Malaysia is a food haven.

Malaysia does have a lot of natural beautiful sites such as:

- island resorts with beautiful beaches and water related activities such as snorkeling, water skiing, hang gliding while pulled by speed boats
- historical sites dating from colonisation by Dutch, Portuguese, and Britain

- culture of settlers from China, India, parts of Indonesia such as Sumatra, Java and Bali
- hill resorts like Cameron Highlands, Fraser Hills and ultra modern Genting Highlands
But being the melting pot of people of various races and cultures one of the main attractions of Malaysia is the diverse food that is available in Malaysia.

Food is not only delicious but the prices are what international travellers will consider as ridiculously cheap.

Nasi Lemak can be considered as the "National Dish" of Malaysia. It is eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper.

Nasi Lemak is rice cooked with Santan (Coconut milk made by squeezing grated old coconuts) and a bit of salt. The coconut milk adds a delightful fragrance to the rice. The fragrance of the coconut milk is often enhanced by adding Pandan leaves when cooking the rice.
Based on postings on the internet the best Nasi Lemak in Malaysia is reputed to be from Wanjo located in Kampung Baru. Foreigners who rely on the reviews on the internet will make it a point to try the Nasi Lemak from Wanjo.

Kampung Baru is a Malay enclave located right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, the largest city of Malaysia. Old fashioned Malay houses can be found in Kampung Baru  right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur with its skyscrapers.

In the video below ( which unfortunately does not have English subtitles), 2 Malay Nasi Lemak afficionadoes taste test the Nasi Lemak from the 5 legendary vendors in Kampung Baru.

Based on the the rating by  one of them, the best Nasi Lemak is that from Kak Chup. Next is Pak Hassan and then Wanjo. Antarabangsa which at one time was the most famous is #4 with Dang Wangi at the bottom of the pack.

Dang Wangi is the vendor who used to be in the corner coffee shop located at Cambell Road (old name for the road that was renamed to Jalan Dang Wangi). With the redevelopment of Jalan Dang Wangi,that coffee shop is no longer in existence. Dang Wangi Nasi Lemak now operates in the nearby Kampung Baru area.

Wanjo is the most expensive of the five, with a basic set costing RM4 (less than US$1).The price if you add on meat such as chicken or beef can exceed RM8.

Wanjo was started in 1963. It is currently run by the grandson of its founder.

A basic set of Nasi Lemak usually include the fragrant rice together with sambal (a spicy concoction that has chillies or hot peppers) , egg, anchovies and peanuts. The basic set of the 5 vendors cost between RM3 to RM4. It is possible to get packs of Nasi Lemak in Malaysia for RM1.5 (before Covid the price can be as low as RM1).

What is special about the rice of Wanjo (as well as that of the other 2 that is in the top 3) is that it is steamed instead of boiled. Steaming makes the rice more fluffy and not stick together.

The beef rendang in Wanjo is reputed to be good and is the favourite of its customers.

Rendang is a particular form of curry that includes ground lemon grass and coconut and is slightly sweet

One of the commenters to the video says that the top 2, Kak Chup (Elder sister Chup)  and Pak Hassan (Uncle Hassan) are actually brother and sister.

The rating of the top 3 by the person who went round buying the Nasi Lemak is :

1 Pak Hassan, 2 Wanjo  3 Kak Chup. The same 3 but in a different order.

The difference can be attributed to personal preference of how sweet the sambal should be. The ratings by local afficionadoes who know well the various vendors that are in Malaysia is a better indication of the best Nasi Lemak compared to the choice of tourist who have only sampled the wares of a few vendors.

By the way, if you want to eat the Nasi Lemak from Kak Chup, you have to go to Kampung Baru early in the morning. It is sold out by 9am. 🤤🦋🤤

For those who have eaten Nasi Lemak before, what is your opinion of this food?

What is your favourite accompaniment for Nasi Lemak? Besides the various types of curries that include chicken, beef, squids, fish you can have the various meat fried and also potato, vegetables, and Tempe which is made from fermented beans.🤤