Otak-Otak Place @ Tropicana Mall & Nasi Lemak Panas @ Jln 223, PJ
May 14, 2009 | 10,052 views# To be warped back to the good old days once more ……. #
Got Brains Will Travel (Cycle) ?!
Bountiful ornaments, display sets, from the wacky videotapes to the abacus, flasks & potteries and even a classic wash basin from days of yore ……. (P/S : Spot the menu?)
You wouldn’t wanna be on the receiving end of the falling bicycle !!
Thanks be to foodies-extraordinaires; Jason & WMW (hehe), I relived my childhood days at Otak-Otak Place @ Tropicana Mall. Nope, not the darker side of my past (those dark, turbulent,scarring days of youth) but instead, referring to the simpler, happier times when politicians a-bickering did not reach cult status (=P), that black gold liquid was priced at merely RM1.20 or so, and picnicking by the lake/beach/river was not ridiculed at.
Teh Tarik @ RM2.50 and Cham @ RM2.50 – With a complimentary piece of buttery cracker
Otak-Otak Stick (Promo price : RM0.60 each, Usual price : RM1.10)
Happy Family – Though I’ve completely forgotten the rules of the game. Why don’t they create a digital version for the third-gen consoles? =)
Rekindle …. Your Passion. Otak-Otak Roll @ RM5.50 per serving.
They really put in tonnes of effort, ‘memerah otak’ (pun intended) to reminisce the games, gadgets and utensils of Good Ol’ Days
Purchase one of these, and suck away your sorrow ……
Otak-Otak Place is the brainchild of the people who run Pick & Brew, over at One Utama. Ironically, this outlet at Tropicana Mall is the second one, the first was opened at One Utama (where else? =P) last year.
Specializing in mostly Malay dishes and snacks, the repertoire of otak-otak (every variety imaginable, really) are impressive, from the rolls to the fried, and steamed to the traditional ones. Now they’re running a promotion for the Otak-Otak Sticks, priced at only 60 cents each. Resembling Johor’s Otak-otak Kempas (click HERE for the review last year), albeit spicier, with heavier ‘santan‘ (coconut milk) taste. The other choice we picked was the Otak-Otak roll, fish paste with herbs and spices rolled in between thin egg crepes, then dipped into the sambal for that extra kick. Slightly oily, but a satisfactory snack nonetheless.
Location : Otak-Otak Place @ L1-58, No 3, Jalan SS20/27, Tropicana City Mall, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel No : 603-7728 0403.
But wait, that couldn’t be our dinner, right? Fret not. Here’s more, thanks to driver WMW, and pointer Jason …….
The much raved about Selera Jaya 223 @ Jalan 223, PJ – Packed with people late into the night …..
Contender #1 (Red Corner) – Nasi Lemak Panas Yati (Gerai 6)
The RM1.20 per packet nasi lemak at this place has almost reached legendary status. People from all walks of life, near and far, flocked to this unassuming ‘medan selera’ located opposite the Amway factory on Jalan 223, Petaling Jaya. And you’ll be hard-pressed not to find any patrons indulging (obsessively) on their packets of nasi lemak, be it from the RED or BLUE corner.
Fully prepared to down at least 2 packets of those piping hot packets of nasi lemak, freshly wrapped at the kitchen, continuously to cater to the crowd.
Once seated, just ask for the nasi lemak, and they’ll bring them over in a jiffy. Take note that there are TWO brands from TWO different stalls, packing their products freshly, and dishing them out to the hungry crowd.
The RED one belongs to Gerai No 6, Yati – A preferred choice, with various positive reviews in general. Hence, I reached out for my 1st packet. Wrapped in banana leaf and newspaper, the heat could be felt from the outside, a positive sign surely. Who doesn’t dread those cold, lonely packets of (possibly stale!) nasi lemak elsewhere?
