KariGuys – the famous “Sempalit Kari Ayam” @ Lucky Garden, Bangsar

Bangsar KL celebrates the month of July with another new eatery ventures into the neighbourhood of Lucky Garden Bangsar – the famous Kari Ayam Sempalit since 1951 from Raub, Pahang. The restaurant is named KariGuys, new ‘baby’ for Mr. Ramesh and Dinesh, who used to run their delicious curry chicken at a stall in Do Re Mi Foodcourt at Ara Damansara.

[FLASHBACK] of Kari Ayam Sempelit:
Founder of Kari Ayam Sempalit, Mr. Damodaran started selling simple home-cooked Indian Food in a push cart at Pintu Padang, Raub, Pahang. He was then forced to move to a nearby village- Sempalit due to Malayan “State of Emergency” in 1951. This small village is largely occupied by Chinese community, and Indian Curry was not well accepted by the local population. In order to save his business, Mr. Damodaran re-blended his spice mixture to create a taste that would appeal to the Chinese community, and called his new invention “Kari Ayam Sempalit”. Surprisingly, this curry received instant liking by people in Sempalit. Soon, the menu expanded to include fish head curry, mutton masala, fried chicken, sotong sambal and many other dishes which we now seen in KariGuys’s menu. This family business is taken over by the second generation, Mr. Asokan Nair in 1978, and continued by the third generation, Mr. Ramesh in 2007. He is also the one who brought the fame of Kari Ayam Sempalit out from the state, reaching for more Kari Ayam Sempalit fans in Kuala Lumpur.

Kari Ayam Sempalit
Must-have in KariGuys. The curry secret recipe has been passed down for three generations, holding over 50 years of history. The special concoction of dried chilli, cumin, coriander and cinnamon cooked with garlic, ginger, curry leaves and coconut milk turn the gravy into pleasant red hot colour, smooth in consistency, mild in spiciness with a distinct touch of tang.

It goes well with rice, roti canai, bread and noodles. You can even drink it if you like! Some may find it too light, lack of spicy kick but this is what the restaurant trying to present- a lovely curry that can be enjoyed by both young and old, not the usual Indian style heavily loaded with curry powder, herbs & spices. We even saw a small kid happily dipping his fries into Kari Ayam Sempalit gravy.

Sempalit Fried Ayam
Indians’ deep fried chicken is something we always adore, as they have their own secret marination and frying oil to bring out the best flavours of fried chicken. Same goes to KariGuys Fried Ayam. Fresh chicken marinated in 8 types of exotic spices for 12 hours and deep fried in KariGuys specially blended oil. The end product- crispy bites of chicken at the outer side, layered with aroma of spices, followed by juiciness locked within.

Fish Head Curry
Chinese customers inspired Sempalit fish curry, having fresh mackerel, okra, brinjal and tomato immersed in KariGuys special curry paste, coconut milk and tamarind juice to showcase a tastebud tickling dish which calls for a balance in spiciness and sourness.

Prawn Sambal
An extra serving of curry goodness to pair with our meal. Other option including Prawn Sambal.

Sempalit Mutton Peratal
Another Damo’s special dish, blending 11 types of roasted spices with specially selected cuts of mutton, slow cooked to result in tender chunks of meats thickly coated with aroma loaded, rich and creamy gravy.

Price is highly concerned in Kariguys. Differ from many Indian Nasi Kandar shop which stated only menu without price, charging an arm and a leg when you foot the bill, KariGuys on the contrary, strives to be as transparent as possible by stating the price of each item clearly on the menu and place one menu outside the restaurant. They make sure the price is reasonable, acceptable and affordable, so that every diner leaves the restaurant feeling satisfied not only for the food but also the price. Thumbs up!

So, of course, a meal at KariGuys will not burn a whole in your pocket. Take their set lunch as example, you can get Sempalit Kari Ayam, 2 vegetables of your choice, lemon tea/lemongrass tea and rice at RM12.00.  Curry soup is free flow. The all day set menu which can fit 4 pax, is priced from RM70 to RM115, covering 3 or 4 main dishes with vegetables, drink and rice.

Lemontea or lemongrass tea that comes with the set. No artificial colouring and sugar is added into the tea, it is boiled from natural ingredients, extracting the best essence of the lemongrass for a clam, soothing sensation.

The restaurant is opened from 11.30am through 8.30pm currently, but soon will extend the operation hour to whip up one-of-its-kind breakfast, definitely more than just roti canai and teh tarik.

Photography: Summerkid
Write Up: Summergirl

Address:
KariGuys – the famous “Sempalit Kari Ayam” since 1951
24 Lorong Ara Kiri 2,
Lucky Garden, Bangsar,
59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Business Hours: 11:30am – 8:30pm
Contact: 03-2201 9388
Email:catering@kariguys.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CurrySempalit