Kampung Melayu, which literally translates as “Malay Village”, is a densely-populated, working-class Malay neighborhood bristling with low-cost council flats. At first glance, it can a rather intimidating place for people who don’t live there. But ever since social media propelled the local neighborhood dining gem – Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu – into the limelight a few years ago, thousands of nasi kandar aficionados, mostly out-of-state visitors, but many from as far afield as Singapore & Thailand - have been beating a path there. Nowadays - one must be prepared to wait to get in: one-hour queues are common at peak meal hours.
Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu has its beginnings around the mid-1970s, whence there was a nasi kandar stall which operates inside a coffeeshop located on the ground floor a block of council flats called Kedai Kopi Kampung Melayu.
It was founded by Abdul Razak, a Sri Lankan-Muslim emigrant who had moved into the neighborhood and learnt the trade from his close friends, Tamil-Muslims (mostly from the Ramnad district of Tamil Nadu, India) who specialize in the culinary profession. He learnt how to cook the basic varieties of curries which customers expect from a nasi kandar stall: piquant curried chicken, South Indian-style fish curry, Tamil-Muslim beef curry, etc.
Business was brisk, as his mainly Malay clientele adore highly spiced, strongly aromatic Tamil-Muslim curries. Eventually, he bought over the whole coffeeshop and gave his eatery the now-famous moniker - Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu. Abdul Razak’s son, Abdul Nazer, is the present owner, assisted by his wife, Zainab Mohd Eusoff.
We also opt for the roti canai - Malaysian flatbread or paratha - here, which goes well with beef curry. Not the best version around, to be honest.
Our nasi kandar plates:
Rice with curried chicken, ladyfingers and long beans.
Rice with curried beef, spiced long beans & cauliflower, boiled egg and ladyfingers.
There is a trend nowadays for Malaysians to ask for their lunch plates to be “flooded” (Malay: banjir) with gravy. The trend started in Kuala Lumpur, where roti canai gets the “banjir” treatment. The term doesn’t even exist in Penang or Singapore 10-15 years ago, but has become common nowadays.
Not sure I can get used to “banjir” - it’s pretty messy and literally turns your lunch plate into curried rice porridge! This was what we saw at the serving counter last weekend. 
Address
Nasi Kandar Kampung Melayu
A-29, Jalan Kampung Melayu, Kampung Melayu, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6010-450 3434
Opening hours: 6.30am to 1.30pm, 4pm to 10pm daily.
