Viral ‘Bird’s Nest’ Roti Canai From Malaysia Now Available In Singapore
Move over plaster prata - hello, bird’s nest roti canai.
Also known as roti canai sarang burung (“roti canai bird’s nest” in Malay) in Malaysia, this super photogenic variety of prata/canai has gone viral across the border, but is pretty uncommon in Singapore. Mihrimah Restaurant, a Muslim-friendly, Malaysian-owned eatery on North Bridge Road, just happens to serve this dish. Here, the pretty canai is named Roti Ikhwan (ikhwan means “brothers” in Arabic), and sold for $3 a piece.
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Roti canai vs roti prata
Roti ikhwan, or bird’s nest roti canai, comprises the flatbread topped with two soft-yolked sunny side up eggs, cracked right in the centre, kinda like a ‘nest’ with two ‘chicks’. While Malaysian roti canai and Singaporean roti prata are almost identical, there are subtle differences. Broadly speaking, the former is largely softer and flakier with more layers, while the latter is often slightly thinner, crisper and some say sweeter. Roti canai is also usually served with both curry and sambal.
Mihrimah uses what they say is a roti canai recipe that’s similar to local prata, but served with both curry and sambal.
Eateries like Restoran Zaidi Canai and Dapo' Khaleeda in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, are especially popular for their viral offerings of bird’s nest roti canai. They’re all over social media. Mihrimah’s manager, Abdul Muiin, 29, tells 8days.sg that while he has tried the bird’s nest roti from multiple stalls in Malaysia, Mihrimah’s is not inspired by any establishment’s in particular, as “quite a lot of shops are selling the roti [in Malaysia]”.
In fact, he only decided to sell it at Mihrimah upon a customer’s request. He explains that “we saw the prata making its rounds in Malaysia, and initially just tried to make it for our staff to eat”. However, “one customer saw it and asked us to sell it, so we decided to add it to our menu”.
Currently, there are also a couple other stalls in Singapore that serve their version of bird’s nest roti canai, like Can-Ai at Ang Mo Kio and Putri Prata at Bedok. However, Mihrimah Restaurant appears to be the most high-profile of the lot - at least according to Google reviews.
How is bird’s nest roti canai made?
Though bird’s nest roti canai is somewhat similar (but prettier) to plaster prata appearance-wise, the two are not to be confused. Abdul says that “plaster prata is made like plain prata, and we put the [slightly smashed up] egg [plastered] on top”, whereas “for this canai, we put some margarine inside the dough, then make a [cavity] - kind of like a doughnut - and crack the eggs inside”. So it looks like two ‘chicks’ cosying up in a ‘nest’.
The yolks on the bird’s nest canai are also served runny, as opposed to the usually fully-cooked eggs on the less photogenic plaster prata.
Though 8days.sg hasn’t tried it yet, Abdul says their roti ihkwan is “one of the restaurant’s go-to menu items among customers”.
Mihrimah Restaurant is at 742 North Bridge Rd, S198710. Open daily 7.30am - 9pm. Tel: 9019 7846. More info via their Facebook & Instagram.
Photos: Mihrimah Restaurant, Facebook/Chegu Thamrin
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
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