
Strangely, you find sambal petai here. Have a taste and you won’t regret adding a scoop to your rice, as the sambal is not too spicy but slightly sweet tasting with the chopped onions while the petai seeds add a nice contrast of texture. Another item unique to their restaurant is the rarely seen peeled garlic cloves fried with dried chillies.
In the morning from 7am to 11am, the restaurant serves roti canai and thosai for breakfast. Other choices like mee rebus, rojak mee and murtabak are also available through out the day but usually everyone drops by for their nasi kandar fix.
Raihan Nasi Kandar, No. 37, Jalan Pengeluaran U1/78, Taman Perindustrian Batu 3, Glenmarie, Shah Alam. Tel: 03-5511 3519.
Open: 7am to 7pm. Closed on the last Sunday of the month.
