This very popular nasi lemak stall in Kulai Besar does not have a signboard. The young and energetic towkay known by the nickname "Botak", even though he has a good mop of hair, told me that the name of his stall is "Wak Kentut". Many local people refer to this famous stall as Batu 19 十九里 nasi lemak.
Wak Kentut's nasi lemak looks very simple. The set consists of coconut flavoured rice, a large dollop of sambal, slices of cucumber, and the only available side dish is ayam rempah or Malay fried chicken. But everything on the plate at Wak Kentut - the rice, sambal, chicken, and even the cucumber are simply superb.
Wak Kentut is famous for their fried chicken. I was fascinated by the meticulous process involved in preparing the delectable dish. Heavy basketfuls full of marinaded and battered chicken pieces were heaved to the frying area at the front of the stall.
Even dropping the chicken pieces into the furiously boiling hot oil was not an easy thing.
It is crucial to know exactly when is the right time to take the chicken pieces out of the bubbling, boiling oil. This requires great experience and expertise.
The fried chicken is moved over to a wicker basket to cool for a few minutes.
Now, this is the additional step that sets Wak Kentut's fried chicken apart from the ordinary. After the chicken has cooled, it is returned to the boiling oil to be cooked one more time. By double frying the chicken in this way, it ensured that the crust and outer layer of the chicken is crispy while the flesh inside remains tender and succulently sweet with its natural juices.
The chicken are fried in batches and every time a new batch is ready, eager customers will surge forward to pick the specific pieces that they fancy.
The piping hot chicken piece is then chopped into smaller, bite sizes.
Even slicing the cucumber is an art. I believe cutting the cucumber beautifully like this, actually enhances its taste. The fresh cucumber slices at Wak Kentut are refreshing, crunchy and sweet.
The fried chicken at Wak Kentut is simply outstandingly delicious. Crispy on the outside, sweet, tender and juicy inside. It also does not feel greasy unlike those famous franchises ;P
Some nasi lemak stalls are let down by either the quality of their rice or their sambal, but not here at Wak Kentut. The lemak (coconut milk) fragrance of their rice raises to greet the nose. Wak Kentut uses good quality rice grains for their nasi lemak. The rice grains were loose and fluffy at Wak Kentut, not stuck together in sticky lumps as in the average nasi lemak stalls.
Wak Kentut's sambal is also excellent. It has a robust and delightful anchovy flavour. I was surprised that I could not find any anchovies anywhere on the plate even though the anchovy taste and aroma were clearly present. I guess they might have blended it into the sambal. The sambal itself was just mildly spicy hot and not too sweet, and it was delicious when mixed with the coconut flavoured rice.
I just love Wak Kentut's nasi lemak.
Address: Jalan Susur Kulai 2, Taman Kulai Besar, Kulai, Johor
Map: http://g.co/maps/6ycjs
GPS: 1.652333,103.609871
Hours: 5:00pm to 9:00pm (closed on Sunday)
Halal
Date visited: 2 May 2012
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