Line Clear Restaurant is a popular nasi kandar shop in an alley near the intersection of Penang Road (Jalan Penang) and Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia). This open-air eatery is adjacent to Yasmeen Restoran.
Nasi kandar is an Indian-Muslim dish which originates in Penang. Nowadays, nasi kandar has become increasingly widespread throughout Malaysia due to expanding chain restaurants like Nasi Kandar Pelita.
Nasi kandar derives its name from the fact that in the early days, nasi kandar peddlers carry their wares on a shoulder pole (called “kandar” in Malay). Similar to mainstream Indian food, nasi kandar dishes tend to use flavorful spices very liberally. For instance, this dish of fish head is heavily seasoned with turmeric.
The outdoor setting of Line Clear makes it susceptible to unpleasant heat during the afternoon. Although it is not the most comfortable place to enjoy nasi kandar, Line Clear attracts many customers due to its long-time fame.
My plate of nasi kandar consists of biryani rice, mutton, fried egg and cabbage. The food price is RM14.10, which I think is exorbitant even when compared to shop-based nasi kandar restaurants.
As the proprietors have to deal with long queues of customers throughout the day, the sense of hospitality is inevitably lacking. Food-wise, I fail to see how the food here is substantially better than those served in other popular restaurants like Hameediyah Restaurant and Nasi Kandar Beratur. But one good thing about Line Clear is the fact that the queue moves pretty rapidly.
Address: 177, Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-261-3263
Business hours: 24 hours