Yam rice memories

A spread of pork offal, braised pork belly and egg, chicken feet, salted vegetable tofu soup to go with the yam rice. — Photo: KYSPEAKS

The first time I had yam rice was probably right after Form 5 when I was waiting for my SPM results.

I was working as an apprentice under my late dad as a backhoe loader operator, and we had to go to Seberang Prai to get some spare parts for the machine. Dad, being a foodie (that’s where I got it from), took the opportunity to bring us to the famous Chai Leng Park Yam Rice that is still operating till today.

Lee Heritage Yam Rice “coffeeshop” in Pandamaran. This is as old school as it gets.

Now, whenever I have yam rice, it brings to mind that moment we had as father and son. But I digress.

One similar old-school yam rice place is Lee Heritage Yam Rice, located deep in the heart of Klang vicinity in Pandamaran. The restaurant is much like many around this area – a make-shift set-up converted from a “new village” house.

Since there’s only one restaurant on this road, parking isn’t too hard. The dining area itself is quite cozy, if not slightly too warm on a hot day. The price list is clearly stated on the menu on the wall behind the food preparation area, and orders are done on a white board with a laminated ordering sheet – what a concept!

Nasi lemak-style sambal is served here to go with their signature yam rice. This was a surprising marriage that worked very well.

We ended up ordering pretty much everything on the menu. There’s the braised pork belly with half-boiled egg, pork offal (stomach and intestine) plus taufu pok and chicken feet. These braised items were well-cooked until tender, with a taste profile that’s not overly strong – really enjoyable comfort food. The yam rice itself had the right amount of yam infusion, and interestingly, served with sambal that’s very similar to that for nasi lemak, an unexpected marriage that worked very well.

Additionally, we also enjoyed the soup that was typical salted vegetable soup you’d expect accompanying yam rice, with a choice of coagulated blood, tofu, and more offal. Obviously, I had the version with everything in it – that’s the only way to go!