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Damansara Kim's Al-Baraq Nasi Kukus Ayam Dara Berempah takes fried chicken to next level of deliciousness

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

PETALING JAYA, Aug 19 With nasi kukus, there are so few elements that you need to score big with each one.

And boy, does Al-Baraq Nasi Kukus Ayam Dara Berempah knock it out of the park. This nasi kukus is comfort food at its best. All for the price of RM7!

The fried chicken is the standout. Golden brown. Check. Distinct lemongrass aroma. Check. Moist meat. Check.

I also liked how the portion for the chicken is just right. Its medium sized portion is combined with a mountain of fluffy rice, which thoroughly satisfies your hunger pangs

It's sheer joy when you stumble upon such deliciousness. Especially since almost every food stall tends to over fry the chicken until it's dry.

Some overdredge it with flour too until all you're crunching on is just crispy batter. Others also fry it till it turns into an unappealing dark brown hue.

This stall has a few tricks to ensure the fried chicken is the crowd puller.

Here, they use ayam dara, or chickens that have not hatched any eggs.

That type of chicken gives the meat a better bite. You also won't see them frying up a huge pile of fried chicken here too.

It's done in small batches, making them freshly made.

For RM7, you get a satisfying meal that consists of a mountain of fluffy steamed rice doused in curry and sambal belacan with fried chicken and cucumbers
For RM7, you get a satisfying meal that consists of a mountain of fluffy steamed rice doused in curry and sambal belacan with fried chicken and cucumbers

For RM7, you get a satisfying meal that consists of a mountain of fluffy steamed rice doused in curry and sambal belacan with fried chicken and cucumbers

Each brown packet of rice is drizzled with curry, doused with a huge dollop of sambal belacan, and topped with a piping hot piece of fried chicken. There's also obligatory greens in the form of crunchy cucumbers.

The best way to enjoy your nasi kukus, is to just sit down at the plastic table. Eating it piping hot just adds to the pleasure.

The golden skin has a slight crunch coupled with that hot, luscious meat underneath. I must confess that I was guilty of ordering a second piece of fried chicken.

At RM6 for that extra piece of fried chicken, it probably made sense to just get another packet of nasi kukus, but it was just so incredibly satisfying.

The rice is also great with soft grains. In fact, it was incredibly hard to stop eating up the mountain of rice.

The curry may look too watery but it works well with these fluffy grains as it absorbs better. I didn't load up the sambal belacan but do so, if you like a burning sensation in the mouth.

One thing I noticed though is they seem to have omitted their pajeri nenas, which they used to serve together with the rice. Maybe it's a cost cutting measure.

Join the queue to get a brown paper packet of goodness for your lunch
Join the queue to get a brown paper packet of goodness for your lunch

Join the queue to get a brown paper packet of goodness for your lunch

During lunch, the queue is manageable since people quickly come and go. The high volume of customers is good since the food, especially the fried chicken, is prepared as and when it runs out, making it fresh.

They also have a few locations at Damansara Uptown, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Shah Alam and Kelana Jaya. You can also order it via Grab too, if you're near their location.

Al-Baraq Nasi Kukus Ayam Dara Berempah, Gerai No. 3, Medan Selera MBPJ, Jalan SS20/10, Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya. Open: 11am to 3pm. Closed on Sunday. Tel: +6011-12265765. Facebook: @albaraqNasiKukus