PETALING JAYA, April 9 — During the day, chicken rice stalls are a dime a dozen, feeding those who crave that irresistible combination of meat on rice.
When night falls, it’s a different story especially for humble roadside places.
At the forever busy SS2 area where durian stalls dominate, if one is hankering for street food when it gets dark, the immediate choice would be the Wai Sek Kai.
Instead, the cluster of stalls along Jalan SS2/60 is usually ignored with the mindset that it’s just limited to Malay food, burgers, satay and apparently one of the best Indomie goreng.
Those in the know, especially families during the weekend, make a beeline here for the unassuming Gerai Nasi Ayam Nan An.
It was once called Nan An Ah Seng, as the uncle operating it was fondly known as Uncle Ah Seng. Now it’s been passed down to the second generation.
This stall is pork free, following in the footsteps of the other stalls within this square.
The family run stall is pork free, following the other stalls within this food court.
The hero here is their signature ‘wat kai’ or smooth poached chicken that graces every table near the stall.
What you get is flesh that is wonderfully tender, topped with a smooth skin with a smidgeon of gelatine hiding underneath it.
And what pushes it to greatness is their sauce. It looks like your typical soy sauce accompanied with the chicken but it ain’t. This one is thicker.
Essentially, they add a touch of oyster sauce, lending a richer and slightly sweet flavour to the chicken, rather than just a plain soy sauce.
I also liked how they debone the chicken, so you won’t have any fiddly moments dealing with the bones, allowing you to straightaway get to the meat.
I’m partial to spare parts with my chicken, like liver.
Here, the chicken liver may look overcooked but Inside, you will find a creamy centre.
I usually like the combination of the chicken leg and thigh part (RM21) and thankfully, they’re accommodating to give me my choice.
For those ordering chicken wing or breast meat with rice, it’s RM9. For the choice of chicken thigh, it’s RM10 while the chicken drumstick is RM11, with rice.
There’s a choice of fragrant rice (left) or a lighter alternative in the form of a bowl of smooth rice flour noodles (right) with a clear chicken broth and bean sprouts.
One can opt for rice, a bowl of hor fun or porridge, served with your poached chicken.
The rice is fragrant with plump grains while the hor fun is a lighter choice with the clear chicken broth. It’s served with an abundance of bean sprouts.
Bean sprouts can also be ordered on the side too. It’s not the plump Ipoh variant but it’s the longer stemmed ones that offer a decent crunch.
Their chilli sauce is served in a small bowl rather than a saucer. It makes sense since its consistency isn’t the thick type.
Bean sprouts (left) offer crunch with your chicken rice while their homemade chilli sauce (right) gives the meal a spicy-tangy deliciousness.
Blended red chillies with garlic and a touch of lime juice rather than the overly sharp vinegar, converts it into a spicy-tangy deliciousness that pairs beautifully with the clean taste of the poached chicken.
I must admit that I have a fondness for their food, and it’s worth my time, making my way from KL to an old haunt in PJ.
The only downside of this place would be since it’s exposed to the elements, it’s not pleasant dining during a heavy rainstorm.
Nevertheless, the other stall proprietors are lightning quick to add an umbrella the moment a single raindrop appears.
That will work with light rain but a storm with billowing winds will be a different story.
Dine ‘al fresco’ at this Medan Selera MBPJ when the weather is fine.
Gerai Nasi Ayam Nan An,
Stall 4, Medan Selera MBPJ,
Jalan SS2/60, SS2, Petaling Jaya.
Open: 6pm to 11.30pm. Closed on Monday.
Tel: 016-2773091
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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