HoYeah Nasi Lemak in Ang Mo Kio

This is the new stall that opened on 17 July 2019, has replaced De Ar Western that was closed down recently, serving Nasi Lemak. We were there for lunch. The friendly owner asked, "With or without egg?" I replied, "2 Sets. Set 1 is with egg and Curry Chicken and the other is with Fried Chicken." The Fried Chicken Drumstick set is $4.50 and the Curry Chicken set with egg omelet is $5.00. There is also Fried Chicken Wing set is priced at $3.50 though. Every item is freshly made from scratch based on their recipes.  

My dining companion said, "It is not cheap particularly for the Fried Chicken Drumstick set. An option should be given to replace the hard-boiled egg with a fried egg." He said, "The rice has not much flavor though the texture is good." He then took a bite of the Fried Chicken Drumstick and said, "The flavor is very light, it will be nicer if it is saltier." It was served with steamed rice, its texture was fluffy with a slight hint of coconut taste.

The Fried Chicken, though mildly flavored but it was well-fried, it still retained its crispiness even after left it for a while. The rice was good but certain grains were slightly hard in the center. I also liked those chunks of cucumber, it still tasted crunchy and go well with the sambal chilli, a much better choice than those thinly sliced cucumbers. 

He also tried the Curry Chicken. He said, "The Curry Chicken is nice. I would have preferred to have it Curry Chicken than the Fried Chicken." He added, "The sambal chilli and curry chicken are nice." The sambal chilli is a little towards the sweet side though not as spicy but aromatic. There were bits of shredded onion in it with the taste of ikan belis. The Curry Chicken was pretty nice as well, the sauce was quite thick, fragrant and not too spicy but the chicken meat was a bit bland. 

It is simple and not fanciful, just like how Nasi Lemak was served in the past with just good sambal chilli and fragrant rice.

HOYEAH NASI LEMAK

Block 158 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560158

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 8.30 pm (Daily)

Kampung Kia Blue Pea Nasi Lemak

Jack Beh and Kok Kian Ann, the owners, they are originated from Penang and Ipoh in Malaysia. They have an extensive background in Chinese cooking and are passionate about serving the authentic Malaysian style Nasi Lemak. They started a shop in Marine Parade in January 2018 followed by a hawker stall in Clementi before shutting them down and eventually resurfacing in this coffee shop at Kelantan Lane in February. 

Their signature Fried Chicken Wing set ($4) is the most popular. There are also choices of Rempah Chicken set ($5.00), Curry Chicken set ($5.50), Rendang Chicken set ($5.50), Nonya Ayam Fish set ($6.00) and Nonya Asam Seafood set ($6.80). 

I was attended by one of the young bosses. I asked, "Which Chicken set would you recommend?" He said, "Why don't you try the Rendang Chicken set?" I replied, "Alright. I will like to add a piece of the chicken wing to the set." He asked me to take a seat first and will give a signal when it is ready. I waited for about 10 minutes before he waved at me.

The set came with a portion of achar, prawn crackers together with a fried egg and served with homemade sambal. The rice that is cooked using pandan leave and lemongrass has a lovely blue color infused by the blue pea flowers that are known to have certain health benefits, it was fluffy and moist with a hint of coconut flavor. The chicken wing was lightly coated with a layer of batter and deep-fried to the desired crispiness. The rendang chicken leg is like the dry version of chicken curry, the chicken leg was moist and quite flavorful with a tinge of spiciness. My dining companion said, "I did not exactly like it, it was a bit too saltish."

KAMPUNG KIA BLUE PEA NASI LEMAK

31 Kelantan Lane Time Cuisine Kopitiam SINGAPORE 200031

Operating Hours: 10.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Epok Epok Central : Nasi Lemak is good

This stall is one of the pioneer stalls in this food centre that started as a pushcart about 30 years ago in Geylang selling epok epok, a Malay-style curry puff. Madam Bayah Ahmad, the founder, is already in her late 70s and has handed the stall to her son, Lokman Kassim, 42. This stall also serves Nasi Lemak. 

There was a short queue to order Nasi Lemak when I was there on a Sunday for lunch, some of these customers took away a few packets. The standard order of Fish and Ikan Belis or Egg and Ikan Belis are only $2 each. When it was my turn to order, I ordered it with the fried chicken wing and it is $3.50 if I remember correctly. The coconut milk infused rice was fluffy and the chilli has got a good balance of spiciness and sweetness. The star has to be the well-seasoned fried chicken wing that happened to be freshly fried. 

The epok epok has 3 different types of filling, potato ($0.50), Sardine ($0.50) and Egg ($0.70) using a recipe that passed down from the first generation. The small, old-fashioned, deep-fried pastries were fried well to have a thin and crispy crust, this is what makes it stood out from the others apart from the tasty fillings. It was still crispy even after leaving it for a while. The dough is made fresh and using a manual pasta machine to roll it into the right thickness before frying it in the oil at a certain temperature. 

There was a mixture of sardine and onions in the Sardine Puff which my dining companion did not quite like. He said, "The potato one is nicer. If I have to choose, I still prefer the potato puff at the Sweet Heart Dessert, it is much better." 

EPOK EPOK CENTRAL

Block 4A Eunos Crescent #01-09 Eunos Crescent Food Centre SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 7.00 pm (Tues to Fri) / 7.00 am to 4.00 pm (Sat & Sun) 

(Closed on Mondays)

Pandan Leaf Nasi Lemak : cheap & good

I started eating at this stall more than a decade ago. They used to be at the 2nd row before moving to the current location. The auntie used to recognize me but I have not been there for too long so she did not manage to do so this time. This is one of the oldest stalls in this food centre.

I was there at about 11 pm and there were just another 2 customers in front of me. The queue is usually much longer if come during lunch. One of the customers in front took away many packets of Nasi Lemak, nicely packed in a big plastic bag. When it was my turn to order, I told the auntie that I want it with a fried chicken drumstick. She asked, "$3 or $4?" I went with the $4. She asked, "Do you want the fish? Do you want it with chilli or non-chilli?" I wanted it with chilli. There is the selection of $3 and $4. You could indicate your choice if there are specific items that you want if not, auntie will just give you whatever items that are available.

The auntie handed me the plate of Nasi Lemak. It consists of a piece of otak, fried egg, fried fish fillet, selar kunning fish, ikan belis and a fried chicken drumstick with coconut infused rice. The sambal chilli is served by the side, it tasted a little spicy. Though it is more expensive now, it is still of pretty good value. They usually sold out before 1 pm. It is difficult to get such a plate of Nasi Lemak at this price in the town area. 

PANDAN LEAF NASI LEMAK

6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-25 Tanjong Pagar Food Centre SINGAPORE 081006
Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 1.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Anson Town : Curry Mee & Nasi Lemak

We went on National Day for lunch, the cafe was unexpectedly crowded on a Public Holiday. They started at a shop along Changi Road and this is their new outlet. They are serving Malaysian dishes particularly those from Anson Town, a town located in the state of Perak in Malaysia and is famous for Chee Cheong Fun. It is a different style from the usual Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun as it is served dry with some green pickled chili, the rice sheet is embedded with turnip, dried shrimps and minced meat.

When I was ordering at the counter, I was told that their Chee Cheong Fun has sold out. The friendly chap said, "There was an earlier order of 50 portions of Chee Cheong Fun for taking away." He continued to say, "This does not usually happen. We also did not expect." I have heard about their signature Chee Cheong Fun and is looking forward to trying it. I guess I will just have to come back another day for it.

We decided to have lunch there nonetheless. My dining companion went ahead with their Nasi Lemak, there are choices to have it with the chicken wing ($3.50) or chicken chop ($4.50). He wanted it with the chicken chop. I decided to go with the Curry Mee ($4.50). As for drinks, we ordered the Grass Jelly Drink ($1.20) and Iced Coffee ($1.60). After payment, a buzzer was given as it is self-service. They mixed up the Iced Coffee with the Hot Coffee so we collected without it. The Iced Coffee was sent over later. When collecting the utensils, the soup spoon was run out so we made do with the normal spoon. 

The Curry Mee consists of a substantial portion of yellow noodles with ingredients like tau pok and chicken. My dining companion took a sip of the curry gravy and commented that it was quite spicy. It was also thick and rich and it tasted nicer than expected. 

The Nasi Lemak did not taste too special, it consists of a big piece of chicken chop with cabbage, peanuts and ikan belis accompanied by the sambal chili on a slice of cucumber. The coconut rice was quite fragrant but the pre-fried chicken chop was a letdown. The chicken was quite bland and the batter was a little too thick. The sambal chili was good though, it reminded me of the traditional sambal chili that is usually a little sweet yet spicy. 

