Early Dinner at Nasi Lemak

In anticipation of a few out of town trips next month, Sis, Ykaie and I find ourselves at the mall more often than usual. After all, I still have a couple more “outfits” to buy for peanutbutter♥.

And at the mall, it’s so hard to refuse these good restaurants when you hear them calling out your name. Last monday, my tastebuds were in the mood for something spicy…….something creamy……something………..Singaporean.

So we headed out to the most authentic Singaporean restaurant I know — Nasi Lemak. Although some of the food they serve are in fusion with Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Japanese, Indonesian, and Indian…… it has that certain je ne sais quoi that makes it the go-to restaurant when one is craving for authentic Singaporean dishes.

Crispy Baby Squid {P160}

We started our meal with the crispy baby squid that is a melody of sweet and salty. Ykaie loved it and couldn’t stop picking out the baby squid heads.

Char Kway Teow {P260}

Char Kway teow is a popular rice noodles dish typically prepared in hawker stalls but is exploding with flavor. The broad noodles are made tasty by a mixture of chinese sausage, prawns, beans sprouts, dark soy sauce and belachan ~ a thick, sweet shrimp paste.

I have tried many Char Kway Teow but this is by far, the most delicious.

Here we are, anticipating an wonderful meal ahead…

Beef Rendang {P365}

I am always looking forward to dishes cooked with coconut milk and lots of spices. This Indonesian Beef Rendang did not disappoint ~ it was very rich, creamy……and spicy!. I can remember the beef melting in my mouth with each bite because of how tender it is and I felt myself blush because of the spiciness.

Because it is creamy and rich with the flavor of coconut milk, one would think that it wouldn’t pair well with the Nasi Lemak. Or one would overpower the other. Nope, the Nasi Lemak did nothing but heighten the taste of the Beef Rendang.

I forgot I was on a diet…..and ate most of the Nasi Lemak in the set below….

Nasi Lemak Set {P228}

Nasi Lemak is this rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan. It is, in itself, fragrant and creamy and you can usually find it served in a set like this with cucumber slices, ayam goreng {fried chicken}, ikan bilis {fried anchovies}, roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, fried fish and sambal.

The ultimate consummation of flavor, texture and taste is when you put a little of everything in a single spoonful or a single bite…..magic happens in your mouth…

Oh, and this was served with 2 pieces of papadom but I dipped it in the sauce of the Beef Rendang instead of the sambal.

Chendol {P98}

The perfect ending to our spicy meal ~ something cool and sweet….. but still has some coconut milk in it, hee. Imagine worm-y pandan jelly, shaved ice, coconut milk and gula melaka {palm sugar} pacifying the scorching heat in your tongue.

Ykaie in front area of the restaurant…

I am one satisfied diner and is now thinking of when I could go back to try the other dishes…..

Nasi Lemak
2nd Lvl. East Lane,
Robinsons Galleria
EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave.