I came across an article on HungryGoWhere on the 5 Best Nasi Lemak Places in Cheras and one of the places was Nasi Lemak Taman Tenaga, located about 5 minutes from my home. It was the perfect opportunity to try it out!
I arrived at about 5.15pm thinking that they'd be open by then. I was wrong.
At the time, there wasn't even a table set up yet but there were people lepaking in the shop. For a moment, I wasn't sure if I got the right place so I walked back and forth along the row of shops guessing. Feeling a little dejected that it was no where to be found, I walked to the opposite row to get a drink from the 7-11 and hoped that the stall would magically appear when I got back.
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| Sambal telur, Sambal petai ikan bilis & Sardin |
At 5.20pm, the stall appeared! I was right all along! The lauk was making its way out to the table that was laid out and people were starting to crowd around.
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| Sambal udang & Sambal Sotong |
As the stall was being set up, I had time to survey the lauk - I counted about 14 varieties available that day. I was so, so tempted to try the sambal udang but my default for nasi lemak is sambal sotong so I had to be less greedy and just pick one.
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| Paru Goreng Chili, Ayam Masak Merah & Daging Masak Kunyit |
According to Hungry Go Where, the paru goreng chili is really good here but my squirm level is high for offal so I decided not to get a portion.
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| Rendang Daging & Rendang Ayam |
The Rendang Ayam may look watery here but it's actually a chunky sauce.
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| Ketam Masak Kurma?, Sambal Ikan & Kari Kepala Ikan |
I was surprised to see crab among the dishes available as well as fish head curry.
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| Abang yang sangat stress |
5.35pm and more people showed up. I was surprised that even with the rain, at least 8 people were waiting around for this nasi lemak stall to set-up! Quite a bit of people were getting impatient even though 'Abang Stress' was working as fast as he could. Also, the nasi wasn't ready yet so I stood there for another good 5 minutes while people ordered lauk with nasi putih. When he opened the steamer cover, the fragrant smell of coconut milk and pandan wafted around. I was tempted to dive into the nasi lemak straight away when I got back.
Dad's portion of nasi lemak with telur goreng was pretty big. He also had a piece of rendang ayam thigh with his pack. The meat was smooth and the rendang sauce full of chunky lemongrass and aromatics. He was quite pleased that he was getting actual lemongrass and not a mixture of unknown goo.
The rice tasted as good as it smelled. Fluffy rice with separated grains and just enough lemak. I'd suggest eating it straight away though. Good things come to those who don't wait! The sambal was pretty standard with enough heat and not too sweet. My only regret was that I didn't ask for more of it. Overall, the standard nasi lemak was good, definitely worth a second buy.
As for the sambal sotong - the cuttlefish, tender and well cooked. The sambal sweetness, just right. I'm glad to have found a good sambal sotong nearby.
The rendang daging may look like no big deal but the meat was surprisingly well done and tender. Flavors were good but a little salty here. It went fine with the nasi lemak, just not on it's own.
In total, I paid RM13 for 2 packs of nasi lemak, 1 pack had telur goreng, a portion each of sambal sotong, rendang ayam and rendang daging. That's affordable! Nasi Lemak Taman Tenaga is worth trying if you're in the area and if you don't mind your patience being tested. I bet a plain nasi lemak with telur goreng or with copious amounts of sambal would be just as satisfying. Dad would've liked that too.
The stall is just opposite Klinik Keluarga along the Taman Tenaga shoplots. Anticipate a crowd if you arrive at about 6pm.