Nasi Kandar Under the Tree

Nasi Kandar Under The Tree intrigued me when I first came across reviews of it some years ago. It's been on my "to do" list for a while and today, I finally got to try it. It really is just a tent sprung up "in the middle of no where", by the side of the road under some trees, next to a row of terrace houses. Not surprisingly, there was a queue when we arrived at lunch time, but because it was a rainy day, we didn't have to wait too long (about 5 people ahead). This is my first time trying Nasi Kandar... the biggest difference is the assorted curries used to drench the rice (Nasi Kandar is like Indian Muslim economy rice). I was a bit lost on what to order... Everyone ahead seemed to be a regular. After observing the ordering process for a bit, I used my limited broken Berhasa Melayu to order the fried chicken (apparently, the best seller) , omelette and cabbage, and for the 2nd plate, I ordered the fish curry, omelette and cabbage. Both plates were drenched in a mix of 4 types of different curries (campur). The concoction looked a bit messy... The total bill was Rm 25, $12 for chicken and $13 for fish. Quite reasonable for the portions. Taste wise, I found the fried chicken quite mediocre. Neither crunchy nor spicy. It was just coated with a red batter, and while the chicken was moist, it was quite tasteless. The omelette was tasty, while the cabbage was... well, like stir-fry cabbage (no surprises). The fish curry was also nothing to rave about. So forgettable that 2 hours after lunch (writing this review), I can't recall the taste, except that it was "ordinary". To sum it up, Nasi Kandar Under The Tree is fascinating for its venue, no frills dining and prices are gentle enough it won't hurt your pocket overly much. Rice portions tend to be very generous, if you're into rice. The curries were the best part of the meal.. Very aromatic and tasty. But sadly, the main dishes (chicken and fish) fell short of expectations and didn't impress one bit. Still, I suppose there's a certain "charm" dining there if one is craving for a "kampung" like ambience. The mozzies swarming around will lovingly kiss your legs and the love bites will accompany you long after your meal. Food 3.5*/5 Ambience 3/5 Price 4/5