GEORGE TOWN, Nov 20 — Nasi lemak is the quintessential Malaysian meal whether it is for breakfast, lunch, tea break, dinner or even supper.
However, nasi lemak is not just limited to the small ready-packed variety with a limited choice of egg, anchovies (ikan bilis) and fish that can be grabbed from the mamak stalls for a fast five-minute meal.
Nasi lemak can also be a regular full course meal where you can have your pick of a variety of curries, chicken, fish and vegetables to go with the fragrant coconut milk rice.
We have previously featured several nasi lemak places to try out in Penang and this time around, we are featuring nasi lemak stalls that are pretty much like rice stalls except the rice they offer is nasi lemak or rice cooked with coconut milk, not the plain white rice.
There are many such stalls now offering nasi lemak as an alternative to the otherwise plain white rice and though the choice of dishes varies, the essentials are hard boiled eggs, crunchy anchovies (ikan bilis), cucumbers and crispy fried fish.
Each stall offers their own signature dishes and this includes the likes of fried chicken kampung-style, belacan fried chicken, beef curry, chicken curry, lamb kurma and seafood choices like squid, prawns and even crabs.
Here are some stalls offering a choice of dishes to go with your nasi lemak. Some of these places are open for breakfast and some only for dinner.
Roadside stall, Jalan Fettes
GPS: 5.451601, 100.304471
Time: 8.30am-10am
Look for a makeshift stall under two large umbrellas and a few plastic tables on the pavement. They don’t have a name or a proper place but the long queue at their stall is the best way to find them. They offer a variety of dishes and are well known for their rich beef curry that goes perfectly with their nasi lemak. Do go early because they run out really fast.
Projek Nasi Lemak, Jalan Dato Keramat
GPS: 5.413397, 100.314706
Time: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10:30pm
This shop along the busy main road in Datuk Keramat is relatively new but has been attracting droves of customers due to its sets of nasi lemak that go with the usual anchovies, hard boiled egg and crunchy fried chicken but with an option to add on other deep-fried stuff like squid and prawns.
Speed Fire Cycle Trading
Lorong Bagan Luar 2, Butterworth
GPS: 5.409981, 100.370266
Time: 8am-3pm
Don’t be fooled by the signboard of the shop because this is a nasi lemak place and not an accessory shop. The shop has a variety of dishes to choose from and it also always has a long queue so go early.
Nasi Lemak Warung Kak Sadiah
Pasar Awam Sri Bandar
Tingkat Bagan Baru 3, Butterworth
GPS: 5.405554, 100.372512
Time: 5.30am-9:30am
Located within the market complex, this stall has at least 15 different types of dishes to choose from such as prawns, cuttlefish, squid, chicken, anchovies, fried eggs, sausages and a variety of mostly spicy sambal-fried or curried dishes to go with its nasi lemak.
Nasi Lemak Liverpool
Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, Batu Lanchang
GPS: 5.392623, 100.306920
Time: 5pm-1am
This is strictly a supper place but they are also open for dinner and obviously, they are Liverpool fans. Other than nasi lemak, they also serve other á la carte food like tom yam soup and plain rice sets.
