Authentic East Malaysian nasi kerabu with tiger tears beef & blue pea rice

Golden Mile Food Centre is a haven for all kinds of cuisines and various kinds of dishes. One of the stalls that enticed me probably the most was Kantan by the SIB’s, an assuming stall specialising within the Pantai Timur dish, nasi kerabu.

Nasi kerabu is a dish that’s well-liked within the East Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terangganu. The dish is served with vibrant blue pea rice and a mixture of aspect dishes, plus a protein. Kantan by the SIB’s provides a variety of protein choices, together with rooster, beef and fish. Customers have the choice of getting the protein as an a la carte dish too.

Having by no means tried Pantai Timur delicacies earlier than, I used to be excited to get my very first style of nasi kerabu.

What I attempted at Kantan by the SIB’s

The first dish I attempted was the Percik Grilled Chicken Nasi Kerabu (S$7), which got here with blue pea rice topped with toasted coconut, a bit of ayam percik (grilled coconut spiced rooster), solok lada (inexperienced chilli pepper crammed with fish paste), a wedge of salted egg, keropok and a small saucer of chilli. The presentation of the dish was beautiful, particularly with the colourful colors of the varied components complementing one another.

The meat of the ayam percik was mushy and tender. The sauce masking the rooster had a aromatic style of coconut milk and a touch of sweetness. Given that I had by no means tried ayam percik earlier than, I didn’t know what to anticipate, however I used to be undoubtedly impressed by the fragrant flavours.

I’d have cherished for there to be extra sauce, because it was completely scrumptious.

The blue pea rice was fluffy and mushy, and I used to be delighted on the addition of the toasted coconut, which gave the rice an additional little bit of sweetness and distinctive perfume.

The solok lada was one other factor that I had by no means tried earlier than. The fish paste was mushy and mushy, and it didn’t have an awesome fishy style. The sturdy and tangy style of the inexperienced chilli balanced out the milder flavours of the fish paste effectively.

The keropok was a pleasant addition to the dish because it supplied a little bit of crunch. It was mild and crunchy, and tremendous enjoyable to eat.

The aspect of chilli sauce didn’t disappoint both. It packed a good bit of warmth that spice lovers will certainly respect. I additionally discovered it to be a unbelievable dipping sauce for the keropok.

I loved Kantan by the SIB’s Percik Grilled Chicken Nasi Kerabu, and the serving sizes and quantity of components made it price its S$7 price ticket.

Unfortunately, Kantan by the SIB’s Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Kerabu (S$7) didn’t impress me as a lot because the earlier dish did. Similar to the Percik Grilled Chicken Nasi Kerabu, the Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Kerabu was served with the identical components, however with a bit of ayam goreng berempah (crispy spiced fried rooster) as a substitute.

The ayam goreng berempah was extraordinarily dry and hard. Though it had regarded appetising, I struggled to chew via the overcooked rooster meat. Even the rooster pores and skin, which had regarded crispy, was method too powerful and agency.

The Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Kerabu was an enormous let down, particularly after the tender Percik Grilled Chicken Nasi Kerabu. The rooster itself was nonetheless properly spiced, nonetheless. Perhaps the rooster occurred to be overcooked after I visited the stall, so hopefully its normally not as dry.

Finally, I made a decision to strive the Tiger Tears Beef Nasi Kerabu (S$8). I used to be initially drawn to the distinctive identify of the dish, and I learnt why it was named that method. When beef is grilled, drops of water or fats fall on to the grill and produce a hissing sound. The water droplets characterize tears, whereas the hissing sound represents the tiger. How attention-grabbing!

The beef was well-marinated with a candy and tangy style. I appreciated how zesty and distinctive the marinade was compared to most different beef dishes I’ve had, which are typically saltier fairly than candy.

Final ideas

Generally, I used to be impressed with Kantan by the SIB’s nasi kerabu dishes. Nasi kerabu is a dish that I not often come throughout in Singapore, so with the ability to take pleasure in them at an area hawker centre was a delight.

While the toughness of the Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Kerabu was very off-putting, I hope that it was a one-time difficulty as the opposite dishes did please me. If I had been within the space, I’d drop by Kantan by the SIB’s once more!

Expected injury: S$5 – S$8 per pax

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