Served with half a boiled egg, and sambal ikan bilis (anchovies), the portion could barely satiate a child, let alone a famished Motormouth. Tastewise? The sambal was spicy, the rice was steaming hot, but that was about it. A serious lack in fragrance & flavour, as I could barely detect a whiff of aromatic ‘santan’. The sambal ikan bilis was fiery, but the anchovies were soft and chewy. And NO onions for that sweet taste and NO cucumbers either.
Contender #2 (BLUE corner) – Nasi Lemak Panas Suri (Gerai 2)Uh-oh. Bad start. Let’s see how the challenger fared. The BLUE corner belongs to Suri, with an appearance resembling Yati’s, albeit with words stamped in blue.
Wetter and sweeter sambal, but same old crunch-less anchovies,and half a boiled eggAlso priced at RM1.20, Suri’s version also arrived piping hot, almost scalding to the roof of one’s mouth. Be cautious, spoon them slowly, and enjoy. Or NOT.
Suffering the same fate as Yati’s, the nasi lemak had only a very faint hint of coconut milk, with a more watery sambal with ikan bilis. The sambal was sweeter, perfect for children or those not in favour of extra heat. The gravy reminded me of canned sardine’s tomato sauce, really.
Otak-Otak Kempas also available as sides, but to avoid an overdose of otak-otak, we restrained ourselvesVerdict? Not something I’ll be returning for. But the dirt cheap price, and the fact that the nasi lemak is freshly-packed, are reasons enough for fans to return again and again ……
Location : Medan Selera Jaya 223 @ Jalan 223, Petaling Jaya. The road’s lined with factories, but the food court’s situated opposite an Amway factory. You’ll notice the abundance of cars lining the roads at night.
# And they retreated to their own chambers, & slept soundly thereafter ….. #
happy family… guli..lego.. those green soldiers.. wow…. so much childhood memories there 🙂
[Reply]
the otak plc..serious? same owner as Pick n Brew? Jackson himself?
as for the NL, aiyoo..aft all tht raves..mz be our Northern tastebuds la, alws on the higher end of the spectrum ;p Mine r like tht too..lol
[Reply]
wow…. the otak-otak place have a nice interior and the foods look good. Furthermore, teh tarik with cracker…. wow…. some childhood memory flash back… but it’s milo with cracker. ^-^
[Reply]
otak otak seems to be a place that brings back all nice childhood memory…yea…i love playing happy family …haha
[Reply]
I remember the bright orange bubble gum (left to the jar of Chuppa Chup)…i remember how I used to beg my dad for 10 sen everyday just to go to the Indian shop nextdoor for my daily dose. Actually it tasted powdery but back then, it was a BIG thing. Hahahaha…and now i remember those glue tube where we use a tiny straw to blow those balloons.
[Reply]
was i too young? haha dont think i would hav been bought to the childhood days with otak-otak hehehe..
but i remember those cards! oh yeah stay tune for an entry abt a game that i found which has gone into a new level!
[Reply]
allie : reliving those moments eh?
thenomadGourmand : yeah, Jackson was there at that time. the nasi lemak’s very popular, but nothing special, really.
Food Paradise : btw, the teh tarik VERY smooth, milky and good. different from the xi mut milk tea, but still good nonetheless.
Simple Girl : least we get another choice, other than the usual generic kopitiam.
Precious Pea : i’ve never tasted those. =P but love them lollipops, and those sugar crackers (navel biscuits?)
Joe : which game?! Hide n Seek, Wii style? hehehe … just being hopeful.
[Reply]
and all live happily ever after ( following your last sentence)..hehe.. aiyo, you were at tropicana city. so near my place too, didnt know you guys were meeting up, else would have joined!
[Reply]
I still remember how to play Happy Family… but this is the 1st set that I see in Mandarin and English words.
[Reply]
I also tried these two stalls before! But I thought they tasted quite the same. For my case, by the time I ate them, they were not steaming hot anymore because I tapao. Hmmm…
[Reply]
What a nice place of otak-otak…
The otak-otak kinda look slightly different than the Indonesian one 🙂
[Reply]
i was gonna say, “not another otak2” when i saw that last pic. HAHA!
yeah, seeing the good business at the one utama branch, i’m sure otak-otak place is good stuff and caters for all. now, must find time go d!
