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Many can agree that one of our nation’s staple dishes is none other than a humble plate of nasi lemak. Often coming in many variations at different eateries, it is still many people’s go-to. Located at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, Ming Hui Nasi Lemak serves plates of Nasi Lemak from S$2.50!
Since the hawker centre’s renovation in 2014, Ming Hui Nasi Lemak has been delighting users with its affordable plates of nasi lemak.
As I approached the stall, the array of ingredients in the window excited me. I saw the usual classics of chicken wings, fried egg, fish cakes and luncheon meats.
When I arrived at the hawker centre around 4pm at the anticipated quiet hours, the stall was still dishing out plates to diners! But is it worth the S$2.50 price point?
What I tried at Ming Hui Nasi Lemak
Of course, with the big red lettering of S$2.50 at the front of the stall, I couldn’t leave without trying their Nasi Lemak Set (S$2.50). The set comes with 1 fried egg & 1 chicken wing, which didn’t look too bad from the picture.
I overcompensated for the size of the chicken wing as it was cut into its wing and drumlet. Served with a side of sambal chilli, I would have expected the set to come with the usual condiments of cucumber slices or ikan bilis and peanuts. Although not on the price list, perhaps I needed to ask the stall owner for these additions.
If you are wondering why there is a slight green undertone, do not be alarmed as Ming Hui uses green pandan leaves to cook its rice. Whilst very generously portioned, the rice lacked a prominent coconut taste.
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Moving on to the below-average-sized chicken wing, to my surprise it was quite crispy, not dry and rather moist which you would expect from a good chicken wing.
As for the fried egg, it was quite a nice addition to a very no-frills nasi lemak set. However, I did hope for a little more runnier consistency to the egg. The sambal chilli contained bits of onion which was rather average. Packed with spice, when mixed with the other components, it contributed to a slight enhancement to the dish, but not that much in my opinion.
I then decided to try another version of their nasi lemak which was the Fish Nasi Lemak with Vegetables (S$5). I couldn’t complain with this price point as much as the S$2.50 set, there was a large serving of pandan rice and a fried egg too. Additionally, the cabbage vegetables were very generously portioned out.
Again, the egg from this set lacked the runny-ness I was hoping for. With a higher price point, I would have assumed it would taste much better than the S$2.50 set I had. As it turns out, I was wrong.
You would have probably guessed that the star of this dish would be the above-average-sized piece of fried whole fish. However, this left me disappointed as the fish was significantly dry, which was also bland and lacked flavour. I had a hard time peeling the flesh off the skin and it looked flaky while the blandness was prominent throughout the fish.
I must say, while looking bland in flavour, the vegetables were the only delectable bite from this dish. While very nicely cooked, they added a hint of Nyonya flavour to the nasi lemak.
Final thoughts
Like any other budget meal at Ming Hui Nasi Lemak, I think people would not expect much and would know what they are getting into at this price point.
To answer the imposing question, is it worth the S$2.50 value? Personally, in terms of portion size, yes. Flavour-wise, I think it doesn’t quite do it justice.
That being said, would I return? Possibly not. However, this serves as a nice economical option for those who are on a very tight budget.
Expected Damage: S$2.50 – S$6 per pax
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