IF nasi lemak is a common breakfast menu in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabahans, especially in the east coast, favour nasi kuning.
The dish, served with chicken, fish or eggs, is available at most restaurants in the state, and people from different backgrounds enjoy it.
Ram Corner Restaurant in Kim Fung town here serves the dish not only during breakfast hours, but until late at night.
Its owner, Siti Jaiba Rashid, 52, said she started offering nasi kuning as a small-scale business in 2011, but now has four branches — two here and two in Kota Kinabalu.
She said nasi kuning was served with sambal that is not spicy, finely grounded dried pepper, soy sauce and shrimp paste.
“Alhamdulilah (praise be to God), besides Sabahans and people from the peninsula, foreigners also come to try out nasi kuning. Some say they like the dish as the sambal does not stick to the gums.”
The mother-of-10 has three of her children managing the daily chicken supply of between 350kg and 450kg, and 30kg of fish.
Siti Jaiba said before she started her business in the town, she sold nasi kuning in front of her house in Jambatan 13, Sim Sim, while her husband sold crabs at the Sandakan market.
“The nasi kuning business provides us with good income.
“We add side dishes, such as chicken wings, grilled chicken, lamb and satay, which can be eaten with the rice.”
Hotel worker Tay Heng Huat, 48, was seen enjoying nasi kuning with patrons Haridah Ezul Mohamad, 37, and Mohd Azizi Johari, 24.
They have been regulars at the restaurant for the past seven years.
“Here, there is no problem for us to eat together. While we may have our differences, all is put aside as nasi kuning unites us under one roof,” Tay said.