[Reply]
i think the shop’s effort in maintaining the old-school feel scored more points with me than the food itself 😛
[Reply]
Somewhow, all the bloggers above me seem to be so interested with OOP rather than the nasi lemak! Haha!
[Reply]
I visit OOP when they open and pay only RM1 (1U Card Holder) to test out their Otak Otak. The taste are no where to near northern region otak otak that come with daun kaduk and plenty of fish.
This OOP still pending in my writing list ….
[Reply]
Did they have old maid and snap? Hahah! Must make a visit to this place soon )
[Reply]
They have branch at Giant Kota Damansara too~~ I saw my favorite game, the “rope” made by rubber band!!!
[Reply]
I like the interior of OOP, simple and fuss-free. I have my eyes set on the otak-otak roll! =P
[Reply]
how was the taste of the otak2?
[Reply]
Wa, u hd dark scarring days of youth ar..? poor thing! Eh , promo on the otak2 sounds amazing and the shots of the nasi lemak too. Since we hvnt met up yet… Lets go eat nasi lemak one day la, at 223;) this is d one KY blogged about rite?
[Reply]
I had been to this place several times during my Uni time. Great nasi lemak! The best and cheapest I ever had!
[Reply]
Although both also contain coconut milk, but I prefer to have the otak-otak than the nasi lemak.
[Reply]
wow u come down quite often yar? call me lar, jie jie bring u go makan haha
[Reply]
sc : oh you're staying near there? aiya, i left the hunt to jason n wmw. it was my 1st time to Tropicana as well. ok, will drop u a msg if i'm going again.
NKOTB : dunno where my pack of cards flew off to liao.
iamthewitch : oh, if not hot then there's nothing special liao.
Selba : even in M'sia, there are various versions of the same stuff. got sweet, got spicy.
Nic : the HALAL branding sure helps heaps, I'd say. offering another option for the Muslims, not only Kopitiam n Mamak for hangout.
jasmine : true, but cant pass judgment as i only tried 2 stuff.
jason : how true. maybe the ambience played a part? bet Jackson's happy. haha …
email2me : northern otak-otak diff, more fish, more spices, more herbs. but i cant take the lemongrass taste, hence i prefer the Johor's version more.
UnkaLeong : Snap not sure, but they wont be risking having patrons slamming their palms on the table while the others are eating!
mimid3vils : oh there's another? thanks for reminding.
Bangsar-Babe : there are a lot more in the menu. just didnt try more of them that evening.
foodbin : the Otak2 Rolls were better than the Sticks. my opinion anyway.
Cumi & Ciki : yeah, KY blogged, vkeong blogged, Citygal blogged …etc etc. we can go for OTHER nasi lemak also. hehe …
Apple Foodees : cheap? yes. but for me, it was just another nasi lemak panas. maybe i was expecting too much.
Little Inbox : really?!! my fav is nasi lemak. whenever i see it appearing in any menu, i'll order it.
kampungboycitygal : jie jie?!! mui mui lah … hahaha. wei that day me n jason wanted to call you out in Ipoh. but dunno u back not. i lost ur number lah. =P
[Reply]
wow, they really put in so much effort to bring us back our childhood memories(playing cards, candy, blocks…)
We can hardly find those coke and sprite now in glass bottle too
[Reply]
kevin_chung : they’re more or less extinct here in Msia. but in Thailand, they’re abundant.
[Reply]
I prefer to order a plate of nasi lemak from stall No. 6, which will have more sambal, kacang, ikan bilis, rice and a telur mata kerbau.
[Reply]
Simon : yeah, if given the chance, I’ll take the nasi lemak with other dishes as well. since most went for the cheap packets of nasi lemak, I had to see what’s so special.
[Reply]
thx for visit!! terima kasih!
[Reply]
you're welcomed, Jackson!
so can get discount next time ah? 🙂
[Reply]