Dagang Rice

Nasi dagang (Jawi: ﻧﺎﺳﻲ ﺩﺍ ) is a Malaysian and Southern Thai dish consisting of rice steamed in coconut milk, fish curry and extra ingredients such as fried shaved coconut, hard-boiled eggs and vegetable pickles. Nasi Dagang literally means "Trading Rice". It is a well-known breakfast food in the states on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, such as Terengganu and Kelantan and Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in Southern Thailand. The most famous Nasi dagang of Terengganu comes from Kampung Ladang, an area within the Kuala Terengganu district. [1] Nasi Dagang can also be considered as a festive dish in Kelantan and Terengganu because it is prepared at home for the morning of Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, to be eaten as a breakfast before or after the Eid prayers in the mosque

Kandar Rice

"Nasi" is Malay for rice, as white rice serves as the only constant for every nasi kandar meal. "Kandar" refers to a wooden or bamboo yoke that Indian street vendors used in the old days; they would balance a container of food on each end of the yoke, then sell their food on the streets carrying their merchandise. While the kandar has gone the way of the British colonial government, the foods remain, now served from stationary stalls or restaurants.
Alongside their rice, diners pick and choose from an assortment of side dishes: beef spleen, beef cubes, fried sotong (squid), fried chicken, okra, omelets, bitter gourd, and eggplant. The dishes may either be piled on the rice or served in small bowls separately.

Nonya Recipe

Peranakan or Nonya cuisine combines Chinese, Malay and other influences into a unique blend.
Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore, inter-marrying with local Malays. The old Malay word nonya (also spelled nyonya), a term of respect and affection for women of prominent social standing (part “madame” and part “auntie”), has come to refer to the cuisine of the Perakanans.
Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay/Indonesian community. This gives rise to Peranakan interpretations of Malay/Indonesian food that is similarly tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. In other instances, the Peranakans have adopted Malay cuisine as part of their taste palate, such as assam fish and beef rendang. Key ingredients include coconut milk, galangal (a subtle, mustard-scented rhizome similar to ginger), candlenuts as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), belachan, tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk - a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes.
There are regional variations in Nonya cooking. Dishes from the island of Penang in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia show Thai influences, such as more liberal use of tamarind and other sour ingredients. Dishes from Singapore and Malacca show a greater Indonesian influence, such as the use of coconut milk. A classic example is laksa (a spicy noodle soup), which comes in two variants: the sour asam laksa from Penang and the coconut milk-based laksa lemak from Singapore and the southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia.
The unique flavor of laksa and other Nonya recipes is determined by the rempah, which in Malay means spices. The various combinations are pounded into a paste with pestle and mortar, with a very specific texture and density. It is said that a nonya can determine the culinary skill of a new daughter-in-law simply by listening to her preparing rempah with a mortar. Nonya recipes are handed down from one generation to the next, and because of the time-consuming preparation of these dishes, it is a cuisine that is often at its best when served at home. Laksa is a notable exception to this rule.
Examples of Nonya specialities include otak-otak, a popular blend of fish, coconut milk, chilli paste, galangal, and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf;^[1] Ayam Buah Keluak, a distinctive dish combining chicken pieces with nuts from the Pangium edule or kepayang tree to produce a rich sauce; and Itek Tim, a classic soup containing duck, tomatoes, green peppers, salted vegetables, and preserved sour plums simmered gently together.
Nonya desserts include colourful cakes (kuih) and sweet, sticky delicacies.

Selera Nasi Padang

I'm currently in a Nasi Padang craze ever since I discovered how tasty the food is. Although I have yet to try the famous Minang Salero over in Sentul, I have been slowly exploring the ones that are located in Petaling Jaya. Incidentally, this started out as a review of two restaurants but then I discovered the Pusako Restaurant featured on Klue magazine's blog has been taken over Salero Negori.
It's strange how good food kinda hits you straight in the eye - I have been to Sumatra and Jakarta before but somehow I was not impressed with the food then. Probably because I did my trip to Sumatra when I was still a teenager and my Jakarta trip was plagued with my friends getting food poisoning even though it was hotel food!
Nasi Padang seems to be catching up here and there are franchises from Indonesia that are slowly popping up all over the place. With Salero Negori, their Nasi Padang is more localised as they serve a mix of Padang and Negeri Sembilan dishes. Negeri Sembilan is one of the states in Malaysia which majority of the Minangs stayed when they migrated from Sumatra.
Like Nasi Campur, you choose from an array of dishes but instead of picking the portions yourself and adding it to your plate of rice, the wait staff will serve them in small little dishes. If you have lots of people eating together, you get to try a large variety of food which is great. Out of all the dishes I tried, my favourite is their Gulai Tunjang i.e. Beef Tendons in Curry. The tendons melt in your mouth while the curry is lovely and thick which went so well with my plate of rice.
A specialty of theirs, the Ayam Kampung Goreng. Ayam Kampung is essentially free range chicken which wanders around the kampung (Malay village) that is deep fried and served with a floss which I think is shredded coconut that is full of flavours. You must eat the chicken with the floss to get the oomph of the dish or else the taste of the chicken falls flat.
Something which is essential in all Nasi Padang restaurants, Dendeng that is crispy sliced beef that tastes a bit like beef jerky with spices. I've eaten a few versions and this wasn't my favourite as I felt it was too dry and hard.
At the back of the Dendeng are the two vegetable dishes i.e. the sambal terung or eggplants with sambal which I really like. Another one is the long beans cooked in curry which was also very good.
We both love this, in fact this is Splashie Boy's favourite i.e. fried tempe with peanuts and ikan bilis (anchovies). You can also eat this as a snack and it's extremely addictive.
They also serve Pucuk Paku Lemak i.e. fern shoots with curry. It was not too bad and was quite spicy with green chillies.
Finish off your meal with tapai and ice cream. Tapai is basically fermented rice and surprisingly cold vanilla ice cream really goes very well with it. I've always loved this combination ever since I ate it at a hotel Malay wedding and it tastes so great with strawberry sauce too. If you don't like the fermented alcohol taste, you may however find this too strong for your tastebuds.
Both restaurants are furnished with restored antique furniture which adds a nice homey feel to the place. The furniture was sourced from local kampungs (Malay villages) and restored back to their original glory. You can also buy the items from the owners' furniture business that is next door to their Amcorp Mall outlet. Incidentally the restaurant has been featured in Jalan Jalan Cari Makan, the local televison food programme that goes around Malaysia looking for good food.