[CLOSED] Simple.簡: Hipster Blue Nasi Lemak Infused With Butterfly Pea Flower Hidden In Lavender

Back when I was serving National Service, having the nasi lemak at Changi Village Food Centre was an almost weekly affair. It made me believe that nasi lemak is a dish that only tastes good if it’s prepared traditionally.

However, this hipster-looking nasi lemak in Lavender made me think otherwise. So I decided to head down to find out if it indeed tasted as good as it looked.

Located in CT Hub 2, a commercial and industrial building, Simple.簡 was previously known as Jia Xiang Nasi Lemak.

They moved out from the coffee shop in the same building into an eatery of their own after a rebrand.

A young husband-and-wife duo, Stephy and Shawn, runs the business together.

I’ll be honest, it was a challenge finding the store with its obscure location. But if you visit during lunchtime, that wouldn’t be a problem. You’ll see groups of office workers swarming outside the seemingly only operational stall in the entire lane.

What stands out about this nasi lemak joint is that they infuse many of their dishes with butterfly pea flower. Not only that, but they also offer a range of unusual nasi lemak ingredients.

To start off, we had the Rendang Chicken (S$6.50).

The sheer size of the chicken leg impressed us greatly at first sight. Slathered with a generous amount of rendang gravy, the chicken leg glistened under the light. I love my rice with lots of gravy, so that was certainly a plus.

We appreciated that the rendang had a prominent buttery flavour. It had the right consistency too, which wasn’t too thick nor watery.

Unfortunately, however, it lacked the spicy kick which we were hoping for. But that was just a minor issue which we quickly got over.

The chicken meat was perfectly fork-tender and boneless. This made it even easier for lazy people like me to indulge in it.

We paired it with Simple’s signature Blue Nasi Lemak.

It came with the quintessential nasi lemak ingredients, including egg, sambal and ikan bilis.

We loved the effort they put into plating the rice — it was too beautiful an art to ruin!

At the tip of the rice pyramid was the butterfly pea flower-infused nasi lemak. It had a deep blue hue which intrigued us, and we were very curious to find out how it tasted.

We couldn’t detect any distinct taste from the butterfly pea flower. However, I did pick up a slight tinge of sweetness, which complemented the coconut fragrance of the rice well.

What really stood out to us was the texture of the rice. It wasn’t mushy at all, and we could taste every individual grain, a mark of well-cooked and high-quality rice.

Mix it with their smoky and spicy sambal chilli and you’ll have a perfect mouthful!

They also recommended their most popular dish, the Har Cheong Chicken (S$6.50).

Just the fragrance of the chicken cutlet already made us salivate, so we were very optimistic about how it would taste.

To our delight, the chicken was simply scrumptious. Not only was the portion large, but the chicken was also sizzling-hot, with a golden-brown hue.

It was evident they seasoned both the batter and the meat, which both had a strong umami har cheong flavour which was simply irresistible.

The fact that the chicken was super juicy was a bonus.

This time, we paired the meat with the Special Simple’s Noodle. Available on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, this noodle dish changes each time.

The noodles of the day happened to be the Rendang Pasta. At first glance, the thick and flat pasta reminded us of mee pok. That aside, the pasta surprised us with its spicy and aromatic flavours.

The spices were all in perfect balance, making for a really indulgent bite.

Furthermore, the pasta was perfectly firm and springy, giving every bite a satisfying mouthfeel.

You can also have your nasi lemak with Simple’s Japanese Kabayaki Unagi (S$10).

They coat the unagi with a glaze of sweet and salty teriyaki sauce. Every bite of it was full of gooey sauce and simply delectable.

Granted, it’s slightly pricey. We felt the price would have been more justified if the portion had been slightly larger.

That said, though, if you’d like to zhng up your nasi lemak, this is certainly one option.

For those of you who’re into healthy eating, you’ll be happy to know that Simple offers a Clean Series.

True to its name, it comes with a bed of roasted sweet potatoes, seasonal vegetables, as well as an egg.

Though I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, I felt they weren’t much to rave about. What I appreciated, however, was the honey glaze on them.

We couldn’t leave without getting Simple’s butterfly pea flower-infused drinks. On their recommendation, we got the Butterfly Pea Brown Sugar Soy Milk (S$2).

The flavours came together nicely, with the natural sweetness of the butterfly pea flower going well with the subtle bitterness of the soy milk.

Meanwhile, the brown sugar infused the drink with a hint of caramel flavour.

On the other hand, the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea (S$1) had a refreshing sweetness reminiscent of agar agar.

So if you’re ever in the area and craving a good plate of nasi lemak, Simple.簡 is a place you can visit. At the least, their portions are generous and their dishes taste good.

I can definitely find myself returning in the future, especially for their Har Cheong Chicken that’s to die for.

Expected Damage: S$1 – S$10 per pax