I am likely to go back for their Chee Cheong Fun.

ANSON TOWN

No 7 Gambas Crescent #01-07 ARK SINGAPORE 750787

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Wonderfull Nasi Lemak : it is a goodbye

It was announced on their Facebook page that they are closing down for good and their last day will be on 26 February 2018. It mentioned that they will be taking an indefinite hiatus from making wonderful nasi lemak. It must be a difficult decision to end such a journey, from the burnt rice to undercooked chicken and to massive 200 pax orders as well as appearing on TV and various publications.

The stall is manned by Lois Er, 26 and Eunice, her younger sister with a recipe from their dad. I decided to visit them for the first and also the last time before they are gone. I said, "I heard that you are closing down for good?" then I continued to say, "Life of hawker must be pretty hard." Lois nodded her head and smiled. She said, "You saw our post on the Facebook?" I nodded. 

She asked, "You actually come all the way here?" I answered, "I wanted to try but did not get to do so. I did not expect the stall at Yishun Park Hawker Centre to be closed down so soon, that place is much nearer to where I stay." And, I continued, "I wanted to know how wonderful is your Nasi Lemak." Then, I asked, "Is it true that you actually burnt the rice and undercooked the chicken as you stated on your Facebook post?" Lois chuckled then replied, "It actually happened." And, she did not share the reason for closing down. 

I ordered the Set D, which consists of a chicken drumstick with an egg, ikan belis and peanuts for $4.20. Eunice asked, "Do you want it with the sunny-side-up egg or the omelette? which I answered, "Omelette please." The chilli and coconut infused rice are the most important components of a good Nasi Lemak and both were actually good. The chilli has a good balance of sweetness and spiciness. The rice is cooked to the right texture with a tint of coconut flavor. The chicken drumstick though not freshly fried but it was still slightly crispy and tender within, quite tasty as well.

Eunice handed me my plate of nasi lemak and I said, "All the best." I was the only customer at that time and there were another to get a piece of otah when I was about to walk off. I do hope that this is not the end of their journey of a hawker. If you happen to be at the food centre for lunch on 26 February, go order this wonderful Nasi Lemak for the last time and bid goodbye to them. 

WONDERFULL NASI LEMAK

51 Old Airport Road #01-96 Old Airport Road Food Centre SINGAPORE 390051

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 8.30 pm (Closed on Fridays)

Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang at Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Mohammed Noorman Mubarak, 38 together with Puti Andam Dewi Henry, 31, his Indonesian-born wife, are the owners of this stall. Noorman used to help up at his father's stalls that served nasi lemak, nasi ayam in hawker centres in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok and Newton. He started doing so since he was just 5 years old. He did not take over the stall when his father retired in 2003. He joined Singapore Airlines as cabin crew and he met his wife while working together. He then worked as a project manager in oil rig industry for another 7 years before he decided to set up this stall with his wife and Muhammad Ikhram, 38, his long-time friend.

Their signature dish is Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, a local spicy grilled chicken dish from Lombok in Indonesia. It resembles the regular grilled chicken but the taste is different, it is sweet, tangy and spicy rather than just plain spiciness. Noorman was first introduced to Ayam Taliwang when he visited Lombok in Indonesia with his wife about 3 years on their honeymoon. They felt that this humble dish complements the Malay nasi lemak and decided to bring this well-loved taste to Singapore. The Ayam Taliwang is based on a recipe by Puti's mother and the recipe for sambal and the coconut-infused rice is from Noorman's father. They started to experiment the recipes, recreating it using different spices and ingredients in different proportions for sambal and marinade. After about 6 months and underwent many experiments, they perfected the recipe and concluded the right level of spiciness that is more suited to the local taste buds. The marinade is made by hand with a good amount of fresh chilli, shallots, belachan and tamarind juice and it is used to coat the chicken before steaming it and then grilling it. Though it is typically served with white rice, they choose to serve with coconut infused rice that is for nasi lamak.

Ayam Taliwang ($5.50) was sold out during my first visit when they just opened. This time, I was lucky enough to have the last set. It is served together with the spicy grilled chicken, tempeh, ikan bilis and kang kong with sambal chili by the side. The level of spiciness has toned down quite a bit as my dining companion that has a little tolerance for spicy food think its spiciness is quite manageable. The flavor is addictively strong but I do prefer it to be a little spicier. 

