Nasi lemak is sinful yet yummy… but aren’t most unhealthy foods incredibly delicious? Besides the fragrant rice, the sides that come with the dish are just as important. I travelled to Foodies’ Garden food court in Hougang Mall to search for Mama Lemak. The stall sells coconut rice with devil’s curry, a Eurasian dish that’s not commonly found in Singapore.
Devil’s curry is essentially a traditional dish which is made from the leftovers of Christmas dinners, and served at festive occasions. It’s made with a unique spicy chilli paste that’s flavoured with vinegar.
This stall offers 6 different kinds of nasi lemak sets. Besides that, they also offer chicken wings which are sold per piece or by half a dozen.
What I tried at Mama Lemak
I started things off with the Beef Rendang Set (S$9.80). The mound of coconut rice was almost concealed completely by the amount of ingredients piled on top.
The plate boasted a massive piece of beef rendang, a sunny side-up egg, ikan bilis and peanuts, sambal chilli, cucumber slices and a sprinkling of fried shallots.
I went for the rice first, and paired it with the sambal and fried shallots. Every individual grain of the basmati rice was cooked to perfection, perfumed with the aromatic notes of coconut.
The huge pieces of fried shallots were definitely not store-bought, and were gleaming with oil which enhanced every bite with extra depths of deliciousness.
The sambal first warms you up with robust flavours of onions, before it springs an unexpected spicy punch towards the end— that sneaky little bugger!
Before I dived in for the beef, I thought to myself, “Will the beef be tough since it’s so huge?”
It turned out to be the exact opposite. The meat was so tender that even my grandmother who forgets to wear her dentures sometimes while eating, can definitely handle it. The rendang flavours were on-point and it got me going back for more.
I then moved on to the main reason for my visit, the Devil’s Chicken Curry Set (S$8.80). The dish had the same condiments as the previous dish, except for the difference in meat.
I mentally prepared myself for Lucifer’s fiery depths of hell unleashing on my tongue as I took my first mouthful of the chicken. The spice crept up slowly before I had to reach for my iced teh o kosong to extinguish the heat.
The meat was flavourful and had satisfying textural bites coming from the coarse chilli bits. Although the chicken was spicy, it didn’t overwhelm me. In fact, my tongue got accustomed to the chilli after my second mouthful.
Try pairing your basmati rice with some sambal and the devil’s curry chilli together— it will take your tastebuds on a ride.
We ended things off with half a dozen Chicken Wings (S$2.20 for 1, S$12.90 for 6). The 6 wings were stacked up high like a Jenga tower, and the delicious homemade fried shallots were sprinkled on top. Hooray!
I had the pleasure of watching them fry the Chicken Wings. They’re marinated with various spices which includes curry powder and turmeric, resulting in a deeper colour.
The wings were huge in my opinion, and felt very sturdy and firm when I held them with my fingers. It was time to get messy.
There was a crackling sound as my teeth sunk into the skin. I could taste the different layers of spice throughout the skin and flesh, and it was seasoned very well. It reminded me of ayam goreng berampah. I can’t recall the last time I had such awesome wings, they were slay!
The stall also has Chicken (S$1), Mutton (S$1.20) and Beef (S$1.10) satay with a minimum order of 10 sticks.
Final thoughts
Overall, I had a satisfying meal at Mama Lemak. I even ordered takeaway to let my folks at home try it for themselves, and they were nodding with satisfaction with every bite they took.
Finally, I have a new spot to add on to my nasi lemak list. I’m looking forward to being back!
Expected damage: S$5 – S$10 per pax
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Straits Bakery: Hidden Peranakan eatery serving $9.80 lunch sets like ayam buah keluak at Havelock 2
Price: $
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
Mama Lemak
90 Hougang Avenue 10, Hougang Mall (Foodies Garden), #04-11 , Singapore 538766
Mama Lemak
90 Hougang Avenue 10, Hougang Mall (Foodies Garden), #04-11 , Singapore 538766
