Khao Jam, Laksam & Nasi Kerabu @ Warisan Kelate in JB

I was back again at Warisan Kelate in Setia Tropika because I missed their Khao Jam the last time. I have never eaten Khao Jam before, so I am eager to try the famous Kelantan dish.



Originally a rice dish from Thailand, Khao Jam means "mixed rice" in Thai. Less commonly found in Thailand nowadays, Khao Jam is now more associated with Kelantan.

The dish doesn't travel very well as it's complicated to make - requiring many ingredients which furthermore must be served fresh. Thanks to Warisan Kelate, we have a good version of Khao Jam in Johor Bahru.





Bryan and Suan hail from Kelantan and serves Kelantan cuisine using their family heirloom recipes.



Every family have their own Khao Jam recipe, which are all slightly different. Most recipes call for rice, kaffir lime leaves, bunga kantan (ginger flower), turmeric leaves, turmeric powder, jambu air (water apple), bean sprouts, shallots, onions, lemon grass, kerisik (grated, toasted, ground coconut paste), serundeng, fried dried prawns, salted egg, keropok, sambal chili etc.



The rice and all the ingredients are tossed and folded into a jumbled heap. Warisan Kelate's rice is boiled in stock made with a mix of greens and herbs, so it looks green in colour.

In the mouth, it is a complicated mix of textures and flavours. Soft tender rice with crunchy greens, bean sprouts, onion and keropok. Sweet, savoury, spicy, tangy flavours from herbs, vegetables, salted egg etc.

To sum it all up, it tastes wonderfully delicious with lots of surprising delightful flavours and aromas released with every bite.



We can have fried rempah chicken, fried ikan keli, grilled sambal cencaru fish etc to eat with our Khao Jam. I opted for ayam percik freshly grilled by Bryan.



Ayam Percik is a popular spicy grilled chicken dish. The fresh chicken is marinated with lots of hot and aromatic spices held together with coconut milk. It is grilled over charcoal till the chicken is cooked and charred at the edges. By then, the sugar in the coconut milk is also caramelised adding a layer of toasty sweetness to the dish.

Ayam Percik is great with rice dishes including Khao Jam, of course.



We also had Kelantan Laksam.

The tender house made rice rolls are served in a bowl of creamy soft gritty sauce made with fresh Ikan Selayang (sardines) and coconut milk along with sambal chili, bean sprout and greens.



Savoury sweet spicy sauce envelope the sweet tender rice ribbons. It's another delicious way to eat rice 😄



We also had Nasi Kerabu, another signature rice and salad dish from Kelantan.

For details on Warisan Kelate's nasi kerabu from our previous visit 👈 click here



When you are at Warisan Kelate, get this butterfly-pea flower tea. It is drank with a squeeze of lime, so the main flavour is lemon zest with an underlying floral taste and fragrance. I like this tea 😋

4-Star (out of 5). It's not often that we get an eatery that is so faithful to the original recipes and methods. Assembling all the ingredients without leaving anything out and serving them fresh is no mean feat - takes a lot of dedication. The food is prepared with old methods, many requiring hand work. 

For example, insisting on hand chopping instead of resorting to modern conveniences like the electric blender. A seemingly trivial detail but you will taste the difference with the first bite. Bryan and Suan are hands-on owners, preparing and making food the way it is done at home in Kelantan. The setting is humble but Warisan Kelate serves exquisite food which everyone can indulge in at reasonable prices. 

Warisan Kelate is certified Halal.



Restaurant name: Warisan Kelate



Address: 12, Jalan Setia Tropika 1/14, Taman Setia Tropika, Johor Bahru 
GPS: 1°32'45.5"N 103°42'41.4"E | 1.545973, 103.711496 
Tel: 011 1853 1616
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm (Tues closed)

Certified Halal

Date visited: 18 Dec 2017, 23 Dec 2017



 

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