I also got to try their basic Nasi Lemak ($3.50) with Chicken Wing during my first visit when they just opened. The queue was long at that time as they run out of rice and we were asked to wait for the new batch. Though it did not taste as memorable as their Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, it was not too bad particularly the fried chicken wing. 

There are also Ayam Cabe Ijo (grilled chicken with green chilli) and Ayam Balado (grilled chicken with sambal chilli) on their menu for $5.50 each.

NASI LEMAK AYAM TALIWANG
51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-33 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867
Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

The Beast : the Yum Seng to SG52 promotional set for National Day

And, to get to eat this, we made 2 trips in total. The first one, we were there at about 1.30 pm but was told that the Yum Seng to SG52 set was sold out for lunch. The service staff asked whether we would want to come back for dinner on the same day. And, he mentioned that we could actually call to make a reservation. We strongly felt that there was a lack of flexibility in handling this. There is totally no mention that there are limited sets available for their lunch on their Facebook page when they open from 11.00 am to 12.00 am during weekends. At that moment, we felt that this promotion was an insincere one and we even tempted to leave a bad review on their Facebook page but we decided to give it a second chance. This time, we called right after they opened on a Sunday to reserve a table for 2 and also that promotional set before going there at about 1 pm. 

This Yum Seng to SG52 set consists of Nasi Lemak Burger, Salted Egg Yolk Chicken & Pandan Waffles, Beef Rendang Cheese Fries and 2 glasses of Pandan Arnold Palmer at $56++. It would be $52++ if you "yum seng" (make a toast) with their staff and agreed to record a video. We decided to skip it. This set is only available for the month of August. 

The 2 glasses of Pandan Arnold Palmer were served in just a while. My dining companion could not quite tell the flavor of it. He said, "It tasted a bit strange and a bit too sour." He did not like it. This drink is none other than pandan infused lemonade with southern sweet tea.

Nasi Lemak Burger, the most talked about in town about Macdonald's launched its version and sold out soon after that. It has recently announced that they will be bringing it back at the end of August. I wonder how good could their Nasi Lemak Burger be since it is served without the rice which is one of the main components of the Nasi Lemak. I did not get to try it the last round and I doubt I would do it even when they are back.

The Nasi Lemak Burger by The Beast is pretty legit. They served it with a fried egg, a fried chicken together with lettuce and cucumber, sandwiched in between 2 pieces of rice patties and served along with luncheon meat fries. 

The hand-shaped coconut rice patties were coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried to achieve the desired crispiness and it stayed crispy even after left for a while.

The fried chicken thigh was smothered with their house-made sambal tumis. My dining companion said, "It is the sambal chilli made it tastes so authentic." I shared the picture on my Facebook and a friend asked for the review which I replied, "They got the taste and combination correct."

Salted Egg Yolk Chicken & Pandan Waffles. This consists of a piece of salted egg yolk chicken served on a crisp pandan waffle with a side of creamy milk sauce. 

At this point, after just done with the Nasi Lemak Burger, this was a bit overwhelmed. It is like the typical American food, it came in massive portion and it was quite a challenge to finish it. It happened to the table next to us too, that group of guys did not manage to finish their food as well.

The moistness of the fried chicken caused the waffles to be soggy pretty fast and we left most of it unfinished. Just like the fried chicken for the Nasi Lemak Burger, it tasted quite bland if without the salted egg sauce.

The fries were topped with their rendang using their secret recipe and melted mozzarella cheese. This was not bad though not quite memorable.

THE BEAST

17 Jalan Klapa SINGAPORE 199329
Operating Hours: 5.00 pm to 12.00 am (Mon to Wed) / 5.00 pm to 1.00 am (Thurs & Fri)
/ 11.00 am to 12.00 am (Sat & Sun)

Nasi Lemak Specialist @ Street 11 : Beef Rendang Nasi Lemak

This recently opened stall is owned by Madam Mazwin and working alone with her son, Qadir Yusoff, serving Nasi Lemak, Mee Siam, Mee Rebus, Lontong and Chicken Briyani during the weekends. Her sister owned a stall in AMK 628 Food Centre, their signboards are identical and they have a similar menu. 

I was there at about 1 pm when they were about to close and most of the items have already finished. I wanted the Beef Rendang set ($5.50) but was told that they have already run out of Begedil (potato cutlet) and Madam Mazwin offered to take 0.50 cents off from the set. I added the remaining piece of the chicken wing for $1.50. The set also includes a fried egg with some ikan belis and peanuts. 

