This review of Nasi Kerabu Padang Kala in Ketereh, Kelantan is written by one of our contributors, Munirah. Some parts of the article may have been edited for length and clarity.
Good Morning! Rise and shine from Wakaf Berangan, Kelantan. It is our monthly trip to my mother in law’s house. A trip back to the east coast also means food galore! I would be in team #marriedtokelantanese. When you’re in Kelantan, you gotta do like locals here. They are known for their culture, their hearts and their unique delicacies, which is very incredible and delicious. Breakfast in Kelantan always means you will start your day with hearty dishes and you gotta try one of the most iconic and well-known breakfast dish here - NASI KERABU. And it is a simple kampung fare easily found at stalls next to the main road.
Among one of the best that I've had so far in Kelantan and the one I keep suggesting to everyone is, of course, Nasi Kerabu Padang Kala, Ketereh. The late father of my brother-in-law used to drive 30mins from Pasir Puteh just to have this for breakfast! My husband doesn’t get the idea of driving that far for nasi kerabu which you can easily find here. Well, let's find out why this stall is so special.
P.S. Heading to Kelantan for a getaway? Check out these 6 hidden gems!
Nasi Kerabu is a dish where rice is cook with butterfly pea flower to get its beautiful purple colour and kerabu means salad. With its vivid colours and medley of aromatic herbs, nasi kerabu is Kelantan’s most visually captivating and exciting dish. This stall offers nasi berlauk (rice with dishes) and a local cake as well.
P.S. If you're planning a road trip to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, check out our 5D4N itinerary of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang!
Credit: Wan Mustaffa on Facebook
Once you arrive, you can smell the aroma of grilled meat as everything grilled are prepared at the open space area. The aroma will make many of you drool! A must-try would be Nasi Kerabu with grilled meat along with solok and salted egg.
P.S. Wondering what to do in Kota Bharu and its surrounds? Our reader went on a 4D3N trip to Kota Bharu and you can read it here!
Credit: Wan Mustaffa on Facebook
The grilled meat here is well marinated and it's cooked till it's medium-well. It tastes so good and delicious! Solok is green chilli stuffed with fish meat as the main ingredient and grated coconut. I usually find that the coconut taste can overpower the taste of fish meat but this solok had a good balance of the two. Some say the “sambal tumis” and “budu” (fermented anchovies sauce) are indicators of a delicious Nasi Kerabu. I have to agree with this as well. I'm not a fan of budu but what is Nasi Kerabu without sambal tumis and budu. These two gives an extra kick to that grilled meat and solok. It is a burst of flavours inside your mouth while you're chewing the food. You got a taste of sweet meat, a hint of saltiness from budu and salted egg, and a bit of crunch from keropok ikan (fish crackers) and shredded vegetables, a rich flavour from solok and that spicy kick from sambal tumis. The mix of everything here is so refreshing, perhaps due to the crunchy shredded vegetables. You won't stop eating until your plate is clean!
The price per plate usually ranges from RM4 to RM9. The cost for my family of 8 adults will usually cost us around RM40-RM50. One tip if you’re planning to visit this stall, you might want to slow down when the GPS shows that you're 200 metres from the exact location. As the shop is located next to the main road and there is no designated parking, you'll need to park at the side of the main road.
Once you’ve done eating and thinking where to go next, I would suggest taking a walk to the stall next to Nasi Kerabu Padang Kala and get yourself a local cake - Kuih Akok (Kelantanese egg cake). It is freshly made there in the traditional way! They still bake akok using coconut husk. You can try akok while it's hot and it does taste really delicious. The fragrant smoky-sweet aroma is just so hard to explain. Simply delicious!
Nasi Kerabu Padang Kala
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Opening hours: Daily; 8AM-2PM
Address: Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Terengganu, Kampong Kubang Bongor, 16450 Ketereh, Kelantan, Malaysia
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