NS Nasi Kandar - George Town, Penang

jeremy C.

Best Fried Chicken in Penang. You can smell the spices from the road walking in. Their NS is super popular for the locals and I was brought here by a local.

Their dishes are all well cooked with the least favourite being the beef as it was hard to chew but my friend swears by the thick flavourful sauce.

Their Fried Chicken was the 5 star show of the day with the turnover good enough for even a wait for fresh chicken to be brought from the kitchen. The chicken thigh was melt in your mouth meat with a superbly flavoured skin. The crisp and the spices went superbly well with the NS rice with sauce and their squid eggs deserves special mention.

This is not a popular places amongst foreigners and social media so I was well impressed

Mahaletchumy T. S.

This NS Nasi Kandar doesn’t really compare to Deen Mutiara. The food choices here are quite limited, and the taste is just okay. Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with the variety or flavor of the dishes.

Benjamin T.

Honestly I like this nasi kandar very much! As every time I come to Penang I only look for this. Or else the choices is not as much as others but their curries really suit me and my family taste buds! And the price is very affordable!

Diva A.

This is a great place if you want to try a local restaurant. They have many varieties of local dishes. I ordered a half portion of rice mixed with the sauce (kuah campur), and their fried chicken. The chicken was tasty and juicy.

alex C.

NS Nasi Kandar on Jalan Burma is a great spot for anyone craving hearty, flavorful Malaysian food. The nasi kandar here stands out for its rich curries and perfectly cooked rice. The rice is fluffy and light, making it the ideal base to soak up the generous ladles of curry. Every bite is fragrant and satisfying, with the different gravies blending together beautifully. The chicken, in particular, deserves a mention—it is tasty, succulent, and cooked just right, tender on the inside yet infused with spices that pack a punch.

Beyond nasi kandar, the shop also offers roti canai, which is freshly made on the spot. Watching the roti being flipped and cooked adds to the charm of the place, and the end result is soft on the inside with just enough crispiness on the outside. It makes a great side to go along with the curry dishes or even as a snack on its own.

The only downside to NS Nasi Kandar is the location. Being on a busy stretch of Jalan Burma, parking can be quite troublesome. You may have to circle the area or park a little farther away. Still, the food more than makes up for the inconvenience.

张一護（DarkAXL）

“Penang(’s) Favourite Nasi Kandar”? Spare us the comedy. That tagline is as offensive as the food, and the punctuation alone is a red flag.

The Jalan Burma branch of NS Nasi Kandar is just another miserable extension of a franchise that should’ve stayed in the early 2000s. Overrated, overpriced, and thoroughly underwhelming, this place is an embarrassment to Malaysia’s proud food heritage.

Location? Dreadful. Smack in the middle of Jalan Burma's chaos, wedged between two shoplots like it’s ashamed to exist. Parking is a kamikaze mission—only manageable if you abandon all decency and double-park like an entitled maniac. Expect a chorus of honks, rolling eyes, and the sweet scent of exhaust fumes to accompany your dining "experience."

Motorcyclists add their own flair to the disaster by parking haphazardly on the narrow walkway, effectively blocking any pedestrian access. The entrance becomes a mini obstacle course, and the staff? They're too busy ignoring customers to bother enforcing any sort of order—or basic decency.

Now, brace yourself for the food. The “nasi kandar” is a sad, greasy mess. A chunk of fried chicken, suspiciously red like it’s been marinated in food dye rather than spices, was so rubbery it could’ve bounced off the floor and back onto the plate. The cabbage was limp, lifeless, and barely warm. The so-called “gravy” was nothing more than oil, dusted with whatever seasoning was closest. There’s no depth, no fragrance, just a hot, slick puddle of disappointment.

And let’s talk hygiene, or more accurately—the complete absence of it. The food prep area looks like it’s never seen a proper clean. Tables are sticky, trays are greasy, and utensils are handled like they’ve just been scooped out of a drain. You’d have better luck finding cleanliness in a back alley mamak stall at 3 a.m. At least there, they make an effort. Here? The floors are a slip hazard, the counters are a biohazard, and the whole environment feels like a petri dish for the next stomach bug outbreak.

Ordering is a nightmare. Forget queues or logic—it’s a free-for-all. The staff prioritize delivery drivers while dine-in patrons are left to figure out the chaos. Ask for your tough-as-leather chicken to be cut? Prepare to be met with confusion or flat-out ignored. Or worse—reprimanded for not having psychic powers to preempt their laziness.

Beverages are an insult. Your safest bet is to drink nothing or risk whatever mystery liquid they consider “teh o ais.”

The cherry on this dumpster fire? The price. You’ll pay a premium for this misery, only to be rewarded with cold indifference and indigestion. Cash payment is still the norm—because of course it is. The cashier, with all the warmth of a traffic cop in a heatwave, completes the experience with unapologetic rudeness.

Final verdict: NS Nasi Kandar (Jalan Burma) is a lesson in everything that’s gone wrong with “famous” food spots. It’s unsanitary, chaotic, and completely devoid of any culinary pride. A stain on Penang’s food scene and a waste of your time, money, and possibly your gut health.

2 1.

分量充足，味道还不错，白饭，鸡肉，菜，一片鸡蛋只需要RM12.50,只是厕所似乎只有一间

Cybershop

The mixed curry lacked flavor and was rather bland. The fried chicken was average, with nothing particularly distinctive about it. It didn’t have the rich, addictive taste typically associated with famous nasi kandars. I personally would not recommend this place to those seeking a satisfying meal.