Brave the queue at Together Nasi Lemak in Seremban for their aromatic pork ‘berempah' and crunchy ‘ayam goreng XL'
Sometimes it just can't be helped. In Japan, nearly every decent eatery has a sizeable line outside, perhaps a cultural norm more than anything else.
Sometimes it could be that the shop in question had just gone viral, perhaps for a Malaysian inspired pastry such as apam balik croissant or an unusual take on your favourite coffee.
And sometimes it's simply because the food is good.
This might explain why we have driven half an hour to Seremban for a full breakfast at Together Nasi Lemak.
The stall is located inside S2S Food Court, Seremban.
The stall is located inside the popular S2S Food Court in the Garden Homes neighbourhood. The food court itself is spacious, airy and very clean (something similar establishments in the Klang Valley might consider emulating).
Plenty of options here, from bak kut teh and pork noodles to Hakka leicha and Thai style braised pork rice. But we're here for the nasi lemak.
Certainly it's the stall with the longest queue, especially during lunch hours and on weekends. Like the food court's drinks station, it is self-service: you order, you pay, and you return for your order once it's ready.
Thankfully the kitchen works at a clip so everything moves along very quickly. In almost no time at all, we have all our breakfast items on our table.
The basic 'nasi lemak'.
A hot kopi O and an iced ho kar sai to wet our lips before we dig in. The staff kindly separated our plates of nasi lemak from the dishes so we could share our food easily.
The nasi lemak looks basic enough — the usual accompaniments of sliced cucumber, fried ikan bilis and groundnuts. A fried egg (cooked to order) instead of half a hard boiled egg. A generous ladle of sambal.
Apparently the recipe for the nasi lemak comes from the owner's Nyonya grandmother. That touch of Peranakan culinary expertise is well appreciated; the Malaccan in me recognised the creamier grains of santan-cooked rice (they weren't stingy with the coconut milk!) and a heavier hand with the salt (a boon for anyone with a Malaccan palate).
Pork Berempah.
Even the aforementioned sambal gets two thumbs up from us. We are far from devotees of a saccharine sweet sambal so this spicier and far more savoury version hits all the right notes.
A little bit of salt goes a long way, some say. We would argue more would go even further, as is the case here. A lovely, lovely sambal.
Sambal Sotong (left). Freshly fried chicken (right).
The best part of ordering nasi lemak is figuring out what proteins to have with it. Here the star has to be the Pork Berempah.
There's the irresistible crispy 'spice floss' — a magical mix of every spice you can imagine, from coriander and cumin to lemongrass and curry leaves — that coats each piece of fried pork, still moist and juicy.
For seafood lovers, try the Sambal Sotong; the squid is cooked in the same sambal served with the nasi lemak.
Ayam Goreng XL.
Of course, if you happen to look into their open kitchen and see a fresh batch of fried chicken, then the dish to order has to be their Ayam Goreng XL.
Crunchy enough, this is the only dish we felt could benefit from a touch more seasoning. A whole chicken thigh makes this the largest portion of protein on their menu.
Aromatic coconut milk rice. Spicy, savoury sambal. Juicy pork covered with rempah crisps. What more could one ask for, really?
Together Nasi Lemak
S2S Food Court,
Persiaran Utama S2/4,
Garden Homes, Seremban
Open daily 10am-8pm
Phone: 010-292 5525
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
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