Initially, many will gasp in outrage at the $12.80 price tag (for the humble nasi lemak?!), but the one you get at The Coconut Club is well worth it. It has all the trimmings of the usual nasi lemak: a fried egg, ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumber, fried chicken and, of course, sambal. But in a bid to recapture the taste of the dish as it was traditionally prepared, The Coconut Club prepares everything by hand (instead of relying on factory-made sides, like many do now) with premium ingredients like free-range kampong chicken and coconut sourced from a single plantation in Sabak Bernam, Malaysia. Every component of the dish is well-executed. For starters, you get fluffy and aromatic rice, crispy yet juicy spice-laden chicken, and a piquant sambal sauce – and don't forget to try the otah too, which has satisfying chunks of real fish in it.
One of the best ways to start the day is with a plate of hearty nasi lemak. Its identity as "an ordinary man's breakfast" has some roots in history. Scholars have reason to believe that farmers in West Peninsular Malaysia ate it for breakfast to fuel a hard day's work in the field, and print records in The Straits Times in 1946 noted that the banana leaf-wrapped packets of nasi lemak was popularly sold in the mornings.
This icon of Malay cuisine is robust and flavoursome – no mystery why people now indulge in it at all times of the day. It's made up of rich and creamy coconut rice, sweet and spicy sambal (chilli paste) and savoury fried ikan bilis (anchovies) with peanuts, typically rounded out with an egg and cucumber slices.
Nasi lemak is wonderfully versatile. A plate in Singapore is now usually served with a side of protein, such as fried chicken wings or deep-fried ikan kuning (fish). Some stores sell nasi lemak cai fan style, where you can pick and choose any combination of proteins, vegetables and gravies to go with your base of rice, ikan bilis, sambal and egg. The sky's the limit really, and that's opened doors to more modern and fun variations on this popular meal. We shine a spotlight on some of the best you can find in this city.
RECOMMENDED: Makan Spotlight: Laksa and Makan Spotlight: Popiah
