So Lemak Review: Unique Har Cheong Gai Nasi Lemak In Bedok By Ex-Fine Dining Chef

So Lemak has har cheong gai nasi lemak in Bedok

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for nasi lemak. The versatility of this dish is incredible━the coconut-fragranced rice goes with almost everything! There’s beef rendang nasi lemak, and even Japanese fusion nasi lemak. A recent entrant onto the nasi lemak scene is So Lemak, which pairs it with crispy harr cheong gai, AKA shrimp paste chicken.

 

Tucked in the heartlands of Bedok Town Centre, So Lemak has garnered a fair amount of media attention. Spearheaded by Shanice, the 25-year-old owner behind So Lemak, their trendy Gen Z-style marketing approach has gained them close to 100k views on TikTok!

What sets So Lemak apart is not only their social media success but also Shanice’s remarkable credentials━a culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and valuable experience from stints such as at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Zen.

While they have only been open since May, this is not Shanice’s first foray into the food scene. During the challenging COVID-19 period, she ran a successful home-based food delivery business named Two Hands Two Wok. There, she offered delights such as har cheong gai, fish head curry, ngoh hiang and more. She wanted to continue featuring  har cheong gai on her menu, and found the perfect match in nasi lemak.

Food at So Lemak

There are only four nasi lemak sets on the menu currently: Har Cheong Wing Set ($5), Grilled Otah Set ($4.80), Fried Fish Set ($5.50), and So Lemak Set ($7.50)━a combination of items from all the three sets. Then, you have a bevy of add-ons including Handmade Fish Cake ($2), Fish Fillet ($1.50) and many more.

We started with the So Lemak Set, which stars all the prized pairings━a fried egg, har cheong wing, otah, fried ikan kuning, ikan bilis, peanuts, slices of crisp cucumber, and house-made sambal. This set gets you the most bang for your buck, if you ask us. We also added on their fresh house-made achar for $1.50.

The most important element of nasi lemak, to me, is the rice, which I feel must be fragrant right from the moment it’s served. So Lemak passes this criterion: their coconut-infused rice was aromatic, emanating a faint floral scent when my orders arrived on the table, thanks to their infusion of pandan leaves. The nasi is meticulously prepared over hours, incorporating a blend of fresh coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, pandan leaf, garlic, and onion.

However, while the rice was undeniably fragrant on its own, I thought it could be even more lemak to better match the bold flavours of their sambal and other accompanying ingredients.

Their house-made sambal leaned sweet, luckily for me since I prefer a sweeter-tasting sambal. It’s not overly spicy━making it suitable for the general palate━delivering just the right amount of kick.

The sambal went especially well with the savoury ikan bilis and peanuts that are fried in-house, which provided a good crunch when paired with the rice.

The egg was delightfully runny as well, allowing me to enjoy the richness of its yolk with the rice!

While the other components were good, I was slightly let down by the fried ikan kuning. The meat was rather fishy and not tender enough, though I do appreciate that it came in a huge piece.

My favourite was the otah, which came in a huge, and thicc slice. It was everything you would want in an otah: the smoky aroma, smooth texture, and chunkiness. The otah here is supplied daily by a local supplier, but isn’t heated up before serving, which was a letdown for me.

We highly recommend you order their house-made achar, which is a spicy, peanut-ty and sour mix of pickled cucumber and pineapple. It helped to cut through the rich flavours of the nasi lemak very well.

Finally, we come to the specialty dish at So Lemak━their Har Cheong Wings, AKA prawn paste wings. You can get the wings as a set, or a la carte, priced at $11 for five pieces, or $17 for eight pieces. five pieces for $11 or eight pieces for $17. Otherwise, a single wing is just $2.20.

This was a dish that I was very excited to try because of how fragrant the wings were while they were preparing them. The fried chicken didn’t disappoint: the meat was soft and tender, though I do think the taste of the prawn paste could be even stronger.

Pairing it with the sambal gives it an additional punch of spice if it gets too one-dimensional. 

Ambience at So Lemak

So Lemak is situated in Food Loft at Bedok Town Centre. This is the same coffee shop that houses Ah Lim Chicken Rice, which serves adorable handcrafted chicken rice onigiri. It’s an accessible location: a 12-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride from Bedok MRT Station.

Do try to swing by before the crowd hits during peak mealtimes as they get a fair bit of the office crowd. Keep a lookout for updates on new items on the menu, such as grilled sambal prawns, which Shanice is currently trialling as well!

The verdict

If you’re in the East and looking for a solid plate of nasi lemak, I’d say stop by for their Har Cheong Wing Set. Considering Shanice’s age and her dedication to improvement, it’s safe to say it’s only going to get better from here.

For more nasi lemak options, check out our guide to the best nasi lemak in Singapore. Alternatively, visit Dickson Nasi Lemak for a solid Malaysian-style ayam goreng nasi lemak with an 18-ingredient sambal.

Address: 217 Bedok North Street 1, #01-77, Bedok Town Centre, Singapore 460217
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am to 8pm
Tel: 8328 8728
Website
So Lemak is not a halal-certified eatery.

 

Photos taken by Raelynn Ng.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg