I’ve heard a lot about this extremely popular nasi kandar place in Penang. Nasi Kandar Line Clear is located at Lorong Line Clear (which is probably where it got it’s name) and it’s open 24 hours. I hear peak hours are crazy – long queues are to be expected.
It’s quite easy to find but there are a lot of nasi kandar places around the area so be sure you get the right one. The entrance is through a small and narrow alley and you’re apt to miss it if you get distracted by the other signages.
We went just before 6 pm and even then, the tables are packed with people. It operates just like what you’ll expect – line up and you’ll be presented with a plate of steamed rice to which you can choose a variety of meat, vegetables and seafood to go with it.
There’s even curry fish head the size of your palm if you like that kind of thing.
I was initially surprised by the popularity of Nasi Kandar Line Clear. There is only a very modest variety of dishes to choose from. I’ve seen much larger nasi kandar operations with triple the number of dishes. However, it soon became apparent that they specialize in dishes they are great at.
I ordered nasi kandar with a fried chicken drumstick and beef cooked in a sticky sweet black sauce. The nasi kandar here gives you “kuah campur” (also called tsunami, an ironic name for the state) by default. This means that they will give you a bit of gravy from every single dish to create a gooey mass of delicious mixed gravy on top of the rice.
This is my nasi kandar for RM 8. It also comes with raw okra and cucumbers as a standard feature. The hot gravy warms up the raw lady fingers enough so by the time you eat it, it’s soft and juicy.
The rice is also piping hot, which is a plus point. A lot of nasi kandar places serve semi warm or downright cold rice. The kuah campur (mixed gravy) does a lot to the dish – mixed in with the rice, you get notes of fish curry, beef rendang, squid curry, ayam masak merah (a sweet chicken dish) and lots more, so it’s very, very flavorful.
I think that’s what makes Nasi Kandar Line Clear so popular – the dishes might be limited, but what they have is delicious and the mixed gravy is simply orgasmic.
…and it looks like I’m not the only one who thinks this place is the bomb. 😀
We thoroughly enjoyed it and the people who went after us in the wee hours of the morning agrees!
However, since Nasi Kandar Line Clear is located in an alley, you probably should be prepared to dine with unexpected companions of the furry kind.
I can’t see what’s buried under all that sauce! lol
Heh! I just ordered a chicken drumstick and beef cooked in sweet black sauce.
The kind that comes in mini-steaks.
It’s the sauce that makes it awesome! You know how you have to ask for kuah campur in some nasi kandar places?
This place does it without asking, but you can opt out. 🙂
Good grief! I know they mix all the gravy together at this nasi kandar shops – I will always tell them not to…only the gravy of my choice…but this one completely drowns everything in the gravy! Eyewwwww….wouldn’t be able to tell one thing from the other with the whole messy combination. I went to that Yasmeen in front…didn’t bother to squeeze into that narrow lane to Line Clear – and Yasmeen’s just like any other nasi kandar place… Tastes more or less the same…and price a bit steep.
Heh! It’s really good when you cover it with sauce.
You get all of the different flavors this way. 🙂
Awesome stuff, I personally love it.
I haven’t had Yasmeen before but I was surprised to see the huge Kayu Nasi Kandar opposite this place closed down.
Eyewwwwww…..a rat! LOL!!!
Haha!
Well, we get those in the good teng meng ngu place in Sibu too, so I don’t really mind.
…so long as the food is good! 🙂
I had nasi kandar for sahur once last year. I was thirsty though the day. LOL
I can imagine bro!
It’s all that salt and msg, reckon it’s a better meal for buka puasa. 🙂
I had the nasi bryani at Yasmeen for RM8.90: http://suituapui.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/every-day-i-love-you/
Nice! Yeah I read that post of yours!
It’s the sotong – that and certain seafood dishes will jack up the price. 🙂
So long the rat not appear in your nasi kandar, that should be ok. Malaysia……used to it. Oh ya, may be will cost you more than RM 8, extra meat. Rat rendang…….yum yum.
Yeah, we get rats in this really good local teng meng ngu (a starchy soup dish native to Sibu) place too.
I still go, don’t mind rats so long as the food is good. 🙂
I think the secret is the mixture of different curries on the rice. I heard some restaurant have someone that specialize on throwing the mixtures while serving the rice.
You know, I think you might be right bro. 🙂
A curry mixer – like a sous chef for nasi kandar. Heh.
HB,I use to catch mice to feed my snake . That is shocking to me also. Health Dept write up.
Nice. I used to have a snake before it escaped.
