COCONUTS HOT SPOT — The name “nasi beringin” is akin to something like “yearning rice” – it’s not the rice that’s yearning, it’s the yearning for rice. It seems this rice is so good that anyone who has eaten it will yearn and crave for it. Yes, it’s supposed to be that good.
So I was told there’s this awesome nasi beringin in Bangsar. It’s at the food court in Menara Mutiara Bangsar. I was cautioned to go there early as the queue could be quite long and it’s not uncommon for people to order 20-30 packets for takeaway. Mercifully, when I was there at 12.15pm, the crowd had not set in yet.
Nasi beringin is cooked with a variety of spices and oil resulting in rice that’s temptingly fragrant and slightly oily to the taste. Delicate hints of cardamom, cloves, star anise and fenugreek can be discerned in the rice. The use of spices is well controlled as the rice was not pungent but just perfumed sufficiently.
There were not that many dishes available on the shelf. I saw beef rendang, fried beancurd, egg sambal and dried squid sambal. At Nasi Beringin, the star is the fried chicken. Almost everyone would go for the fried chicken. I was told they sell at least 5-6 huge tubfuls of these every single day.
The chicken is well marinated in a concoction of spices which has seeped well into the meat. The skin is gloriously crunchy while the meat remained juicy and tasty beneath.
There’s no vegetable dish — pickled cucumber slices are the only sides available. Be sure to have their sambal and curry gravy doused over the rice – they add on that “oomph” factor to the overall experience.
There’s something insanely addictive about this aromatic oily rice eaten with to-die-for fried chicken and lots of spicy gravy. Definitely a lunch worth queuing for!
Go early, preferably around noon time as I was told that on most days their fried chicken are sold out before 2pm.
Yes, all five huge tubfuls of them.
Nasi Beringin Bangsar
Stall 20, Food Court @ Level 2
Menara Mutiara Bangsar
Jalan Liku
Off Jalan Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours:
11am – 3pm
