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Nasi lemak is one of my favourite hawker dishes, and despite having lived in Yishun all my life, I have to admit that I’ve never tried the famous Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang within Yishun Park Hawker Centre.
Started in 2017, this Muslim-owned hawker stall has gained popularity over the years, expanding to several outlets in locations such as Hougang, Tampines, and Ang Mo Kio. They even earned themselves a spot in the 2021 MICHELIN Guide Singapore!
I finally paid a visit to Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang’s original stall in Yishun Park Hawker Centre and instantly noticed the vibrant red storefront clearly showcasing their variety of nasi lemak dishes.
With the orders being made fresh, I was informed that there would be a 10-minute waiting time for my nasi lemak.
What I tried at Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang
The first thing I tried was the stall’s titular Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang (S$7.60), which consisted of a piece of ayam taliwang, an egg, rice, ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumbers, and nasi lemak chilli.
I was impressed with the size of the chicken leg but was blown away by how incredibly tender the chicken meat was. I could easily tear apart the meat with the plastic fork provided by the stall.
I found that the chicken meat on its own, without the sauce, had a fragrant taste that reminded me very much of herbal chicken. The sauce was pretty spicy and gave the chicken additional flavour.
Pangkor Island Nasi Lemak: Malaysian-style coconut rice with lemon satay fish & lemongrass chicken
Though the skin of the chicken leg wasn’t crispy like I had hoped, its tender texture and lovely flavour definitely made up for it.
The other elements of The Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang complemented the dish well. The egg had a slightly runny yolk that was satisfying to break into, while the nasi lemak chilli was sweet, fragrant and mildly spicy.
I found that the nasi lemak rice on its own wasn’t as flavourful as I was hoping, and it was a little on the dry side. However, once I mixed it in with the nasi lemak chilli, it became much richer in taste and a little bit moister.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, and despite it being pricier than most other nasi lemak, I thought it was pretty worth the price.
Next, I got the Nasi Lemak Jumbo (S$8.90), a dish loaded with a fried chicken wing, otah, an egg, rice, a sausage, fishcake, ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumbers and nasi lemak chilli. As someone who often struggles to decide on which ingredients to get with my nasi lemak, this dish was an easy choice for me.
The moment I took a bite of the fried chicken wing, I was utterly amazed. The skin of the chicken wing was incredibly crispy and slightly salty. I’ve had my fair share of nasi lemak dishes served with stale and non-crispy chicken wings, so this was a delight.
The chicken meat was soft, tender and juicy, providing a nice contrast against the crispy skin. I can safely say that this might just be the best chicken wing I’ve ever had from a hawker centre, and I gobbled it up instantly.
The otah, on the other hand, was soft and tender with a mild spice and a nice mouthfeel. I don’t often eat otah, but I would definitely have this one again.
Similar to the Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, once I mixed the rice together with the nasi lemak chilli, it became much tastier.
All the other elements of the dish came together wonderfully, with the sausage and fishcake providing a nice and simple pairing with the rice. The wide number of ingredients did not cause the Nasi Lemak Jumbo to be overwhelming. I liked how each ingredient gave the dish different textures and flavours, making it exciting to my taste buds.
Like the Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, the Nasi Lemak Jumbo is pricier than average, but with the number of ingredients you’re getting, I think it’s worth it.
Final thoughts
I enjoyed both dishes that I tried at Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, and it’s no wonder that this little Yishun hawker stall became so successful and was even recommended by MICHELIN. If I ever crave nasi lemak in the future, I know where I’ll be headed!
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