Nasi Lemak Kak Yah (Caveat Emptor)

(beside Jabatan Kimia)

Jalan Cherong Lanjut

20300 Kuala Terengganu

(Coordinates: E103° 8' 25.3" N5° 19' 12.0")

We’ve made plans to visit the state museum today. We thought to make sure we had a hearty breakfast before the long morning of walking ahead and what can be more hearty than some good old ¹Nasi Lemak, Terengganu style.

¹fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and screwpine leaves

no long queues this time around

We’ve been meaning to give this Nasi Lemak stall a try for some time now, but each time we come here the throngs of crowd that line up deter us. This time however, no large crowds were present and we plopped ourselves at the nearest available bench and proceeded to order.

garnered quite some interest

neat cosy interior

varied dishes to complement their nasi lemak

vast majority opt to take-away

Brendan had the Nasi Lemak with ²Ayam Rendang while both Cat and I tried the Nasi Lemak with ³Sotong Sambal.

²chicken slow cooked in rich and spicy coconut sauce with lime leaves and lemon grass

³fresh squid (calamari) cooked in a spicy robust sauce made with chillies, shallots, garlic, stewed tomatoes, tamarind paste and belachan (dried shrimp paste)

Brendan's nasi lemak with ayam rendang

while Cat and I opted for the...

... nasi lemak with sotong sambal

the bill soon wiped away her smile

The verdict? We found ourselves wondering why a large crowd forms in front of this stall most times we’re here. While we have nothing negative to say taste-wise, we were also of the opinion that there was nothing remarkable about the Nasi Lemak here. And the damage? This is the crucial question, since by any stretch of the imagination this stall’s prices are very steep. Together with a round of beverages (Brendan had Iced Tea, Cat had Iced Tea with condensed milk while I had a cup of hot Nescafe) it came to RM17, which by Kuala Terengganu standards is exorbitant.

Would we come here again? We’re afraid unremarkable Nasi Lemak plus unreasonable pricing always equals a pass in the future.