Despite its name, ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ did NOT originate from the northern state of Penang, but is a homegrown Kuala Lumpur brand in its own right.
The owner of ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ, Burhan Mohamed, said that his grandfather came to Penang from Ramnad district, Tamil Nadu, in the 1940s.
After learning the trade from his family, Burhanโs father, Mohamed, left Penang in 1968 to seek greener pastures in Kuala Lumpur, where he initially started work as an itinerant mee goreng seller in Jalan Kilang and Section 8 in Petaling Jaya.
Burhan started helping his father, first from a pushcart, then a stall inside Seaview Restaurant in PJ Section 20 from 1970. When they were at Seaview, they decided to switch to selling nasi kandar, which was more profitable.
Back then, Mohamedโs stall did not have a name, but young Burhan had earned the nickname โKayuโ (meaning โwoodenโ) from their customers, as he was rather slow and reticent. When Burhan took over the nasi kandar upon his fatherโs retirement, he decided that his nickname was his โlucky charmโ, and decided to name his business ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ.
Burhan then moved his business to Chow Yang in SS2 PJ in 1974, where he operated it under the name ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ. He stayed there for 27 years, building a name for himself, before buying the corner shophouse near Chow Yang. This set of premises was to become ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟโs main branch today, in a nationwide chain which saw even a branch in the state of Penang itself, 300 km to the north.
We had our breakfast this morning at the main outlet in SS2:
Roti canai with dhal curry - very good roti canai and the dhal curry was more-rish, with chunks of potatoes, carrot & eggplant. Mildly-spiced but very aromatic.
Rava thosai - this crispy semolina-rice flour crepe, lightly spiced and studded with finely-chopped carrot, onions, curry leaves & green chilis, is a house specialty at ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ.
Idiyappam with chicken curry - moist rice vermicelli, served with curried chicken as per our order.
Counter for preparing roti canai, thosai and other griddle-cooked hot breakfast items upon order.
The obligatory nasi kandar service counter - rice with a selection of curries seemed too heavy for breakfast: I was raring to try its signature breakfast offerings, but still decided to skipped this.
The brightly-lit and ever-busy premises.
Address
Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar
No. 64, Jalan SS2/10, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Tel: +603 7876 4767
Opening hours: 24 hours
