Morning Adventure @ Gerai Mak Yah! *

We left home at 7.30am. Usually in bed at this ungodly hour when everyone else goes off to work, I was in search of a morning adventure. Frankly, it felt great to be out in the world when the air was crisp and fresh and traffic practically non-existent.

Where are we heading?

Passing by Laman Impian

Drive-thru newspaper vendor, Star and Metro please!

Hungry, we wanted to reach our destination as soon as possible and enjoy a yummy breakfast outside, which hardly happens for us since B sleeps in late on weekends.

Up and about at 7.37AM!

Almost there!

Turning the corner

Digital Mall still closed

1st Floor, Pusat Penjaja Sect. 14, PJ

We arrived at Gerai Mak Yah and there were already many people enjoying breakfast there. As expected, there was a queue for the Lontong, which was what we came for. After ordering our drinks, B immediately queued up behind the last person waiting in the lontong line. The last time B came here to buy some yummy lontong, he was in line for 40 minutes but that's because he arrived a little after 9am, which is the peak selling hour.

Busy Breakfast Crowd

I was ravenous and everything looked divine. While B was lining-up, I checked out the Nasi Lemak stall next to Gerai Mak Yah. There were so many different types of sambal and all my favourite things too like begedil, sambal sotong (squid), paru (lung), kerang (cockle), chicken and sambal prawns. I chose kerang for B and paru for me; take-away of course since we were here for something else!

Nasi Lemak Stall

Back to our lontong, the stall owner Mak Yah, was born in Johor Bahru (which is where my mom hails from and which explains my love for Southern recipes too). She lived in Singapore prior to moving here in KL back in 1972. I wasn't even born in 1972 and Mak Yah has been selling lontong at a car park outside the wet market in Section 14, PJ since then! This stall also serves Nasi Lemak but apparently, Lontong is her speciality.

B at the head of the queue!

This time around, it took B about 10 minutes to bring two plates of delicious Lontong Johor to our table. I was in heaven!

According to B, the food server had a very systematic way of preparing the lontong. First, he placed the nasi impit (compressed rice cake) inside your bowl. This was followed by the kuah lodeh (gravy) with bits of fried tofu, tempe (bean cake) and long beans for extra crunch and taste. Add to that half an egg, sambal sotong (squid) and kuah kacang (peanut sauce) before the finishing touch of very yummy serunding kelapa (delicious coconut floss) right on top. B asked for extra coconut floss and the server was very generous!

Delicious Lontong Johor RM4.50

The coconut sprinkle is what makes this entire dish perfect. For me, lontong without the serunding kelapa is less authentic so Mak Yah really made my morning with her ultra yummy recipe! Thank you Mak Yah, your lontong is delicious and your stall will now be a frequent visit for us! Next time, I want to try Mak Yah's Nasi Lemak!