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Jotaro's Food Review

Nasi Lemak Wanjo @ Kampung Baru Kuala Lumpur

Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - December 2018
Nasi Lemak is Malaysia's perennial dish. Most times it's sold in small pre-packed packets with minimum add-ons (often just sambal ikan bilis). It's usually eaten as a breakfast dish but can also be a delicious well-sustaining meal for lunch or dinner. Road side stalls can often be found at almost every corner of the major towns, most of which sell the creamy rice with some basic dishes. And then there are larger shops that specialize only in nasi lemak; in these shops often one will find a larger range of spicy dishes.

Nasi Lemak Wanjo is one such shop; established in 1963 it's situated in Kampung Baru, smack in older part of Kuala Lumpur. Kampung Baru, in English "New Village, is not that new; it's a reserve area established more than a hundred years ago to allow the Malays to retain their village lifestyle within the city. Since then Kampung Baru has held out against development and modern-city living, turning into a symbol of Malay culture.
Of late, many tourists find their way there to experience this kampung life-style and also to savour good Malay food from the stalls/shops that are aplenty here. Nasi Lemak Wanjo is one of the favourite food outlets in Kampung Baru, so don't be surprised to find long queues there.
MikeBikes run a regular cycling tour that includes Kampung Baru and also the nearby Chow Kit market; cycling is a good way to get around the busy traffic of this area.

Patrons grab a plate of nasi lemak with the usual accompanying sliced cucumbers, deep-fried ikan bilis (anchovies), fried groundnuts, and then go on to add other dishes which have been laid out buffet style. Let's have a look at the dishes offered here, starting with the favourite - Beef Rendang!
The one here had gravy which was thick and flavourful, but still lacking in spices. The meat though was nicely done, tender and soaking up the flavour of the spices.

While we are at the beef, let's look a related dish - Beef liver rendang. This is also a favourite for those who have acquired the taste for cow liver; the liver is more flavourful than beef and thus imparts an even stronger taste into the rendang gravy, adding with it a powdery consistency.

This very red looking one is Ayam Merah (Chicken Tomato Sauce), it's a dish that's less chilli hot and good for those who can't take too spicy food.

The Chicken Rendang, had more gravy, was tasty too but not as tasty as the beef one.

Then there is the other favourite, Telur Mata (sunny side up eggs) which at nasi lemak stalls are fried until the yolks are not runny. Most patrons will take either this or the hard-boiled eggs. To the left are deep-fried chicken liver, powdery tasty as they have been seasoned in soy sauce; I would have love the chicken liver more if they were cooked rendang sytle.

The Sotong Sambal (Spicy Squid) is also another favourite; there were two huge plates of this. This is a simple dish cooked with chilli and a minimum of other spices. Slightly sweet with the chilli giving it a hot oomph! These ones were a tad tough when compared to the the larger and softer cuttlefish used by most other stalls. Many like this as the flavours from the cuttlefish has bled out into the chilli gravy. Often I can just have plain nasi lemak with these.

The Kerang Curry (curry cockles) is also another flavourful dish.

Okay lets side track to another dish, deep fried Tempe; made from fermented soybeans, this is a favorite Indonesian food. Next to them, on the right, are deep-fried Paruh (cows lungs), chewy bitey, these are an acquired taste.

Wanjo's deep-fried ikan bilis are the best. Knowing that patrons like them very much, these are sold in bottles as take-away. Some will add this as a side-dish when eating rice, while other will just eat them as tit-bits.

Nasi lemak will not be nasi lemak without a strong sambal sauce added. Wanjo's is thick and only slightly sweet, very spicy and will have smoke coming out of one's ears.

I take my selection and joined my friends and the ample seating area...

Mmmmmm......
LAZAT-NYA!!
(that's Malay for Delicious!)

Below are their menus:

Wanjo's food menu. A basic plate of Nasi Lemak with Fried/Hard-boiled eggs, cucmber, peanuts, ikan bilis is RM4-00. Patrons add on other dishes according to their preferences or budget.

Wanjo's Drinks Menu.

Wanjo's Fruit Juices Menu.

NASI LEMAK WANJO

8, Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Baru, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 012-395 3884
Hours: 6:30am–12pm | 3pm–12:30am (Everyday)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nasilemakwanjo

GPS & Direction Map : 3.16235, 101.70441

(Click here for Google Street View)
How to get there:
Take a MRT train to the Kampung Baru Station; it's about three hundred meters away, just ask the helpful locals for directions.

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