SOME years back, Azam ‘Bear’, an old outdoor kaki told me about a nasi padang shop in Kampung Medan, Petaling Jaya.
“Eh Sam, engkau kena try tempat ni la. Orang makan sampai beratur..” (Hey Sam, you’ve got to try this place. People actually queue-up for their food)
He sounded convincing and it took me a while to locate this place with some help from Zakri ‘Billy’ Baharuddin, my buddy.
“My dad told me about the makan place, but he did not give me the name, so I main langgar (took a risk) and found it in Kampung Medan,” he said.
Without hesitation, I made a break for this nasi padang place called Mega Ceria (GPS N 03 04 938, E 101 38 426) which is located in Taman Maju Jaya off the New Pantai Expressway.
Even before noon, this place was already packed with people.
I was told that the shop is managed by a group of men who are really cekap (efficient) when it comes to delivering dishes to customers.
With a good selection of traditional Minang dishes on the counter, I picked a piece of sambal terung (brinjal), acar timun (pickled cucumbers), daging rendang and some taugeh.
And at RM5.50 per plate, this is by far one of the cheapest and tastiest nasi padang I have come across.
If you had ordered the same dishes from some established makan places in the city centre, it could set you off at RM13 or more.
Traditional fare:Minang dishes for your pick.There is a good selection of Minang dishes covering fish, meat and vegetables, but we could only go one at a time.
Zakri ordered the bergedil (potato and minced meat) with a piece of daging rendang at RM5 and our bill came up to RM14 inclusive of two drinks.
Later, I asked one of the helpers there who happens to be the owner’s son and was told that Mega Ceria nasi padang has been around for more than three decades.
“My father started his nasi padang business when he was a bachelor and now, he’s still at it,” said the young man.
With many good testimonials, especially from someone like Azam Bear, I am convinced that the nasi padang shop is there to stay.
To get to Mega Ceria, just follow the GPS coordinates or do a “Google Maps” search on the Internet to get THE directions.
