Hi Leskmi Nasi Lemak – Affordable Nasi Lemak with Awesome Sambal!

The concept of infusing elements of traditional national dishes into modern cuisine has been trending.  Even McDonalds has jumped onto the bandwagon with their Nasi Lemak burger. Forget trends, for I have here with me a hidden gem that sells delicious Chinese Style Nasi Lemak! Opened in 2002, Hi Leskmi Nasi Lemak had its name derived from the Hindu goddess of wealth, health, fortune and prosperity, Lakshmi. On behalf of Carol, older son Jonathan explained that the family-run Nasi lemak hawker stall was inspired by the belief that people should have access to delicious food at affordable prices.

“We do remember faces and try to engage with returning customers by remembering their likes and dislikes. It’s pretty personal in that sense, where customers actually turn into friends.”

With a friendly demeanour, Hi Leskmi Nasi Lemak welcomes patrons with an array of scrumptious ingredients, including stir-fried brinjal, grilled otah and crispy fried chicken wing.

If it’s your first time here, be prepared to brave the queue that would have already formed even before the store opens. All good things must wait right! While waiting, you can decide if you want to get set A, B or C, or build your own dish. I love to customise my Nasi Lemak, so I chose to pair my rice with stir-fried cabbage, grilled otah, crispy chicken wing, egg, and tahu goreng with long beans ($5).

Remember to ask for their sambal chilli, which is to die for. Every mouthful of sambal is delicious. You can definitely almost taste a subtle wok hei in the chilli. The family adds tamarind paste to the chilli, which gives it its sweetness! And the best part? The chilli pairs excellently with every ingredient, adding a sweet and spicy note to each. “The sambal chilli is also a huge favourite of our customers. More often than not, our customers tend to tell us to give them more,” said Jonathan.

The cabbage is light, yet crunchy and sweet, and isn’t too oily.

They make a delicious tahu goreng with long beans. Though I’m not usually a fan of fried tofu, the tau goreng, which is fried to perfection, had me at hello. Add a dose of their chilli and be amazed by the combustion of flavours. This ingredient alone made all the difference for me.

The fresh and soft otah has a strong char and is definitely something you must try! The chicken wing is slightly on the drier side, but the skin is still nicely crisp and the meat well marinated.

This is definitely one good nasi lemak that will put all other nasi lemak-inspired dishes to shame. The family also runs the minced meat noodles stall (#01-69) and the economical rice stall (#01-67), which are opposite the nasi lemak stall. Now that’s hawkerpreneurship. Jonathan and his younger brother, who are working full time at the stalls, have also shared with us their dreams of taking over the stalls in the future. We wish Carol and her family all the best in their upcoming ventures!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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