Roti Canai Sardine at Restoran Al Sarifa
Hold your horses, this isn't some ordinary 24 hour mamak restaurant that mushroomed over the whole of Malaysia. Restoran Al Sarifa has some real secrets and the intrepid gastronomic adventurer will surely be rewarded. Tipped by my other adventuring friends, this restaurant was brought to my attention.
Apparently, they said that the Roti Canai Sardine here is legendary. So, I decided to hop into my car and bring a couple of my foreign friends from our journalism class to try out the Roti Canai Sardineeee..... yes, you need to say it out in a worshipful tone.
Before we feature this exquisite dish, maybe we should show you the interior of this place first.
The Roti Canai Sardine cost RM 3.80. It took quite awhile for the food to arrive even though the restaurant wasn't even full of customers. Inefficiency perhaps..... or maybe it takes awhile to prepare this special dish.
And it is finally here, the legendary Roti Canai Sardine. I can hear applause from the back of my mind, or maybe I'm just imagining things. It looks way fatter than a normal roti canai, with a width of around one and a half inch. For RM 3.80, there is quite allot of filling inside the bread.
Here is the close up of the sardine inside the bread. Chopped onions, sardine in tomato paste are added inside to make the Roti Canai Sardine. Enough chit chat, time to dig in.
Here, its all about the creativity of blending the gravy together and applying it on your Roti Canai Sardine for maximum effect. There are three types of gravies at the side, separated by small ditches in the aluminium plate.
The really red one is the sambal. For its dangerous looking color, the sambal had a nice balance of being aromatic and spicy. It wasn't too spicy to be unbearable and tasted strangely sweet. To the right is the Dhal gravy which is composed of grounded up yellow nuts, mixed with other herbs and spices. To the left is the fish curry which is quite spicy and oily. There are a couple of vegetable seeds inside the fish curry that released an acidic taste when you bite into it.
The texture of this Roti Canai Sardine is suprisingly soft and tender, unlike other badly made roti canai that have a leather like texture. The insides of the bread retained a fair balance of moisture, making the sardine meat relatively succulent and juicy.
A quick bite and you can feel the sardine meat oozing out of the bread. It is relatively sourish, with a hint of tomato. The smell of fish is rich, and not in an unpleasant way. I blended the three gravies together and added it onto the bread before eating. From my perspective, the sardine filling has been procured from the canned sardines that are found abundantly in the stores, hence the taste of tomato that accompanied it.
Truly, this is a roti canai unlike any others. For any roti canai fans out there, this is one meal you do not want to miss out.
Hannah getting all red faced. Not sure if this is because of the weather or the dish.
Spacious and clean, with allot of breathing space for the customers.
The tables are impeccably clean and stainless unlike other restaurants. The utensils are being washed thoroughly, as can be judged by the spoon and forks used. They aren't greasy and the floor is also spotless and free from vermin.
The waiters are handling the food with their bare hands. Appropriately, they should be wearing plastic gloves? Maybe that's what makes their roti canai more delicious? I can barely imagine. But at least their are wearing hats for hygiene purposes. Wouldn't want anybodies hair dropping into my gravy.
The judges have been satisfied and now we are ready to give the verdict.
Cleanliness: 8/10
Wait time: 5/10
Deliciousness: 7/10
Economical: 8/10
Location: 1, Jalan 2/109f, Taman Danau Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N/3/5/55.866
Longitude: E/101/41/14.258
Restaurant website: https://foursquare.com/v/restoran-al-sarifa/55ad11ad498e4ade98abc1e9
Need a quick peek into the other delicacies being offered in this restaurant? Here, let us help you.
It was a long and hot day, but the trip was worth it. Our curiosity and appetite has been sated for the moment. And that is the Roti Canai Sardine for you...folks.
