Cargas Café — Restaurant in George Town

I hardly come to this part of the island to eat, but it was a Sunday and I just want to drive around Bayan Lepas. We arrived just after 10am for brunch. The place was just opened so there wasn't as many patrons as during lunch time. There's a selection of lauk (side dishes) on the spread but not all lauk were ready at that time. Still, there's plenty to choose from. Some call the serving at cargas cafe as nasi kandar melayu which I disagree. If anything, I call this nasi campoq melayu (malay mixed rice).

I had rice with fried chicken, begedil, chili aubergine, sambal belacan, cucumbers with some kuah added on top.

Fried chicken was savoury with crispy skin. Begedil was just okay, I feel it needed a bit more salt and maybe add more meat chunks. Chili aubergine (terung berlada) was bland, although I do like the soft texture of the aubergine. This particular dish should be saltier and savoury because aubergine is generally tasteless on its own. That's why terung berlada usually has anchovies added to the cooking to get that umami and salty taste.

Somehow, some of the lauk here are lacking in salt and seasoning. The wife said the same thing about the lauk she took. Also the black beef (daging kicap) was tough to chew (liat nak gigit) according to my wife. Maybe the kitchen could look into these matters. Sambal belacan was delicious. Overall, my plate lacks salt and seasoning even for some of the kuah that I took. Only the fried chicken and sambal belacan were delectable. Iced coffee was good.

The place was clean with cleaning crew swift at cleaning and clearing the tables.

Also, the payment system needs to be upgraded because you can only pay cash here. I understand if credit/debit card payment wasn't available but they should at least have QR transfer, bank transfer and e wallet options in this day and age. Because it's not cheap eating here especially for families or...

Like other well-known eatery, there was a huge crowd in front of it. Thankfully, the dining areas were pretty big and split into 3. The tables were pretty huge, it's a shame if you don't share. I had my meal with a family from Taiping, we chatted a bit as we ate. Now to the food, the concept was like nasi berlauk. Almost everyone was gunning for their infamous gulai and freshly fried, fried chicken. We arrived about 2p.m. and most of the dishes were running low. I had rice, the gulai and tofu sambal. When a new batch of fried chicken was dumped into its spot, Fida, my friend managed to get me a chicken wing. After getting the food, we immediately queued to pay for it. I appreciated such arrangement, I preferred to pay before digging in. I can't really remember what Fida had but she thoroughly enjoyed it so that was a winner in my book as she was the fussy one. My meal was good too, was it the best gulai I ever had? Nope, but it was still delicious. 5 stars for the sinks! They had really nice functioning sinks with proper hand...

Bayan Lepas is a treasure trove of culinary delights, especially when it comes to Malay cuisine. There is Nasi Dalca Briyani Khalis , a must-try, offering a symphony of flavours that dance on your palate. Not far from there, along the same river on the main road, stands the venerable ‘Cargas,’ a haven for those seeking delectable Malay dishes. During my recent visit for lunch, the ambiance was serene, it was puasa time for our Muslim friends . I indulged in a feast of ayam goreng, tauhu, ikan pari, and sotong kembang, each dish an authentic representation of the rich Malay culinary heritage. The flavours were so captivating, I found myself yearning for more. Cargas,has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on my taste buds, and I eagerly anticipate my...