My dining companion prefers the beef rendang to their chicken wing, the chicken wing though had had its crispiness but not as flavorful within. The beef rendang was pretty good. It had an amazingly tender texture and a depth of flavor with complexity. 

All of their ingredients are freshly prepared and cooking it directly from scratch to give it a homely taste. Just like some of the other Malay stalls, they are using basmati rice though it is not a common choice as the cost incurred is usually higher. It is cooked using freshly squeezed coconut milk for an aromatic fragrance and a lighter texture. The sambal tumis has a slight sweetness with a rather mild level of spiciness but it complemented the rice well.

Their Lontong is as highly recommended but it usually sold out quite early and I did not get to eat it this time. 

NASI LEMAK SPECIALIST @ STREET 11

137 Tampines Street 11 #01-14 Tampines Round Market SINGAPORE 521137

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 1.00 pm

Your Nasi Lemak : a Nasi Lemak specialty shop at Sembawang

It started by Fabian Seet, together with the other 2 co-founders, these 3 hoteliers including an executive chef shared the equal passion for nasi lemak and they created Your Nasi Lemak, a Singapore brand. It all started with one of them being a nasi lemak fanatic and his inspiration is for foodies from all over the world to enjoy and savour the best nasi lemak which truly representing Singapore. Their recipe is originated from Macik Som, their Advisor Chef, it is a family recipe that has handed down from generation to generation and together with their Executive Chef, they have perfected the recipe as mentioned on their Facebook page. They are using the traditional cooking methods with carefully selected ingredients for their nasi lemak. It opened on 11 April 2017 at one of those shophouses along Sembawang Road and is just beside Sembawang Shopping Centre.

This is an unassuming neighbourhood eatery, unpretentious and simply furnished. Their menu consists of nasi lemak sets and these sets come with options including fried chicken wing, kuning fish, fish fillet, pong pong otah, fried tempura vegetables, sambal cuttlefish and beef rendang differently, from $5.80 to $6.80. Most of their sets are serving with a sunny-side-up egg, cucumber, ikan bilis with peanuts and sambal chilli. There is also a weekday special during lunch and drinks like Kopi, Teh, Lime Juice, Bandung and Barley are available at just $1 for every $5.80 set ordered.

I wanted to order the Fried Sotong set but was not available and so, I decided to go with the Beef Rendang set ($6.80) and Otah Sundae ($5.80) with an additional piece of chicken wing ($1.60) added together with a canned drink ($1.50). The Beef Rendang set came first, it consists of a generous portion of beef rendang with the usual components.

The aromatic rice was infused with the fragrance of coconut milk and pandan leaves, its texture was fluffy and loose. The ingredients all tasted fresh but I would like the egg yolk to be a little runny. The peanuts and ikan bilis were rather crunchy and the sambal chilli has a slight sweetness with a mild spiciness that lingers on but it would be good if it is less wet. The beef rendang was tender and with just the right amount of spiciness.

The chicken wing was a pleasant surprise, it was coated with a layer of crispy batter that gives it an extra crunch but still juicy beneath, with a subtle turmeric flavour. 

The Otah Sundae, their signature dish is listed as a must-try on their menu. It came 15 minutes later and while waiting, the female service staff came over to inform that it would take a little while longer though she did not say why it was so, a reasonable guess would be the Pong Pong Otah was likely to be freshly made. It came when my dining companion was done with his Beef Rendang Nasi Lemak. 

It consists of a piece of Pong Pong Otah rested on a pile of coconut rice and topped with another coconut rice ball then drizzled with sambal chilli and coconut milk. The Pong Pong Otah was packed with flavours from galangal and lemongrass together with small chunks of fresh fish embedded within, it tasted different from the usual version of otah as it omits the usual spicy paste. It needs a little getting used to and there was also a lack of texture. Perhaps they should have a spicy and non-spicy version of Pong Pong Otah. It was served along with slices of cucumber and peanuts by the side. This is no doubt an innovative creation, though seemed a little gimmicky but also lacking in value as compared to other sets. 

This is pure comfort food at affordable prices in a cosy ambience with friendly service. Do support this Singapore brand if you happen to be in the vicinity, even though there is a famous Chong Pang Nasi Lemak just nearby but this one is worth a try too. 

YOUR NASI LEMAK

596B Sembawang Road SINGAPORE 048545

Operating Hours:11.30 am to 9.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)