Nasi Lemak Shop
[Pork-free] Is the nasi lemak at the Nasi Lemak Shop the best in town?
The Nasi Lemak Shop in Bandar Utama has been on our radar for quite some time, since @eatlokal recommended it.
We made two attempts to visit the shop at lunchtime but were put off by the long queue and crowded interior space.
We finally visited the spot at 4pm – which is always a good idea, and we like a comfortable setting to properly enjoy the food.
Nasi Lemak Shop in Bandar Utama
There’s really no point in debating the best Nasi Lemak in Malaysia as it is one of those dishes where everyone has their personal favourite.
Some prefer the simple and satisfactory nasi lemak bungkus, while some prefer with lots of side dishes.
The one served here at Nasi Lemak Shop draws the most comparison to the popular Village Park (the best or the most over-rated, depending on who you talk to) as it shares similarities in presentation, and comes with a quarter leg-fried chicken (RM15.90).
As we believe most have tried Village Park’s nasi lemak, we’ll use that as a yardstick in comparison.
Rice is incredibly fragrant
Our number one criteria for a good nasi lemak is the rice. In our view, a good nasi lemak should have fluffy rice that’s rich in santan and wonderfully tasty on its own.
This one passes with flying colours! We find the rice here to be incredibly fragrant in santan, and we liked that salt was already added so we could eat it on its own. In fact, we prefer the rice here over Village Park’s.
The sambal here has a slightly more spicy kick vs. the sweet one at Village Park – which goes well with the rice.
Chicken is tender and nicely seasoned
The ayam goreng berempah here were also quite good. Despite the off-peak hour of 4pm, the fried chicken arrived warm. The batter has enough spices for a savoury crunchy bite and the meat was actually tender and juicy.
We also like that the drumstick and thigh were served separately. Curiously, our dish did not come with the extra fried bits. We were told that they ran out of it!
But we thought the nasi lemak was good on its own without the extra fried bits.
Bingsu was a let-down
The Calamsi bingsu (RM15) here was a let-down though.
Despite the name, the texture of the shaved dessert was nothing like the soft and fluffy snow of the Korean bingsu. It was quite melted when it arrived.
While the texture was a disappointment, the tangy flavour of the calamansi was a nice contrast to the spicy and fatty Nasi Lemak.
Summary
Overall, we enjoyed the nasi lemak here but not the bingsu.
We also recommend coming here for peak hours as we find the table arrangement inside the shop can be quite uncomfortable during peak periods.
So, is this better than Village Park’s? We deem so. But in the words of our friend Bryan from Eatlokal – belum cuba belum tau.
Nasi Lemak Shop
Address: G10, Oasis Business Center BU4, Changkat Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Hours: 11.30am-8.30pm (Closed on Mondays)
Phone: 011-6338 8056
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