Leng Zai Nasi Lemak
*Pictures by Gisele Soo
In this pandemic, the food outlets coming out ahead of the game are the ones offering one-dish meals. Or if not one dish per se, an assortment of different ingredients making up one dish.
And what better dish to serve up than our national dish, the Malaysian Nasi Lemak. In whatever guise or permutation, Nasi Lemak deconstructed has to have rice, sambal, cucumber and egg.
The myriad costumes it dons is up to the creativity of the chef and the sky’s the limit.
I’ve had Nasi Lemak on the roadside wrapped in banana leaf and eaten with my hands, fancy schmancy Nasi Lemak in 5-star hotel restaurants, some toned down for the spice averse (these are horrid) and some palate-searing ones appealing to spice freaks like myself.
Individual tastes vary but as I’m the one reviewing and it’s my palate we’re talking about here, I can afford to state my criteria for Nasi Lemak. So here are some of my dictates in what I consider an acceptable Nasi Lemak:
Firstly the rice must have enough Santan. Then the sambal must be robust, have body (I call it oomph) and must be sufficiently spicy to raise a mild sweat on my forehead. The cucumber must be crunchy and the peanuts freshly fried and not kept in a jar to turn rancid.
Leng Zai fulfilled my criteria with ease. The rice was fragrant with Santan, the sambal not too sweet and certainly spicy enough and the other two conditions easily fulfilled.
The different permutations were interesting. A Kunyit (Yellow Ginger) Fried Chicken Nasi Lemak had a generous whole leg of chicken served with it. One fried egg, peanuts, sambal and cucumber and you have deliciousness to go! RM12.90.
Another innovation is their Minced Chicken Petai Nasi Lemak, piquant tastiness for the petai lover. Accompanied by their fried egg and their yummy sambal, this is Nasi Lemak with a difference. RM10.00.
The Spiced Fried Chicken Nasi Lemak had five chunks of chicken marinated with their special mix and served with the usual rice and sambal. The chicken pieces were tender and still juicy inside. These can be ordered a la carte (without rice; as additions to the meal), as can the Kunyit Chicken and their Curry Chicken.
They also have a Nasi Lemak Biasa for a very reasonable RM5.00 and even an Economy one for RM3.50.
I love their sambal and I love their rice….everything else can be a mix and match so what can be easier in these days of the pandemic.
Add to this the ease of ordering through FoodPanda, Grab and EASI so what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone now.
- Foodpanda, Grabfood, EASI
Business hours: 8am – 8pm, closed on Monday
- Leng Zai Nasi Lemak Restaurant (opening soon in October 2021)
Business hours: 8am – 8pm, closed on Monday
Address: 445, Trade Parade, Jalan Bercham, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Contact: 019-7771683 / 011-39188836
*All photos are taken with their original packing with no attempt to put them on pretty plates. Since this is takeout, I feel it’s important to show the original packaging. Hence, all the shots are in the original containers.
