Zainul Nasi Kandar PJ

You see this? It’s Zainul’s addictive nasi kandar & tasty fried chicken just teasing you. Fried fresh everyday from 10am… the smells.. the smells.. its wafts in the air throughout the building. It has a lightly curried batter and very juicy and tasty. I guess that is what 38+ years of experience tastes like.

” This stuff is addictive! ”

I remember finding out about Zainul Nasi Kandar back in high school. My mom’s friends insisted that it was better than any nasi kandar in Penang. Incredulous, we had to check it out. Needless to say, I haven’t really eaten nasi kandar anywhere else since. I went back the other day with my brother after weeks of not having a proper nasi kandar fix, and boy, was I not disappointed.

Let’s set the scene: Makcik Zainun’s (the boss lady) operations span 3 stalls: one for the main shop, one for drinks, and one kitchen where large vats of curry bubble like cauldrons. Makcik Zainun herself prepares these curries every morning before the stall opens. Women workers were walking around in giant plastic aprons carrying steaming containers full of curry, calling out “Panas, panas, panas” as a warning for people to get out of the way. Drink orders are shouted over the din of the crowd, louder than usual that day as it was raining. The line is manageable as it’s rather early but I’ve been here at 1.30pm before and the slow-moving queue will stretch all the way to the food court entrance.

The crowd is diverse. Everyone eats here; young families, elderly couples, large groups of yuppies, policemen, MBPJ workers, students. Office boys drive away with more than ten bungkus take-away packs balanced precariously in their motorcycle baskets to bring back to their hungry colleagues. And amazingly, they all seem to be regulars. I’ve seen many of their faces before on many occasions; their drinks arrive on their tables without them having to order. The large, varied and patient crowd speaks volumes about the quality of the food.

Since I haven’t had nasi kandar in a while, I decided to order the works. And by the works, I really mean the works. Ayam goreng, sotong goreng, ikan goreng, hati ayam, telur masin, telur ikan and the all-important daging masak hitam. The fried items were done to crispy chewy perfection. My favourite here is the sotong goreng, flaky batter bits adding a tasty crunch to my meal. The telur ikan here is served a little differently: fried then drowned in kuah campur. Lip-smackingly good! A cannot miss item is definitely their daging masak hitam. I have daging masak hitam whenever I have nasi kandar at any restaurant, but their version is the best. It’s hearty and thick, with a nice background medley of spice. Imagine a good thick beef curry jacked up with Malay-style soy sauce. The beef itself has had a good healthy soak in the gravy so the flavour has seeped right through. To quote a famous foodie, “Die-die must try!” One tiny shortcoming is that as with most other nasi kandar stalls, the vegetable offerings are limited. The taugeh is blanched which goes well with the rice but also go for the slightly better kubis instead.

You see this? It’s Zainul’s addictive fried damn chicken. Fried fresh everyday from 10am… the smells.. the smells.. its wafts in the air throughout the building. It has a lightly curried batter and very juicy and tasty. I guess that is what 38+ years of experience tastes like. Peel of the skin. Eat. Bite into the ayam. Chew. Gaul some into the curried rice. Eat some more… I can tell you right now that you’re going to be napping on your desk. Ah, curry… and fried chicken.


Update : Zainuls Curried Fried Chicken has been selected by the FriedChillies Ayam Lejen judges as one of the Top 8 Fried Chickens. Don’t miss Malaysia’s 1st Fried Chicken Festival this coming 18th – 19th Nov 2017. See you there!

Address	Medan Selera MBPJ, Lorong Sultan, Seksyen 52, 46200 Petaling Jaya Tel: 03 7956 2724
Open	Daily : 11 am – 3 pm
Pro	Great Nasi Kandar with varieties
Cons	The queue can get a little ridiculous.
Price Range	RM 10-RM 30
Parking	Canlah
Certification	Muslim Owned