[ Food Review – Hawker Food ] It wouldn’t be a proper list of hawker food without some nasi padang action, amirite? Presenting Kim San Leng Coffeeshop’s Nasi Padang!
Yes, I’m bringing this back yet again — for good reasons! — because how often can someone with as sensitive a stomach as me find nasi padang that I can eat on a d a i l y basis?? (And no, that’s not a hyperbole!) It’s especially telling when I find myself craving this stall’s nasi padang versus Sixth Avenue Nasi Lemak (which becomes nasi padang if you order the way I do!) despite having eaten the latter for more years of my life!
And hey, Bukit Timah is already sorely lacking in nasi padang stalls — let alone good ones — so I’m especially invested in keeping this stall up!
For the benefit of those who’ve not seen my previous posts, instead of the usual richer, heavier flavours that are characteristic of Indonesian nasi padang (also its place of origin!), this stall does Malaysian-styled nasi padang.The difference? The flavours are no less robust but the sauces are lighter, and the flavours more fragrant than trying to overwhelm you in intensity.
That said, their sambal belachan packs a heckuva punch. I remember eating it for the first time in ages, and even I felt a bit of the heat! 10/10 would recommend for a fellow spice connoisseur.
Can we just take some time to marvel at the gorgeous rainbow of colours on this plate? If you are a first timer, this is one good way to start: Adorn your plate in as wide an assortment of colours and textures as you can. That way you can properly sample the variety of spices and cooking styles the stall has to offer!
Don’t know where to start? Try this plate on for size!
Protein: Beef rendang (look at the size of those chunks!) or assam fish (if you prefer something lighter that you can ladle over your rice)
Veg: Stir fried fresh greens (they usually have at least 1-3 options available if you want something without spice) or sayur lodeh (surprise, surprise, theirs isn’t sweet!)
Sides (pick 1-2): Tempeh (look at how dense and beautifully coloured this one is!), fried egg (fluffy without being overdone), or fried fishballs (hey this is great with the sambal ok).
