lemak, Malaysia’s favorite breakfast
fare and this stall’s specialty, is about
RM1.5 (PHP20), the cost rising
depending on your add-ons. You start
out with the basic plate — rice cooked
in coconut milk, a boiled egg, fried
small fish and side servings of chopped
cucumber, peanuts and sambal belacan
—
before adding your choice of fried
chicken or fish and curried meats.
I wolfed my plate down. If, like
me, you like your rice a little coarse
and your sambal on the sweet side, a
hefty serving at this stall makes for a
satisfying meal. A young naval officer,
however, dining at the next table with
three subordinates, suggests we might
also like the one a few streets away.
What’s your flavor?
In a place where nearly everyone has
an opinion on food — ask anyone for
their favorite dish and where to get it
and they will offer quick and definite
answers, with detailed directions on
how to get where — a loyal following
can propel a humble diner from secret
spot to bustling food bazaar. Like
Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, those that
endure over time and through the swell
of diners inevitably become institutions.
Day two brings us to another such
example — this time in the old part of
town, not far from Central Market.
Along Jalan Dang Wangi’s row
of shophouses, many of whose
walls are artfully grubby with
peeling paint and urban grime, is Yut
Kee Kopitiam, a small but popular
eatery that’s been around since 1928.
It’s easy to imagine that not much has
changed since it first opened — not the
mosaic tiles on the floor, nor the marble
tabletops, nor the menu board that lists
dishes from Malaysia’s main culinary
traditions. Specials include fried
hailam
O N T H E F O O D T R A I L
Clockwise from
circle: a Yut Kee
order slip; the
kopitiam’s famous
chicken chop; fried
hailam mee, which
comes with slices
of pork, fish cakes
and reduced chicken
stock; lunch at Yut
Kee
PHOTO
(
WITH MODEL) STEPHEN WONG
