The shop along Jalan Dato Keramat that pulls a queue from sunrise.
Nasi Kandar Sulaiman is not new in Penang.
I have driven past the shop over the years, and because there’s no roadside parking, I never stopped by.
The packed shop along busy Jalan Dato Keramat has long queues every day, for as long as I can remember.
I often wondered what they sell there.
It was only when Singaporean competitive eater and popular YouTuber Zermatt Neo showed up to eat that I began to take notice.
If a Singaporean has eaten the Nasi Kandar near me, where was I then?
Of course, I wasn’t about to gulp down large quantities of local street food like Zermatt.
Unless eating like that resulted in a six-pack fitness guru body.
Still, I was tempted to see up close the dishes that made it famous.
Thinking the parking would ruin my day, I finally went to NKS.
My under-RM10 plate, drowned in curry by Mamu himself.
What pushed me over the edge was Zermatt Neo’s outrageous 9kg nasi kandar challenge that popped up on my feed.
If someone can eat a mountain of curry and fried chicken, the least I could do was stop pretending the shop wasn’t calling my name.
Many nasi kandar fans who don’t read Malay struggle to find clear info.
So I wrote the English guide I wish existed.
This comes straight from my visit last month and a few years of watching the morning crowds grow larger and larger.
Nasi Kandar Sulaiman Reviews
Most people want to know if the food actually lives up to the hype.
My answer is yes.
The fried chicken is the star.
But then there’s always the juicy meaty Big Prawns.
One of the crowd-pullers here: the big prawn coated in rich gravy.
Crunchy on the outside, tender inside, and full of heat.
The day I went, Mamu spotted me and waved. I knew Mamu himself was going to be the joki nasi kandar that morning.
If you’ve been eating nasi kandar long enough, you know the joki is everything.
He’s the one who decides how the curries land on your plate, almost like a barista but for gravy.
A good joki doesn’t just scoop and pour.
He layers the rice, blends the gravies, and gets the balance right without pausing to think. In nasi kandar, the word simply refers to the person who shapes the final flavour.
Watching Mamu work made the whole plate feel different, like you were getting the real deal straight from the source.
The curry mix is thick and spicy in a way that makes you pause for a second before scooping more.
It has that deep flavour that only comes from slow cooking.
The sides deserve a shout too.
The fish head dish has that deep, slow-cooked flavour the shop is known for.
Sotong, fish eggs, fish head, all done in a way that blends well with the rice and curry.
It tasted like the sort of meal that doesn’t need pretty plating to win you over.
Reviews online mention friendly service and I noticed the same thing.
Even though the queue wrapped out the threshold (hello, there is no door!) the staff had that effortless rhythm that keeps the line moving without making anyone feel rushed.
Nasi Kandar Sulaiman Menu
If you look for the Nasi Kandar Sulaiman Menu before going, don’t expect anything fancy.
This place sticks to the classics and does them well.
Fried chicken, sotong, fish eggs, fish head, lamb shank, prawns and a rotation of curry dishes.
The sotong has a firm bite and soaks up the curry nicely.
You pick, they pile it on, and the plate comes together on its own.
I liked that everything felt honest.
No distractions.
Just good food, strong flavours and enough choices to keep you curious without overwhelming you.
Affordable Price
The Nasi Kandar Sulaiman menu price is another reason the shop gets packed before sunrise.
Even with generous portions, it stays affordable.
You can load up your plate and still feel like you’re paying a fair amount.
After watching Zermatt chow down a RM300 mountain of food, I half expected the regular menu to be pricey, but it stays grounded.
For a place that pulls such a thick crowd daily, the pricing feels almost old school.
I got my plate for under RM10 – fried Chicken, Hard boiled egg, bendi, sambal nyiok.
A pricier plate with more protein, still fair for the portion.
And Mamu did the honours and flooded by plate with just enough curry.
He sprinkled the fried onions with aplomb and stuck a green chili padi as garnish. Viola!
Delicious.
Nasi Kandar Sulaiman Parking
Let’s talk about the part nobody explains clearly finding parking is not fun.
The shop faces the main road and proper parking spots nearby are rare.
If you come during peak hours, you might end up circling for a while.
My tip is simple.
Go early.
They open around 6.30AM and you’ll still face a queue, but at least the parking war is manageable.
Once you’re inside and the food hits your table, the earlier stress fades quickly.
The TikTok Drama That Added to the Buzz
Right before my visit, NKS posted about a TikToker who kept trying to score a free meal for his family. He claimed his forty thousand followers were enough reason.
The comments were all on the shop’s side, and that’s when it hit me! NKS had a stronger following than the influencer.
That pushed my curiosity over the edge, so I finally went.
SURRRR!!!
Nasi Kandar Sulaiman
739, Jalan Air Itam, 10460 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Hours: 6:30 am–3:30 pm Daily
Blog Disclosure: This blog is written independently. No compensation, free meals, payments, or services have been received from any featured establishments. All reviews are based on the editor’s personal visits with friends while exploring Penang.