I never got around to catching mice though, buying it is easier.
I don’t think there’s any mice in my apartment either – cockroaches yes, mice no. 😀
You have one huge appetite!
Haha! I do actually, but only at night.
I eat one HUGE meal at night.
Don’t eat breakfast usually, unless I’m traveling.
I didn’t manage to finish this nasi kandar though. 🙂
I can’t see your nasi, for the kandar! hahaha. Might as well call it chok -it’s so wet! 😛
Heh! Yeah, that’s the good bit!
The rice gets totally covered with gravy so there’s no plain steamed rice at all.
Some people don’t like that, but I love it!
I like lots of gravy on my rice. 😀
yum. hey did you try the nasi kandar beratur while you were in penang? it is much better than that nasi kandar line clear. the only bad thing is you kena q for atleast 30mins. but its so worth it
Yes , I was about to recommend him that .
The quite is damn long hence the name nasi beratur . LOL .
So far the cheapest nasi kandar I would say is Jamal Tariq at fettes park area .
Hello Ian!
Yeah, that sounds very promising. Heh!
An apt name too. Thanks for that, I shall go check it out! 🙂
Alas! I didn’t try that place.
Nasi kandar beratur eh? It sounds very interesting, especially the queuing for 30 minutes bit.
It must be good for people to do that.
Thanks for the recommendation Melven! 🙂
Yo dude. RM8 is pretty moderate for a first time visit.
The first time I was there, I whipped up a tab of RM35!!! for my nasi kandar. hahaha
Wow! Yeah, I’ve been charged RM 30+ for nasi kandar too!
I was so greedy that time and hungry so I put a lot of sotong and a whole fish in there. Heh!
RM 35 at this place, what did you get?
Tht was my first time there, tot I’ld make my 30 minutes queue worthwhile, so I took one big ass prawn, big ass sotong, mutton, and a few more with lotsa gravy. It looked like a lil volcano with lava oozing out. Hahaha
Wow, you queued for 30 minutes?
We went early at non-peak times so it was just a short queue.
Nice, no wonder it cost so much…prawns and seafood. Looks like it’s worth it though. Sounds delicious. 🙂
wow that is really a large fish head! all the dishes on display looks like they have the sauces spilling all over!
Yeah, it’s HUGE! I was half tempted to order it but it’ll be way too much food for two people to finish. 🙂
That’s the best part about nasi kandar at Line Clear – the sauces, and I think we came just before the dinner rush so all the stuff is hot and near spilling over.
I bet some of them just came out of the cooking pot. 😀
one of the dirtiest place to have nasi kandar but it’s damn awesome. hahaha
Indeed! Haha!
…though I’ve been to dirtier places but it’s all about the good food. 😀
You are so kind replying to every comment added on your posting 🙂
I’ve reached here while searching for some famous Melaka food.
Actually, my family members from Korea are supposed to visit to Meleka next week.
I wonder if there’s any famous foodstuff except for chicken rice balls in Melaka.
It would be very appreciated to hear your suggestions ^^
Hey, no worries SimSim. 🙂
That’s what a blog is all about, two way conversations. 😀
Melaka eh? Well, you must have Nyonya food that’s for sure. The authentic ones tend to be in the old shoplots.
One other thing that originates from Melaka is satay celup. It’s basically lok lok but you dip it in a communal satay. This is the famous one:
http://sixthseal.com/2009/06/satay-celup/
There’s also awesome popiah in Melaka that you shouldn’t miss:
http://sixthseal.com/2009/06/the-best-popiah-in-melaka/
BTW, I would recommend Chop Chung Wah to Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Ball but it’s personal preference really.
Hope that helps! 🙂
It feature in newspaper(berita harian) on 18.08.11,I intend to go penang soon…hey guys which part of penang is it located? Any building or landmark near this street?
Yeah, I think nasi kandar Line Clear is quite well known – has been featured in quite a lot of places. 🙂
It’s opposite Cititel Hotel, just a short distance from the Upper Penang Road clubbing district. If you can see Cititel Penang, you’ll see this opposite.
There’s also a huge and now abandoned Kayu Nasi Kandar building opposite it.
Nasi Kandar just aint the same since they stopped putting ganja in it.
I personally would prefer to smoke my ganja before eating nasi kandar. 😉
Eaten cannabis takes 4 hours to take effect so I have serious doubts about THC laced nasi kandar. It’s a very different feeling from smoked marijuana too, I found that out in Australia with cannabutter and also in Amsterdam with the best of the best – loved their hash.
Cheers!