Bankers Sell Nasi Lemak Inspired By Granny’s Recipe At Amoy Street Food Centre

Like many others, Vincent (left in pic) and Javin started creating dishes at home during the Circuit Breaker last year. And nasi lemak turned out to be their star creation. The recipe originated from Vincent’s grandmother, and after putting their own touches to the dish, received rave reviews from friends and family. It was then that they decided to start a business selling their nasi lemak, investing about $15,000 into Spice & Rice. The stall only opens for lunch.

With backgrounds in finance, it’s no wonder that Amoy Street Food Centre is a regular haunt for them - and also why they chose to set up shop here. While Javin still holds his full-time job in corporate banking, Vincent took a leap of faith. “I quit my job in a bank to focus on the stall full-time because I am passionate [about] food, especially preparing hawker food without [using] MSG,” he shares.

“I am allergic to MSG and finding food without MSG in hawker centres has been tough,” Vincent adds. So the duo focuses on using herbs and spices to flavour the various components of their nasi lemak — from the marinades to the sambal, and avoids the additive altogether.

The menu here is kept simple: three different sets paired with coconut basmati rice. There’s the Classic Fried Chicken (the OG nasi lemak), Butter Chicken and Vegetarian Curry. However the vegetarian curry is soon slated to be removed from the menu as “the process [of cooking it] is too tedious along with everything else that we have to prepare for the stall”, shares Javin. Recently, to target the health-conscious office crowd and nearby gym-goers, the pair has also created a wholesome low-carb Salmon with Barley Pilaf.

The highlight of the nasi lemak here is the fried chicken, marinated with aromatics like lemongrass, turmeric and fried till golden-brown. Upon order, the leg is refried again, which we thought would render it dry. Instead, its skin is crisp and the meat juicy and flavourful. Meanwhile, the basmati rice is subtly coconutty, with whiffs of pandan. It is pleasant but a little light-tasting. The basmati rice gives it a lighter, more al dente texture too. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the sweet and mildly spiced sambal, though others may prefer it more fiery. “Making our own sambal is a tiring process, those who have ever peeled shallots by hand will know how laborious it is, but we pride ourselves in doing everything from scratch and we also chose to blend our sambal quite finely to allow the flavours to really meld together,” says Vincent.

And here’s the twist to this nasi lemak: a dollop of pineapple mint salsa, which is refreshing and reminds us of a mojito cocktail. While an unorthodox addition, the salsa helps cut through the greasiness and also brings out the sweetness in the sambal. We say don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

Butter chicken with nasi lemak? Sounds very rich, but it works. Boneless thigh chunks swim in a lemak yogurt-and-coconut milk gravy infused with lemongrass in this modern version (traditional butter chicken doesn’t have coconut milk or lemongrass). It is paired with coconut-kissed basmati rice and a runny-yolked egg. Messy but tasty.

Instead of rice, nutty and chewy barley is used here, along with pops of sweet corn and shimeji mushrooms. The barley pilaf cooked with lemon, butter and Marmite, holds up well on its own, but the generous slab of salmon, cooked sous vide in a hotpot and then blow-torched briefly, could do with a bit more char. Paired with blanched broccoli and pineapple mint salsa, this definitely tastes healthy — a bit too healthy, if you ask us.

This dish is a weekly special and will be on rotation with other new offerings like butter chicken croquettes and lobster with chilli relish every month.

“We’re facing steep competition from many other famous hawker stalls here, but we’re taking things in our stride, improving our dishes and learning to streamline processes as we go along,” Javin shared. While the stall keeps them busy, the pair already has a second stall in the works at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, opening this April. While the menu hasn’t been confirmed, we’ve been told “it could be roti prata or maybe something even more exciting”.

Nasi lemak that’s a little more refined than your typical hawker version, but also a touch lighter tasting — so eat this if you want to indulge in the dish without feeling too jelak. The butter chicken, on the other hand, is unabashedly rich and shiok. While prices here are slightly higher than what’s usually charged for these dishes, they are justified by the generous portions and well-executed components.

Spice & Rice is at #01-15 Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd, S069111. Open 11am - 2.30pm on weekdays; 10am - 2.30pm on weekends. Instagram

Photos: Kelvin Chia

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