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If you’ve been following my food adventures here, you might’ve noticed I’ve been on a bit of a break from nasi lemak hunts. No, I haven’t tried every single nasi lemak stall in Klang Valley. Let’s be real, that would be impossible. But the famous ones? Been there, done that, sambal-stained fingers and all. Let’s just say it takes something special to pull me out of “retirement.”
Then, like a little nudge from the nasi lemak gods, I stumbled on a place I’d never heard of, right in Bangsar. The way I found it was a product of me being my usual gluttonous self. I was casually Googling the opening hours of Nasi Lemak Shop at ungodly hours when another name popped up: One Cup Nasi Lemak Shop. A clever move, both for SEO and branding. Skipping it would’ve felt like a rookie mistake.
To my surprise, it was just a stone’s throw from my office. Of course, that meant facing the usual lunchtime crowd. But luck was on our side! My colleague and I scored a table, and the service was impressively quick despite the rush.
What I tried at One Cup Nasi Lemak Shop
One Cup Nasi Lemak Shop is a kopitiam-style eatery serving pork- and lard-free comfort local food like breakfast sets, local stir-fries, and of course, nasi lemak (what else?).
I went for the classic: Nasi Lemak with Special Fried Chicken (RM16.90). I was eyeing the version with chicken wings instead, but my starry-eyed colleague — drawn to the word “special” like a cat to a can of tuna — convinced me otherwise.
Given the price and the cool comfort of air-conditioning, the portion was generous. You get all the essentials: fragrant rice, a halved hard-boiled egg, crispy ikan bilis, roasted peanuts, sambal, cucumber slices, and a whole fried chicken leg.
At first glance, the rice grains looked a bit dry, but it was cooked well enough. Personally, I prefer mine with a little more moisture. Flavour-wise, it leaned more herbal than coconut-rich with ginger dominating the entire stage. Not the most memorable coconut rice, but certainly pleasant.
Now the sambal… oh, the sambal. It instantly reminded both of us of Village Park’s version: sweet from slow-cooked onions, smoky from the chillies, but with a spicier kick. If you’re used to sambal that leans tangy and shrimp paste-forward like the one at Nasi Lemak Shop, this one at One Cup Nasi Lemak Shop might not tickle your pickle. But for me, it hit the right notes! I found myself shoving spoonful after spoonful into my mouth.
The real star of the show, though, was the fried chicken. It didn’t look like much, but the moment the knife cut through, it was clear this was done just right. The skin was shatteringly crisp, while the meat was tender, juicy, and deeply marinated, as shown by its subtle yellow tint. A tad salty on its own, but just right when paired with the rice and sambal ensemble.
The rest of the plate was solid supporting acts — nothing fancy, but no complaints either.
The menu was more extensive than I expected, so I couldn’t resist trying the Hokkien Mee (RM13.50) as well. The portion was massive! Easily enough for 2, maybe even 3 light eaters.
Upon arriving at our table, the aroma delivered. But the taste? Less so. The noodles lacked the chewiness you’d expect from a good Hokkien mee, leaning more toward your standard yellow mee. The sauce, while well-seasoned, was a little one-dimensional — heavy on the red chilli paste and soy sauce.
The dish came with prawns, chicken, squid, cabbage, and a sprinkle of something fried that we couldn’t quite identify. Garlic? Shallots? They oddly tasted like Popo Muruku though. Adding the belacan-based sambal served on the side definitely elevated the dish with a much-needed dash of umami.
Final thoughts
One Cup Nasi Lemak Shop definitely surpassed my expectations. Though the space is modest, it’s cosy, well-ventilated, and the service was attentive and friendly throughout (while occasionally could be a little awkward).
The food held its own, and the pricing was what you’d expect from a modern kopitiam. Not cheap, but fair for the setting and portions.
My colleague confidently declared it better than Nasi Lemak Shop. As for me… well, let’s not turn this into a nasi lemak turf war, shall we?
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