KUALA LUMPUR: Hari Raya Aidilfitri is not complete without lemang or ketupat - the two traditional must-have Raya dishes that defined the celebration.
For those looking for that authentic look and taste of lemang, look no further than the famous Lemang Daun Lerek Greenwood in Gombak.
Here, customers are willing to wait for a long time just to get their hands on the dish. Some out-of-towners even endured one to two hours of driving, in heavy traffic, dead set on bringing the lemang back home.
According to its founder Arifin Zakaria, 64, the idea to set up the business came about when he and his family were out searching for some good-tasting lemang in the area.
"We couldn't find any so we decided to open up our own lemang business in 1992... because we know this is what the people want during Raya." he said.
Lemang is made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, which is cooked in a hollowed bamboo tube usually coated with banana leaves, to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo.
"What makes our lemang special is the lerek leaves we use.
"We even source our own coconut milk instead of using the 'artificial ones' (in boxes) to ensure consistent taste of the lemang," he told the New Straits Times.
Arifin said his stall is open 24 hours during the Raya period and will remain so depending on the number of customers.
"We cannot simply halt our operation because the customers are coming in non-stop. The long queue sometimes last until after midnight.
"About 10,000 bamboo sticks are prepared this time around to meet the demand.
"Rest assured that despite the rising cost of certain ingredients, we still maintain our prices."
Arifin said tourists from Africa, Australia, Canada and the United States have tried out his lemang.
When the New Straits Times team arrived at the stall about 5.30pm, all the lemang had already been sold out. His workers were spotted preparing a new batch to cook.
A customer Rachel, 48, said she only managed to purchase the rendang.
"My friend bought me the lemang last time and this is my first attempt coming here to buy it myself.
"I love the taste of the lemang with lerek leaves which is different than those coated with banana leaves.
"I drove for about one hour from Kepong hoping to get some lemang but I was late by just a few minutes."
Another customer Shahrizal Abu Bakar, 29, said he couldn't care less about the long wait.
"I drove all the way from Ampang and it took me about two hours to get here due to the jam. So I don't mind waiting for another two hours.
"The last time I came to this place was at 2am and the queue was long. This is a common sight during Raya period." he said.