PETALING JAYA, Feb 16 — I so, very, badly wish I could call Stesen Nasi Kerabu a “hidden gem”, but between the seemingly endless line stretching out to neighbouring shops and the unmistakable aroma of charcoal smoke, there’s very little that’s hidden about this place.
People flock here for their nasi kerabu and an assortment of grilled meat, including ayam bakar, daging bakar, and kambing bakar, all cooked over hot coals right in front of the shop.
Standards like ayam and ikan gulai are also offered, but the focus is squarely on all things “bakar”.
You know you’re in the right place when you see a steady queue shuffling along, waiting for their turn.
There is always a queue at Stesen Nasi Kerabu, even at 9am on a Saturday morning. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Stesen Nasi Kerabu has been around since 2020, but in 2022, it relocated to its current spot in a commercial area just five minutes from the Kota Damansara MRT Station.
It was easy enough to get to on a Saturday morning, but by 9am, there was already a line out the door!
Luckily, we only spent about 20 minutes in line – while it never quite eases up, it moves at a steady pace.
That said, I’ve read that queues can stretch up to an hour at lunchtime, so it’s best to come early.
Everything is grilled right in front of you. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Twenty minutes is just the right amount of time to debate what to pile onto my nasi kerabu.
“Okay, definitely ayam bakar, but that’s not enough… kambing bakar looks massive. Maybe daging bakar instead… smaller pieces, less calories right? Ooh! A fresh batch of lemak bakar just came off the grill! I can’t miss that!”
When I finally sat down with my massive parcel of food, I took great care opening it to avoid spilling a single grain.
So many choices, so little time! — Picture by Ethan Lau
For RM21, I got nasi kerabu ayam and daging bakar (RM16) with an extra helping of lemak bakar (RM5) – a mammoth amount to tackle first thing in the morning.
No prizes for guessing my favourite part of the meal: my love for lemak bakar, marinated and grilled beef fat, is well documented.
With nasi kerabu, though, it’s on another level. The interplay between the unctuous, slightly sweet fat and crunchy, herbaceous kerabu is a thing of beauty, and a squeeze of lime just brightens things up a tad.
Fat is a great vessel for the aroma and flavour of smoke, which adds a new dimension that complements the refreshing quality of nasi kerabu.
‘Lemak bakar’ is the ideal combination of rich and slightly sweet to complement the herbaceous ‘nasi kerabu’. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Between the two meats, I was surprised to find myself preferring the ayam bakar.
Though my piece hadn’t come straight off the grill, it retained enough moisture to stay tender inside.
What stood out more, however, was the subtle honey glaze on the outside – I don’t usually enjoy sweet grilled chicken, but it was perfect for this occasion.
Like the lemak bakar, these flavours are meant to complement the fresh, herbaceous nature of nasi kerabu, and the ayam bakar did just that.
Unfortunately, the daging bakar fell short.
It was stringy, tasted mostly of smoke, and didn’t add much to the equation. Maybe I’d feel differently if it were hot off the grill, but that’s leaving too much to chance.
One more thing: when your nasi kerabu is being portioned, ask for extra budu if you don’t mind a more savoury kick from fermented anchovies – it actually works in tandem with the kerabu to balance both the rich fat and the sweetness in the chicken.
The ‘solok lada’ is pretty good, too. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Solok lada (RM3) is also available if you want a reprieve from the smokiness – a long, green pepper stuffed with fish paste and coconut that does just the trick.
There’s no escaping the smoke in your hair, though; standing in line for 20 minutes next to the grill will leave you smelling like a walking hunk of unseasoned pastrami.
Stesen Nasi Kerabu
2, Jalan Camar 4/2, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Open daily, 8am-4pm. Closed on Wednesday.
Tel: 018-407 9050
Facebook: Stesen Nasi Kerabu
Instagram: @stesennasikerabu
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
