At weekend and night markets, when you see the distinctive green and gold Alimteh food truck, you will also almost definitely find long queues.
Alimteh, run by Malaysian couple AC and Ellen Teh, specializes in nasi lemak or coconut rice - Malaysia’s national dish and arguably the most beloved meal in their home country.
Alimteh offers a diverse selection of accompaniments ranging from the ‘standard’ which comes with egg, anchovy, peanuts, sambal, and cucumber slices to options that include rendang and chicken curries.
In addition to this, there’s also the sambal petai (stinky beans), a favourite by those who consider this a delicacy.
Ellen and AC originally from Penang Malaysia, said since they started the food truck business their aim has been to give people an “authentic” Malaysian nasi lemak experience - which includes how it is served.
“You probably see nasi lemak on the menu at many Malaysian restaurants here, but these are always served on a plate. More commonly eaten in Malaysia are those served ‘bungkus’ or wrapped in banana leaf,” she said.
The nasi lemak bungkus comes with Ellen’s home-made family recipe sambal. The flavours are fused brilliantly with the crunchy anchovies, peanuts and hard-boiled egg,
“The banana leaf used to wrap the nasi lemak is not just to make it look pretty, but also make the rice meal more fragrant,” she said.
“Our sambal is a blend of shrimps, spices and onions among other ingredients and customers often ask if they can buy it separately but we have to say no, because they are meant to accompany our nasi lemak.”
Ellen said her food truck has a few different options, which includes noodle dishes and also sweet cakes - or kueh - as they are called in Malay. But their nasi lemak, priced from $8.50, remains the top seller and what people head to their food truck for.
To ensure freshness of the sambal, rendang and curries, Ellen said they wake up in the early hours in the morning on market days to prepare them.
The couple has just had their second child just over a month ago, and for the last month husband AC has been running the food truck on his own.
But Ellen will be back in action and selling their famous nasi lemak bungkus at the Chow Luck Club Christmas Market on Saturday 30 November 2024 from 10am until stocks run out.
The Chow Luck Club Market will be at Park City, 261 Morrin Road, St Johns, Auckland 1072.
