Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a Malaysian specialty and is also known as the unofficial national dish. It is coconut rice served with egg, cucumber, roasted peanuts, sambal ikan billis or chilli baby anchovies. It can come with chicken curry, beef rendang or chilli cuttlefish as accompaniments. In Malaysia you can buy a basic takeaway nasi lemak for just RM1 (approximtely A$0.35) minus the extras. It is usually wrapped in banana leaf and newspaper or brown paper shaped in pyramid style. It's the quickest way to satisfy ones craving for nasi lemak.

I usually get my nasi lemak from Sambal Kampung in Melbourne Chinatown as it is pretty close to the real deal. Last weekend, we decided to get it from a different place ie Banana Palm Curry House. I regretted that decision as the nasi lemak was a bit dissapointing. The coconut rice didn't have enough flavour and aroma while the chicken curry and beef rendang tasted bland. They both tasted like they were made from the same curry base. Price wise, it was pricier than Sambal Kampung. It is highly unlikely that I would return for the nasi lemak.