Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang

Chef Joe Singham and his wife Alexandra first started selling food at the night markets, opening their first brick-and-mortar in Panmure essentially during the Delta lockdown; they had a grand opening night just two days earlier. As for the name, Nasi Kandar is a Indian-Muslim dish that comes from Penang in Malaysia, one of those regional specialties that is best tried in its place of origin. If you can’t quite make it there, however, Penang chef Joe’s version is pretty close. It’s essentially a mixed-rice dish, served with various condiments and sides like okra, sambal and curry. The number of components requires a real attention to detail, and it comes to the fore in the big, bold flavours. The nasi lemak is also particularly good, a little different with its coconut sambal and anchovy sambal, all stirred up together for some sweetness and spice. Add on the beef rendang or goat curry.