Selera Menanti Traditional Malay Cuisine – Excellent Malay Breakfast in Marsiling

Having a row of hawker stalls dedicated to Malay food at every hawker centre in Singapore is a very common sight. However, you seldom find dishes such as Nasi Rawan nor Nasi Ambeng at hawker centres. Selera Menanti Traditional Malay Cuisine offers quite a number of delicious authentic Malay dishes and we were ecstatic to be able to try most of them due to exploring the Northern part of Singapore in a group of four.

Opened since 1993 in one of the shophouses along Balestier, they have later moved to Wet Market Hawker Centre in Marsiling and served more varieties of dishes for breakfast. Its new dishes, Laksa Chap (Laksa Siglap), Lontong Kering, Nasi Rawon, Nasi Sambal Goreng and Nasi Ambeng have also become famous over the years. They have also D’ Selera Menanti that manages catering.

Besides winning many of its customers’ hearts with its famous Mee Rebus (sold out during our visit), the Soto Ayam ($3) features thick yellow Hokkien noodles and a generous portion of tasty shredded chicken soaked in a spicy chicken broth. The broth is made from chicken cooked with rempah and turmeric. Many ingredients are used to prepare the rempah including ginger, galangal, cumin, fennel, nutmeg etc. We really enjoyed this soto ayam as the chilli gave it a spicy edge.

We also tried their Lontong Kuah ($3.50) and Laksa Siglap ($3). The former consists of fork-tender rice cakes which we found too mushy but still fragrant and manages to soak up the broth really well. The latter, on the other hand, differs from the usual ones we get in Singapore. Laksa Siglap has a super strong coconut aroma and more herbs are added. The noodles are thick and springy, which is different from the rice vermicelli. In this case, raw beansprouts and a big dollop of hot chilli paste are added. It had a little tanginess which reminded us a little of Assam Laksa.

We wanted to try Nasi Ambeng too but unfortunately, it was sold out. Hence, we shared a plate of Nasi Rawan ($4.50) instead. We could choose between chicken and beef rendang and we took the latter. This is a hearty plate of beef rendang with rice, accompanied by achar which was so appetizing it whets your appetite for more, potato, toufu, long beans, aromatic fried coconut and mutton bits. The whole package was simply irresistible and really value-for-money.

Although this neighbourhood is quite hidden and not that accessible, it was worth our time traveling for the food served here. Furthermore, the lady who tended to us was really friendly and helpful. She knows what to recommend when you tell her what you’re craving for. We are already planning our next visit as we really want to try their Mee Rebus, Mee Siam and Nasi Ambeng.

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