Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari owner Rudi Farique Mohd Azmi wants to keep the love for traditional Malay food alive in Bukit Bintang. (Shafiq Hashim @ FMT Lifestyle)

KUALA LUMPUR:

With Kuala Lumpur’s growing foodie culture, those living and working in the city are often spoilt for choice since Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Western cuisines are available at every nook and corner. Younger crowds meanwhile gravitate to aesthetically pleasing hipster cafes that have sprouted organically across the city.

Despite this, Rudi Farique Mohd Azmi, 40, owner of food business Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari, remains adamant about promoting traditional local cuisine. As the name suggests, Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari specialises in the flavourful dishes typically enjoyed at Malay weddings.

Take a stroll along Lorong Berangan of Bukit Bintang and let the aroma of its dishes guide you to the stall. Here, you’ll find classics such as ayam madu, gulai ikan temenung and kambing pasamah.

These are offered as set lunches, with prices ranging from RM9 to RM13. Customers also enjoy a free flow of air sirap.

Affordably priced, Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari is frequented by individuals from all walks of life and from all over the world. (Shafiq Hashim @ FMT Lifestyle)

The daging masak hitam set with yellow rice, a fried egg and pickled cucumber on the side, stood out in particular.

The beef was incredibly tender (and the same could be said of its kambing pasamah), with a dark, caramelised sauce that finely balanced sweet and spicy.

Despite the occasional bad rap wedding food generally gets, the food at Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari is portioned just nicely, leaving customers full without the risk of feeling stuffed.

Operating for five years now, customers may choose to sit at the restaurant or the stall, where Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari first started out, situated in the back alley of Lorong Berangan.

According to Rudi, the former is better suited for those who like to take a leisurely meal, while the latter is geared towards Bukit Bintang’s working crowd looking for a quick meal on the go.

Rudi revamped the back alley space with colourful murals. (Shafiq Hashim @ FMT Lifestyle)

Nonetheless, apart from the soul-satisfying food, Rudi and his team have poured their heart and soul into keeping the homely feel of Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari. This is evident in the colourful murals they painted on the walls along its stall and of the neighbouring restaurant.

Its customers are made up of all ages and all walks of life. As the FMT Lifestyle team sat down with Rudi during peak hour, customers braved strong winds and a drizzle to have their meals on plastic tables set up along the busy back alley.

Even police officers dropped by for lunch while exchanging warm hellos with the stall operators.

At the heart of Rudi’s operations is the idea of serving a community and preserving Malaysians’ unique identity through food.

“We sell northern style nasi kenduri. The lauk is simple. Actually, we want people to know that traditional food is here in Bukit Bintang. In Bukit Bintang, many of the people here are foreigners so even our own people end up eating foreign food.

“Local Malay food is not so common and the concept of operating by the road is an old one. Forty years ago, this is how it looked like in Bukit Bintang, and we would like to preserve these recipes for the public so that many generations can try our local food,” Rudi said.

Despite gloomy weather, hungry customers lined up to buy their Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari dishes. (Shafiq Hashim @ FMT Lifestyle)

The stall is owned by the Little Rara group, a local food chain best known for its Thai street food on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, among other locations.

Rudi added that the country’s young have much to gain from being exposed to traditional food.

Rudi’s favourite pairing is the kambing pasamah, rice and boiled egg, but he suggested that the range of dishes on offer accommodated different taste preferences – sweet, savoury, and spicy.

While nasi kenduri is often associated with weddings, Rudi said older generations often prepared these dishes for gatherings and celebrations such as engagements, job promotions, or when relocating homes.

“Older generations enjoy eating here because they are familiar with this old Malay menu,” he said with a laugh.

Rudi said it would be a dream come true to open a branch at KLIA someday where families could celebrate homecomings and farewells with traditional nasi kenduri dishes, reminding Malaysians of their shared heritage.

The ayam madu dish is offered on a daily basis, so you no longer have to wait for a wedding invite to get your fix. (Shafiq Hashim @ FMT Lifestyle)

“I don’t think I could afford it but it would be great! Imagine people arriving at the airport, feeling exhausted, and finding nasi kenduri. When I go to the airport, I must eat nasi kandar – even though it isn’t as nice as it used to be! Even then, we still go and have it.

“At the same time, we have tourists coming down and trying nasi lemak – things that have become common. Nasi kahwin is quite interesting. That would be my goal,” said Rudi.

Follow Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari on Facebook and Instagram.

Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari
Jalan Berangan,
Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Business hours: 10.30am-10pm daily

Contact: 016-305 5388

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Sharing Malay heritage with Nasi Kahwin Hari Hari

Business owner Rudi Farique Mohd Azmiwishes to serve the community and preserve Malaysia's unique identity through food.