Nasi Campur Pagi Malam
WELCOME ADDITION TO THE BANGSAR NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH ITS SPREAD OF ‘MASAKAN NGORI’
The food scene around the Bangsar Telawi area is like a chameleon, constantly changing hands with different cuisines. The latest to join the Bangsar gang is Nasi Campur Pagi Malam with their masakan Ngori.
Located next to Pelita Restaurant, it’s a sibling of the super popular Lomak Salai from Tampin, Negeri Sembilan. Both the restaurants are owned by entrepreneur Sharifuddin Bujang, popularly known as “Pakdin”, who is famous for his vape products sold under the Nasty brand.
In their hands, they have spruced up the unpretentious no-frills nasi campur eatery into a place that celebrates Malaysia through visuals of Malaysian history and icons like Sudirman, P Ramlee and even Lee Chong Wei.
There’s also old fashioned framed mirrors with quirky sayings in Malay, like “Tak perlu kejar kaya, planta dengan gula sudah memadai”. Most of the wordings are in Negeri Sembilan dialect, transporting you to Tampin. There’s also a line from the Blues Gang’s song Apo Nak Di Kato, “Kalau boleh nak bising-bising macan pokan Tampin”.
Once you have admired all of the memorabilia, it’s time to hit the spread to pick out your favourites. Grab a tray and get serious. Prices vary for each dish depending on whether you’re adding it to your individual plate or dining “hidang” style, where the food is enjoyed communally.
Itik Salai Masak Lomok (one piece for RM18) was an unexpected joy purely due to the tender meat, absent of any strong gamey flavour. For a smokey flavour, the Daging Salai Masak Lomak (RM12) hit the spot perfectly. Compared to the duck, this masak lemak was a little spicier leaving your tongue tingling a little.
The asam podeh dishes may look red and fierce but they’re rather mild tasting as it’s rich with coconut milk. It’s also not as zingy as I expected too. There’s daging tetel and ikan tenggiri but the day I was there, they had the rarely seen Asam Podeh Tolo Mayong where mayong fish roes were used.
This type of sea fish egg is coveted as it’s not readily available. It’s huge in size, resembling bubbles that pop when eaten, releasing creamy juice. It’s RM15 for a scoop or RM25 for a portion to share. At the end of the row, there’s the Ikan Patin Lomak Tempoyak. Depending on the part you take, if it’s the body, it’s RM15 while the tail or head portion is RM28.
The smooth flesh paired beautifully with the gravy with an underlying fermented durian aroma. It’s not too overwhelming but dancing on the edge of your tongue, making it easy to enjoy.
Hanging above the ulam and sambal spread, there’s even a humorous reminder, notifying you, “Dilarang Diet” or diets are disallowed with a cheeky reference that it’s based on the fictitious Akta Lelaki Kacak 1988.
Maybe it’s a reminder to eat more of the healthier ulam with a choice of sambal belacan, sambal gesek, sambal hijau, sambal merah, sambal tempoyak, sambal kicap or cencalok.
You’re not finished yet as there’s still stir fried vegetables to add to your plate. Each item is RM4, ranging from Kailan Goreng, Kacang Buncis Goreng or even a Terung Sambal.
Other goodies to add on to your meal include Pekasam, Tempe, Begedel or Paru Dendeng. The Tempe stood out as it’s a thick slice of fried tempe with whole soy beans, while the Begedel (RM2.50) was soft with the mashed potatoes.