Ponggol Nasi Lemak at Tanjong Katong

The OG of nasi lemaks – Punggol Nasi Lemak is a famous and popular choice when it comes to this Singaporean delicacy. Fun fact – it is not actually in Punggol! They have 3 outlets, one in Kovan, Tanjong Katong and their newly opened flagship store at Jalan Besar. To satisfy our craving, we made a trip down to the outlet Tanjong Katong to join the dinner time long queue.

The format is similar to Chong Pang Nasi Lemak, where there is a variety of different dishes to choose from, on top of the usual things like chicken wings, ikan bilis and fried egg. We went for a mix of the traditional things and our personal favourite – chicken wing, sunny side up, otah and eggplant, adding up to a rather shocking $7.80.

The first thing I always try in every nasi lemak is the coconut rice – just the rice without anything else. Punggol Nasi Lemak’s rice had rice just the right texture, not too soft and chewy enough such that it doesn’t become soggy with the wet chilli. However, the rice was not as fragrant as we had wanted it to be, and not as lemak as some of the other famous nasi lemaks out there. More so than the rice, the chilli was a hot favourite in our group. It was sweet and spicy, complementing the rice and creating an explosion of flavours.

As for the chicken wing, it was thickly battered and very crispy with crisp hanging off the wing. The otah was also very traditionally grilled with banana leaves and spicy with a big enough kick. The eggplant was also crunchy and juicy with the braised sauce. Overall, the side dishes were not a disappointment other than it being less than piping hot.

We had rather high expectations of Punggol Nasi Lemak given its fame and the price point it commands. However the competition for Nasi Lemak is extremely tough and I have to admit this is not one of the best nasi lemaks around. We will be on the hunt for more, so drop us a note if you have a favourite! Just a thing to note, they close at 11.30pm so don’t expect it to be open for late night supper!