I was in the mood for some Nasi Dagang today but was undecided as to which restaurant to head to. I wanted to try a new eatery, somewhere I have not been to before. It took a while, having to browse the net to look for options and eventually, I came across Warung Ambo.

Warung Ambo is rather famous, especially among the Shah Alam folks. They are also rated highly online – with votes from over 1600 individuals and an average rating of 4.3 / 5. If you read through the reviews, you’d notice common words like ‘excellent food’, ‘good Kelantanese food’ and ‘good value for money’. Sounds promising, right?? The drive from Bangsar to this part of Shah Alam was going to take me at least 40 minutes but who cares. I had 2 hours to spare and I’ve decided that Warung Ambo is where I am headed to for lunch today.

To get here, I used Waze … it will lead you right to Warung Ambo’s doorstep. This eatery occupies the corner lot of a quiet row of shops. So, parking was really easy, plenty available all around. If you arrive here around lunch time (from 12 pm onwards), be prepared to wait. A long waiting line is a daily occurrence here. Unless you get here earlier, be prepared to wait. Don’t believe me?? I’ve got pictures to prove it.

The waiting line extends all the way out of the shop. Good thing I arrived here by 12.05 pm. There was already a line but it was moving rather quickly. 15 minutes later when office folks started dropping by … that is when the que starts moving real slow. Almost all of these folks come in groups and so, when they order, you need to wait for all the members in that group to finish deciding what each person wants on their plate before the line moves again. By 12.30 pm, there will be lots of groups here … imagine how slow the que is going to move.

You do not have to worry about ‘tempat duduk’ though as Warung Ambo occupies two shop lots. Plenty of table and chairs to sit at. The crowd tends to move, so even if it is full house, an empty table will soon be available.

Nasi Kerabu Ayam with Telur Masin, 8.50 ringgit + Nasi Dagang Ikan Tongkol, 8.50 ringgit

I enjoyed the Nasi Kerabu. It was delicious and certainly filling. It came with the usual bluish grey rice + 4 meaty medium pieces of chicken + telur masin + crushed fish crackers + chicken floss + ulam. Chicken floss?? Yup, I don’t think I’ve had this particular dish with floss before but hey, I liked it. The fried chicken was slightly ‘berempah’, it provided extra ummph to the dish as a whole. Then, there was the sambal …. ‘memang kaw’. It was potent. If you want spicy, this was really spicy. Just a small dose of it makes a big difference. It was gooood. All you got to do is mix it all up and you are all set. A delicious dish indeed.

The Nasi Dagang here was pretty good too. I’ve made it rather obvious in my previous postings, of my love for the Nasi Dagang served at Capital Nasi Dagang Kelantan in Uptown, Damansara Utama, PJ. To compare that with this, I’d say that Capital is more of a ‘specialist’ and Warung Ambo is more of a ‘generalist’. Both are nice and yummy but different and it all boils down to individual preferences as to which one is deemed better. The Nasi Dagang here comes with rice + ikan tongkol + egg + cucumber. The fish was tasty, the gravy was rich and the taste of coconut milk was evident. Overall, a pretty good dish.

It kindda sucks that this restaurant is located all the way in Glenmarie. It took me 45 minutes to get here. As much as I would like to revisit Warung Ambo, honestly, I’d only do so if I am ever in the area. If the craving strikes any other time, it is Capital Nasi Dagang for melah as it is waaaaaaayyyyy closer.