Deens Maju Nasi Kandar is a hidden gem tucked away in a quiet corner. But don’t let its unassuming location fool you. Once you step inside, the sight and smell of delicious food will make your mouth water.
Nasi kandar, which hails from Penang, is a popular Malaysian dish and was brought to Malaysia 70 years ago from India when Tamil-Muslim immigrants roamed the port and dusty streets of colonial Penang, dragging around heavy baskets laden with home cooked dishes and rice.
Opened in 2016, Deens Maju Nasi Kandar at Jalan Gurdwara (the largest Gurdwara or Sikh Temple in Penang is located right opposite it) is perhaps the most popular nasi kandar spot in Penang at the moment.
The owner of Deens Maju, Mohamed Ismail Seeni Mohamed, used to help his older brother at Deens in Toon Leong on Transfer Road, until he upped and left to set up his own spot here. The food counter had three food platers so the line moved rather speedily.
A nasi kandar server is a “mixologist” of sorts – his skill is judged by how well he mixed-and-matched the various types of curry sauces onto your plate, resulting in a potpourri of sometimes contrasting flavours which will somehow come together to become better than the sum of its parts.
The curries are mainly of South Indian Tamil-Muslim origin, with very distinct flavours and aromas which set them apart from other regional Indian, Malay, Indonesian or Thai curries widely available in Penang.
Traditionally, Penang’s nasi kandar vendors all hail from the Ramnad district of Tamil Nadu in India, whilst the spice-women who traditionally provide the spice blends and curry mixes which characterise nasi kandar curries came mainly from Tenkasi and Kadayanallur districts in Tamil Nadu. It is this very unique combination of Ramnad cooking techniques and Tenkasi/Kadayanallur spice blends which resulted in the extraordinarily aromatic and distinctive Penang nasi kandar curry flavours.
One of the signature dishes here is Chicken 75, fried with 15 different types of spices, is a real sensorial treat. The golden-crusted chicken is almost as satisfying to hear as it tastes.
Nasi Kandar stalls tend to have limited choice of vegetables – cucumbers, okra and cabbage. The bendi (okra) was boiled and came with nothing else. The gobi sabzi (cabbage curry) was delicious.
The prawn was the only dish that failed tonight – prawns that were cooked to death only saved by the wonderful spices used on the prawns.
The lamb shank was the first thing I saw when I entered the restaurant. The meat simply slipped off the bones, and the curry was appropriate with the well seasoned lamb.
Overall the place was clean, unlike many other mamak stores. Food was yummy and the service was fast. But the price was a bit steep – our dinner came to RM127 (~SGD40) for two persons. Lots of sitting space. However, the queue can be very long especially on weekend, public holiday & school holiday. Parking can be a big problem. Worth a trip nevertheless, opens 24/7.
Deens Maju Nasi Kandar
170 Jalan Gurdwara, George Town, Penang Island 10300 Malaysia
Tel : +60 12-425 2421
Visited May 2024
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