Roti Canai Kari Kambing in Kuala Pilah

There's a saying about going to a crowded popular restaurant because the food should be good. It turns out the roti canai with lamb curry was pretty darn good here. I prefer to go off the beaten path, but I couldn't help visiting Roti Canai Kari Kambing in Kuala Pilah after a few times seeing a full house at what amounts to a roadside wooden shack. Maybe there's wisdom in crowds after all.

Roti Canai Kari Kambing is on the old road heading east to Kuala Pilah in Negeri Sembilan. I've taken that road a few times on way to Kuala Rompin in Pahang and Mersing in Johor. This time, my motorcycle mates and I set out early to avoid having to compete with a gaggle of other likeminded weekend diners, only to run into a huge convoy of BMW riders having the exact same idea that we had.

No worries. There's enough seating at the main dining area and the other two overflow areas to accomodate large groups. Grab your bowl of lamb curry (RM15 if I remember correctly) from the serving counter, add a bowl of spicy sardine curry too if you want more heat, and then wait in a queue for the kitchen crew to make roti canai to order. Warm milk tea and coffee are self service, dispensed from large buffet-style taps.

Tear that warm fluffy roti canai, dip it into the lamb curry and the thick sauce hits the taste buds with plenty of spices, plenty of chilli heat and a creamy mouthfeel from all that lamb fat and coconut milk. The meat falls off the bone and I resort to using my fingers to tease out every last morsel. There are multiple sinks around with plenty of soap to get the grease off your hands later.

Is it worth the long ride? Definitely. I would have enjoyed the curry even more if I had some white sandwich bread to scoop it up with. The sardines are spicy and a good alternative if you have anyone in your group who doesn't fancy lamb. There's also a satay stall serving beef and chicken satay if you're looking for even more meat for breakfast.

The bill for a bowl of lamb curry, a serving of sardine curry, three pieces of roti canai - yes, I was hungry! - and two cups of hot coffee came up to a little over RM30. A more typical breakfast would cost half that amount.