From pork biryani, crab biryani, vegetable biryani to even biryani served in bamboo sticks or coconut shells, the traditional biryani has proven to be a truly versatile dish.

But one local biryani stall called Nasi Biryani Yasin, tucked away in a quiet spot along Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Ipoh, has preferred to stick with tradition and keep its dishes simple to preserve its authenticity in terms of taste.

This has worked well with its loyal customer base who can count on its quality and consistency in flavour. And by KL standards, a plate of their delicious chicken biryani, during pre-pandemic times at least, was a steal at only RM5.

You can expect a steady stream of customers queuing up here by noon, eager to place their orders – choosing between the crispy fried chicken or the meatier mutton biryani.

The stall’s fourth-generation owner Muhammad Yassin Abdul Ghani, 60, learned the craft from his grandfather, Ibram Shah, who started the stall in the 1950s.

Muhammad Yassin described his grandfather as a culinary expert, one who could whip up just about anything with very little on hand, yet create a dish that the whole family would lap up with relish.

“Granddad was an expert. He was so much better than me as a cook,” he said.

“When he used to man the stall, I was his ‘runner’. I would have to fetch the chicken from the market or buy the spices. At the same time, I would observe the kind of ingredients he threw into the pot when cooking.

“Back then, our stall prided itself on using charcoal to create that smoky-like flavour. But that’s history,” he said.

While most food stalls from back then have relocated to bigger premises such as restaurants, Muhammad Yassin is content to keep his stall exactly the way his grandfather did when he was running it. He said this was also more practical as it was easier to manage his staff and his time.

As to the future of his stall, the 60-year-old added that he would like to pass the business to his nephew someday to continue the tradition of his grandfather’s biryani.

“I would like to continue the legacy of my grandfather and I hope that my nephew, who loves cooking as much as I do, will keep this tradition alive,” he concluded.

FMT was treated to a generous portion of the chicken biryani that consisted of a piece of deep-fried chicken served with plain biryani, and topped with an egg curry and vegetables.

Deep-fried to perfection, the chicken was scrumptious. The rice was so tasty you could eat it on its own, making this a rather delectable and memorable combination.

One serving was definitely filling, given the generous portions but if you have a bottomless belly, just ask for more chicken – they are happy to help you top up.

Opened on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, one can get this delicious chicken biryani at RM10, or a plate of mutton biryani for RM13 during lunch time.

If you’re hungry in the morning, the stall has breakfast fare as well that is just as tasty – roti canai, roti bawang, roti sardine and hot beverages.

Nasi Biryani Yasin
Jalan Ipoh
51200 Kuala Lumpur

Business hours:
10.30am till 3.00pm (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday)

Contact: 019-277 3337