The founder of Uncle Garry's Nasi Kerabu shares with OLIVIA MIWIL the story behind his dish
NASI Kerabu was not a familiar dish for the people in Sabah four years ago. That changed when Garry Cheng, 56, came up with his version of the dish.
The salesman from Ipoh, who came to Sabah 35 years ago, did so to fulfill his wife's craving.
"I seldom cook, and making nasi kerabu was unthinkable. But I did not want to let my wife down."
The only place he could look for guidance on how to make "blue rice" was the web.
"I found out that the name of the 'blue rice' dish my wife craved was nasi kerabu, originally from Kelantan, which uses butterfly pea flowers (bunga telang) for its color.
"It took me about three days to perfect the dish. My wife was surprised that I did it," he said, adding that his wife's friend, who was present when the dish was done, shared it on Facebook.
That was how "Uncle Garry's Nasi Kerabu" came about.
The dish consists of a plate of blue rice, specially marinated fried chicken, homemade sambal, salted egg, ulam, grated coconut and chopped long beans.
Cheng receives 10 to 80 orders daily for the nasi kerabu, which he cooks at home and delivers to his customers.
A few years ago, some customers even came to his house at Dah Yeh Villa in Kota Kinabalu to dine. What made it a more enjoyable trip was the chance to view Cheng's butterfly pea flowers garden.
However, as word spread, the home-dining experience could not continue as Cheng's house could not accommodate many visitors. The popularity of his meal might be a blessing for foodies, but not for his neighbours, who had to endure traffic congestion when customers started coming in droves.
This prompted Cheng to open "Uncle Garry Recipe" outlets at City Mall Kota Kinabalu, Wisma Merdeka and Likas Driving Range.
The opening of three outlets meant that he needed more supply of butterfly pea flowers, an ingredient Cheng insists on using.
"The butterfly pea flower is a potent antioxidant that protects the skin against premature aging, prevents internal inflammation and helps with eye issues, such as conjunctivitis," he said.
Every month, Cheng has to source 10kg of dried flowers from Melaka and locals to cater to the demands of his restaurants.
His signature dish is not the only food that requires the natural blue colouring. Dishes like onde onde, kueh Tai Tai and some beverages also use the natural coloring.
The price of a Nasi Kerabu Biru Sabah set, which includes two pieces of nyonya kueh and drinks, is RM17.90. A smaller portion without the kueh is RM112.90.
Besides its crispy chicken, there are other options, such as fish or cuttlefish.
For reservation and enquiries, contact Cheng at 019-8230 650.
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