Nasi Melayu is basically steaming ,fluffy, white rice with a variety of Malay dishes. One of the most popular places in Penang to eat nasi Melayu, if not the best, is Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung. It is located in Medan Selera Tanjung Bunga, which sits on a slope near a hilly neighbourhood in Tanjung Bungah, directly opposite the Penang Floating Mosque. If you are coming from George Town, turn left up the slope when you see the Floating Mosque on your right.
It was a good 20 minutes’ drive from George Town to the food court. I was fortunate to face minimal traffic on the road, so this is still a good place to go during your office lunch hour, although we wouldn’t recommend it if you are looking for an express meal.
When we arrived at 12.20pm, the place was already crowded, a testament that when the food is good, people would crowd the place regardless of the location. Look out for Kedai Makanan Lidiana, or better known as Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung for your nasi Melayu fix.
The perpetually long queue at Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung
Kedai Makanan Lidiana offers an extensive spread of Malay dishes. For example, they had up to six different types of kerabu – it was so tough to decide which to choose!
A real test to your decision-making skills
One of the most popular items on the menu is fried ikan cencaru sumbat sambal (RM4-5, according to size) or hardtail fish, fried and stuffed with spicy sambal. The fun part of eating cencaru fish is separating the crunchy hard skin in one piece, revealing the succulent fish meat underneath it. The fish was juicy and the stuffed onions and chillies gave a nice crunch to each bite.
I tried a few of their regular side dishes such as taugeh kerabu, tofu sambal, and brinjal with sambal, all at RM1 each. They tasted ordinary, but what’s seemingly normal for Lidiana might probably be above average when compared against other food stalls in Penang.
Fried cencaru is the most popular dish here, but don't let that stop you from spooning more lauk onto your plate
I had to crown the best dish of the day to Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung’s deep-fried ikan terubuk (toil shad fish, RM25-RM30). There were only two fried terubuk left at the stall so I quickly took one and the stall operator was very kind to reheat the fish, so when it was served to my table it felt fresh and warm. The fish meat was just heavenly soft, it had a softer texture than cencaru and I like that it was not too oily. Like the cencaru, it was also stuffed with lots of crunchy onions and pounded chillies.
The fried terubuk with all its glorious stuffings was undeniably the best dish of the day
The annoying part was that the fish had too many fine bones! You’ll need to work extra hard to separate them from the fish, and by the time you’re done with the bone-picking process the fish meat might already be butchered into fine pieces by your cutlery! However, I thought the flavours of the fish made the painstaking process worthwhile. The fish looked like it was large enough for two to three people but after finishing it I felt the portion was suitably enough for one. If it wasn’t for the price, I would’ve ordered another! I would definitely come back for the fish again.
It's a pretty big fish good enough for two, but once you've tried it, you may not want to share it
Recommended dishes: fried ikan cencaru sumbat sambal, deep-fried ikan terubuk
Give it a skip: taugeh kerabu, tofu sambal, brinjal with sambal
It was a good 20 minutes’ drive from George Town to the food court. I was fortunate to face minimal traffic on the road, so this is still a good place to go during your office lunch hour, although we wouldn’t recommend it if you are looking for an express meal.
When we arrived at 12.20pm, the place was already crowded, a testament that when the food is good, people would crowd the place regardless of the location. Look out for Kedai Makanan Lidiana, or better known as Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung for your nasi Melayu fix.
The perpetually long queue at Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung
Kedai Makanan Lidiana offers an extensive spread of Malay dishes. For example, they had up to six different types of kerabu – it was so tough to decide which to choose!
A real test to your decision-making skills
One of the most popular items on the menu is fried ikan cencaru sumbat sambal (RM4-5, according to size) or hardtail fish, fried and stuffed with spicy sambal. The fun part of eating cencaru fish is separating the crunchy hard skin in one piece, revealing the succulent fish meat underneath it. The fish was juicy and the stuffed onions and chillies gave a nice crunch to each bite.
I tried a few of their regular side dishes such as taugeh kerabu, tofu sambal, and brinjal with sambal, all at RM1 each. They tasted ordinary, but what’s seemingly normal for Lidiana might probably be above average when compared against other food stalls in Penang.
Fried cencaru is the most popular dish here, but don't let that stop you from spooning more lauk onto your plate
I had to crown the best dish of the day to Nasi Melayu Masjid Terapung’s deep-fried ikan terubuk (toil shad fish, RM25-RM30). There were only two fried terubuk left at the stall so I quickly took one and the stall operator was very kind to reheat the fish, so when it was served to my table it felt fresh and warm. The fish meat was just heavenly soft, it had a softer texture than cencaru and I like that it was not too oily. Like the cencaru, it was also stuffed with lots of crunchy onions and pounded chillies.
The fried terubuk with all its glorious stuffings was undeniably the best dish of the day
The annoying part was that the fish had too many fine bones! You’ll need to work extra hard to separate them from the fish, and by the time you’re done with the bone-picking process the fish meat might already be butchered into fine pieces by your cutlery! However, I thought the flavours of the fish made the painstaking process worthwhile. The fish looked like it was large enough for two to three people but after finishing it I felt the portion was suitably enough for one. If it wasn’t for the price, I would’ve ordered another! I would definitely come back for the fish again.
It's a pretty big fish good enough for two, but once you've tried it, you may not want to share it
Recommended dishes: fried ikan cencaru sumbat sambal, deep-fried ikan terubuk
Give it a skip: taugeh kerabu, tofu sambal, brinjal with sambal
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