Times nasi lemak made the news
Today is a special day indeed. If you’ve opened a web browser at any point today you would’ve seen the tribute to the glorious dish that is nasi lemak in today’s Google Doodle. The animation takes you behind the preparation of what is described to be a “humble delicacy”.
How could a simple dish of coconut rice, sambal, peanuts and anchovies steal the hearts and attention of everyone worldwide? We delve into these 10 instances where nasi lemak totally owned the show.
1. Nasi Lemak Ice-Cream
Credit: Cold Stone Creamery
Are you team sweet or savory? Enjoy the best of both worlds with Cold Stone Creamery’s nasi lemak Ice Cream! Yes, we kid you not, in celebration of Singapore’s 53rd birthday, the ice cream chain launched 2 local flavours – nasi lemak and pulut hitam.
The nasi lemak ice cream is a blend of coconut ice cream, roasted peanuts, spicy sambal ikan bilis, and cucumbers, or what others call a perfect marriage of sweet and savoury.
2. Nasi Lemak Kit Kat
Credit: Redmart
We all know Kit Kat is famous for coming up with eccentric flavours like Pumpkin Pudding and Red Pepper, but Nasi Lemak Kit Kat is a whole new level of strange! The chocolate bar takes a new twist with coconut flakes, chilli and a sprinkle of peanuts.
If you like your sweets with a kick of spice, you’ll definitely want to give this a try!
3. Nasi Lemak Burger
Credits: McDonalds Singapore
Who can forget the Nasi Lemak Burger by McDonalds! Launched in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival in 2017, the Nasi Lemak Burger consists of a coconut flavoured chicken patty, fried egg, caramelized onion, cucumber slices and topped with a layer of sambal sauce.
4. Nasi Lemak Costume
Credit: Miss Universe Malaysia Facebook
In the 66th Miss Universe Pageant, Samantha Katie James who was representing Malaysia shocked the world by coming out in a nasi lemak inspired gown. The gown was designed to pay homage to Malaysia’s much loved national dish and featured a silk gown embroidered with beads to represent the coconut rice.
You can also spot a dollop of sambal on the bodice with a side of fried ikan bilis, hard-boiled egg and cucumber slices, not forgetting two huge green banana leaves to complete the look!
5. Trump Kimchi Nasi Lemak
Credit: Harmony nasi lemak Facebook
While most of us have our nasi lemak with the usual fried fish, chicken wings and curry, Harmony Nasi Lemak had something else up their sleeves. In light of the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, they created the Harmony Nasi Lemak! Comprising of dry aged beef and kimchi, the dish even comes with its own hashtag #makeharmonygreatagain.
6. Crispy nasi lemak Rendang
Credit: @zaleha.olpin
“The chicken rendang in the nasi lemak is not crispy enough” – this comment from a judge on the culinary show Masterchef UK triggered many fans of the dish. Netizens were all fired up, lamenting that the judges did not know their Asian food and should not criticize the dish if they were not familiar with it. Ultimately, the Malaysian contestant got eliminated over that dish.
Lesson learnt: You don’t mess around with Malaysian food.
7. Michelin Recommended Nasi Lemak at The Coconut Club
The Coconut Club is a local eatery serving up delicious plates of nasi lemak, but this is not your normal plate. Located along Ann Siang Hill, the hipster district of Singapore, each plate is priced at a whopping SGD13. The nasi lemak here was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018 after being around for only 2 years.
8. Nasi Lemak Curry Puff
Credit: Old Chang Kee Facebook
Old Chang Kee’s curry puffs are a snack that most of us love to have for tea or even breakfast. They’ve recently introduced a new flavour to their curry puffs – nasi lemak! The crust is colored green with Pandan Essence and the puff is stuffed with chicken, ikan bilis, peanuts, boiled egg, and sambal.
9. Nasi Lemak Eggs Benedict
Credit: Atmosphere Bistro Facebook
Forget your boring old Eggs Benedict because Atmosphere Bistro has come up with a new nasi lemak Eggs Benedict, combining the best of 2 breakfast favourites together. The eggs ben are served with homemade coconut butter, sambal, poached eggs, har cheong gai wings and anchovies and peanuts.
Good old fashioned nasi lemak
If you prefer good ol’fashioned nasi lemak, get your fill at Punggol nasi lemak! Klook your nasi lemak vouchers and enjoy 10% off their Signature set and the People’s Favourite Set. Just flash your mobile voucher on the Klook App at the cashier to redeem your meal.
Address: 371 Jalan Besar, #01-01, 208998
Opening Hours: Mondays to Sundays: 12:00pm-11:00pm | Closed on Thursdays
