BRUNEI: Home of Nasi Katok

My trip to the Sultanate of Brunei brought me a lot of new discoveries – the oil, which the country is very rich of; the elegant and grandest mosques, which the country take pride of; the Sultan, himself, whom the people adored and loved most; and delicious foods you can only find in BRUNEI.

PRESENTING:

NASI KATOK

One of Brunei's somewhat distinctive food is the Nasi Katok. Actually,the food itself is not unique but the way is cooked and served made it only one of its kind. Nasi Katok is rice with a hot spicy gravy called sambal, a piece of fried crispy chicken wrapped in a special paper wrapper. It costs around one Brunei Dollar ( Php 34.00) for a small packet. There are plenty of Nasi Katok food stalls scattered in the main Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's Capital. It becomes Brunei's signature street food every visitor/tourist should try.

The ones I got were from a food cart stationed outside the grand Yayasan Shopping Complex, just adjacent to the spectacular  Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque.

 The Yayasan Shopping Complex and the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.

 Nasi Katok Food Stalls at the Yayasan Shopping Complex.

 This is where i got my first Nasi Katok experience.

Feeling so delighted from its good taste, I asked the literal meaning of NASI KATOK from the Food Vendor. In Brnuei, “Katok” is derived from the Malay word "ketuk" which means "knock"; while the word “nasi” means rice. So literally, Nasi Katok means you have to knock to get your rice. Satisfied, I gave him a very cheerful smile as my way of appreciation for the answer he gave knowing he tried to explain it in his limited English. And I continued saying, "Can I knock your Food Stall now so I could get rice and chicken for free?". He looked at me instead and gave me a very contagious laugh

 NASI KATOK: a must try food trip in Brunei.

Brunei is known being one of the most expensive places to visit in Southeast Asia. So if you’re on a budget trip looking for inexpensive food to eat yet truly appetizing, NASI KATOK is just very right for you. But for sure, Brunei’s food experience is not just NASI KATOK. There are more to taste, more to experience and more to food cruise.

 Nasi Katok Food Store Outside Yayasan Shopping Complex.

This is OLAN, your food cruiser, sharing my Nasi Katok from my plate to yours!