I love my cockles.
Particularly so if they are half cooked thus they remained plump with blood.
That also means the freshness and quality has to be unparalleled, otherwise all that bloody juices is a guaranteed one-way ticket to the hospital.
I don’t enjoy sambal kerang (those are usually available with nasi lemak) as much. What I didn’t like about sambal kerang (cockles cooked in chilli) is that they are more often than not, overcooked into rubbery balls.
But I hit jackpot when I discovered Pak Angah nasi lemak.
His kerang sambal is one of his signatures (the other being paru and their famous Ayam Sambal) and deservingly so – plump and cooked with sambal infused with kaffir lime leaves, every juicy bivalve was fragrant (citrusy) and rather addictive.
Pak Angah nasi lemak is the old school banana leaf-lined packs.
Disappointed that the rice was a bit lacking in santan (coconut milk) aroma I find solace instead in the pleasant lingering pandan (screwpine leaves) scent. If you look closely you will realize that the rice is greenish in colour due to the addition of pandan juice during the cooking process.
The sambal was a solid spicy concoction with a mild lingering sweet and sourness.
RM2.00 would get you a basic pack consisting of the usual egg (half an egg!), cucumber, peanuts and ikan bilis.
They are generous with their sambal, peanuts and anchovies in each packet so RM2.00 was a steal.
While this would be satisfactory enough especially with the rich sambal, the dishes at Angah are worth adding to your packet. Their famous Ayam Sambal wasn’t ready yet that morning so I settled for the kerang sambal instead.
And boy, this was one delicious nasi lemak! My only gripe was the lack of santan aroma in the rice, but once you mix the sambal and whatever else lauk you got, all is forgiven.
Other must-try lauk is the paru – julienned strips of lung; boiled and fried in a sambal paste. I was assured that I won’t find any chewy paru here as the meticulous cooking process ensures that each strip is cooked to perfection. Well, maybe next time.
It was my first visit so I was slightly wary.
Now that I know the quality of Pak Angah’s nasi lemak, I’ll be back for the kerang, ayam sambal and paru next!
Where to get Pak Angah nasi lemak:
1. At a roadside stall manned by Ms Sharifah in front of Pangsapuri Mawar, Jalan 7/48a, Bandar Baru Sentul, KL, Malaysia
Open : 7:30 am till noon.
NOTE: Sharifah is one of Pak Angah’s vendors.
** 100 m walk from Sentul LRT.
2. Stall inside Pasar Batu 2 1/2 Jalan Ipoh, 51200 KL.
Tel: 017 6712213 ( Fadly a.k.a Angah )
Open : Sun – Fri: 7 am until 3pm.
Close: Saturdays.