Not a variety of banana leaves, however a complete lot of squid

Located in Kajang, Nasi Dulang Daun Pisang sits reverse just a few homes and a parking zone. From the skin, this restaurant is unassuming; the constructing itself appears like a home, and their solely signage are two white banners with the restaurant’s identify printed in a shiny pink font.

The menu is laminated A4 posters lined up on just a few tables beside the counter. I scanned the colorful sheets to seek out an enormous number of meal units, like Set Ganja Ayam Kampung (RM12), Set Kamheong Udang (RM15), and Set Dulang Daging Goreng (RM18). 

I observed that a lot of their menu objects didn’t have costs listed. Instead, they wrote “ikut saiz”, which implies that what you pay right now will not be the identical worth you pay tomorrow.

When I positioned my order on the counter, the cashier mentioned “Sotong hari ni 40 ringgit, OK ke?”. In English, “Today’s squid is 40 ringgit, is that okay?”. Did that shock me? Yes. Did that feed my curiosity much more? Also sure.

What I attempted at Nasi Dulang Daun Pisang

The Set Dulang Sotong Bakar was priced at RM40 that day, and my Iced Tea was RM2.

Despite the second half of the restaurant’s identify, the one banana leaf in sight was the small rectangle positioned beneath the rice and half the squid. Everything else was positioned on brown wax paper on a purple tray.

If sambal have been an individual, I’d be their primary supporter. I can confidently say that each one the sambals at Nasi Dulang Daun Pisang have been scrumptious. Every set comes with three sorts: Sambal Belacan, Sambal Asam, and Sambal Ayam Penyet.

If you’re a fan of tremendous spicy sambal, you may be barely disillusioned. Personally, I like that their sambals aren’t tongue-numbing because it permits extra individuals to get pleasure from their meals. I believe that this additionally lets clients deal with the primary star of the present: the grilled squid.

First of all, have a look at the dimensions of this sotong— it was larger than my hand! I had seen movies of individuals holding the squid as much as their heads to check sizes, so I poked mine with the plastic fork in hopes of doing the identical. Unfortunately (or fortuitously, relying on the way you see it), the burden of the squid brought on the fork to bend. I didn’t need to break the fork so I put it again down.

After gawking at it for a strong 10 minutes, it was time to dig in. I’d prefer to preface this by saying that I’m not usually one to eat squid at eating places as a result of some locations are inclined to overcook the protein until it turns into too powerful to chew. 

However, this squid was grilled to perfection. I may simply lower the meat into smaller items with my fingers, and each chunk was a mushy delight. Since the worth of the seafood right here relies on their day by day catch, it’s clear that they prioritise the freshness of their meals.

As for the sauce, it was very tasty. Don’t let the color scare you— the spice stage is simply good and non-spicy eaters will certainly have the ability to get pleasure from this. Although, it could possibly be a bit bit too salty when you eat the sauce by itself. The rice enhances the flavours of this dish nicely by balancing the sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness. 

If you want extra proof of how large the squid was, I had this a lot of it left regardless that I had already completed my rice. I introduced the leftovers residence, and my entire household cherished it.

One dulang set can also be served with a small bowl of masak lemak gravy and a few ulam. The masak lemak was thick, and I may style the coconut milk. Overall, it checked all the bins and I’d undoubtedly check out their masak lemak dishes if I am going again. 

The ulam offered contemporary bites in between mouthfuls of intense flavours. I’d like to know the way they lower their cucumbers, as a result of I’ve by no means seen this a lot of a cucumber’s cross-sectional floor space in my life.

Final ideas

The solely draw back to Nasi Dulang Daun Pisang is their fee system. Customers are solely allowed to pay in money, so be sure to drop by an ATM earlier than you go there. Especially since their seafood costs rely on the dimensions, you would possibly find yourself paying greater than you anticipated.

I arrived at 11.30am on a Tuesday, and there have been only some occupied tables. Closer to 12pm, extra clients began trickling in, so I’d suggest going across the identical time as I did if you wish to keep away from the lunch crowd. Their service was very quick— I received my order inside 10 minutes.

If you reside close by, I extremely suggest this place, and I might undoubtedly return if I used to be already within the space.

Expected harm: RM14 – RM47 per pax

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