Review: I. V. Restaurant, Klang

I don't really like roti canai in general because most places make them too thick or soggy. It's just never the right texture. Except here. This is possibly the only Indian mamak restaurant where it's packed in the morning with mainly families instead of youngsters and Chinese/Malay folks than the Indians themselves.

Growing up, my father exposed us to Malay and Indian cuisines so we do take them and sometimes prefer them over Chinese food. One thing that surprised me when I first ate here was the sugar. My rotis always came with either curry or dhal. Sugar seemed out of place.

Then I learnt that Chinese folks who can't take spicy food would use sugar in place of the curry/dhal. Tried it once and the sugar does give it a nice sweet taste.

The place has a number of tables but there are equally as many customers. If you are here during the weekend mornings, be early or be prepared to wait. The food and drinks are relatively quick. But the people eating may take their own sweet time.

The roti canai production line. Their call to fame is the humble roti kosong but you can order other variants too. Just remember you'll need to wait longer as they'll need to be custom made as the original version are usually made beforehand.

My cousin doesn't like it when served with pre-made roti. The trick would be to ask for a square roti instead of the usual circular design. I thought it was because square roti would be better but really, it's just for freshness sake as it wasn't fresh and would have been slightly soggy since it would have been sitting there for awhile.

The other production line: mihun goreng and nasi lemak.
They are fairly quick, given the high customer turnover but quality isn't compromised.

Veggie and curry meat counter. These are all usually made fresh unless if you are there later in the day though I've never been here past brunch.

Deep fried counter.

 Curry gravy counter. Rather messy but in Malaysia, you know what they say; the messier/dirtier the kitchen, the better tasting the food is.

Like a bawse. Actually, he is the boss of the place. In an attempt to lose weight, he underwent an operation in India (gastric bypass if not mistaken). Is it working? Not sure as I don't come here often.

Although it was the first day of the lunar new year, people still thronged this place. Mainly Chinese with few Indian and Malay families. Hence, don't be a spoilsport and hog the table once you are done eating. Can always catch up at home or else where. Just not here.

Their iced Milo is served in this white cup and boy, are they heavy handed with the Milo. Each sip is heavenly Milo. My sister, on the other hand, prefers their iced teh. It looks a bit diluted to me but never tried it before myself so don't take my word for it.

Curry squid and dry curry chicken. The squid was a little overcooked, turning it rubbery but the curry was spicily awesome. It was good with the roti kosong.
Chicken had all the right spices, maybe tad bit dry.

Creme de la creme of roti kosong. Just look at how thin it is that you could see the bottom of the plate. It's usually crunchy around the edges, soft towards the center. Curry, dhal or even sugar, this is one awesome roti that it's good with anything.

My personal favorite though is the curry squid as it's slightly sweet while the sambal rocks it too. Sugar is also a close contender.

 Roti sardine. At RM4, I was expecting more than just some flecks of the fish in the centre but that was really what they gave. It was also an increase of RM1 or 30% price hike while the ingredients were reduced. Sure, it's also crispy and slightly spicy but so no worth the price.

They have prepacked nasi lemak on each table. Or if you frequent this place as often as my parents, ask the waiter to prepare a fresh plate instead.

The aromatic rice tinged with coconut milk is delicious and when added with that hot sambal and salty ikan bilis, this is something worth breaking your diet for.