New in town: Grandma’s Recipe, Punggol — The north-eastern Nasi Lemak galore

Few things grapple my heart more fiercely than a plate of nasi lemak, and can you blame me? After all, coconut rice, fiery sambal, juicy chicken wings, and crispy ikan bilis are enough to pacify carb-loving me. Imagine my excitement when Grandma’s Recipe came to my attention. 

Despite the name, this isn’t, well, my grandma’s actual recipe. Instead, this comes by way of a coffeeshop stall in the heart of Punggol. If not yet obvious enough, this eatery promises to do right by one thing—nasi lemak.

Located at 658 Punggol East, Grandma’s Recipe opens at 8am and closes at 2.30pm. So if you’re thinking about coming for dinner, I have some troubling news for you. Then again, who says anything about indulging in a plate of nasi lemak for breakfast? It is, after all, the most important meal of the day and filling your tummy up with spoonfuls of rice and sambal is thoroughly fulfilling.

Here, the nasi lemak sets are where it’s at. Set A (S$5) comes by way of the yellow ginger chicken, which comes spiced by turmeric and slathered with gravy. Then there are all the other fixings of proper nasi lemak—your coconut rice, a hard-boiled egg, sambal, ikan bilis, and an added dollop of achar for a bit of brightness. 

There are five sets to choose from altogether, with more notable options like Set C (S$5), which comprises of fried pork belly as the protein pairing to your rice. It’s unique and one which I’ll spring for on a visit to Grandma’s Recipe. Chicken wings or selar fish? That’s so 2020.

Then there’s also Set E (S$2), which earns the name ‘Standard Nasi Lemak’. Its two-dollar price tag is apt, as this is the most pared-down plate of rice, sambal, egg, and ikan bilis—everything that makes nasi lemak, well, nasi lemak. Go for this if you aren’t starving and want the familiar taste of fragrant coconut rice.