Swensen's nasi lemak pizza (with boneless fried wings on top) elicits mixed reactions online

This one flew under the radar for some time, but now that it has surfaced on Reddit, we don’t really know what to say. 

It is, after all, tough to critique a nasi lemak-themed pizza with fried chicken wings sprinkled on top. On one hand, it’s a blasphemy to both Italian and Malay cuisine. On the other, it actually looks like something we’d legitimately want to stuff our face with. 

As part of the National Day celebrations last month, Swensen’s launched a promo that paid homage to “Singapore’s unique food culture” through the magic of fusion cuisine. 

Basically, it’s typical western food fare with an “elevated fusion twist” in the form of blending in Southeast Asian elements. The result? Shrimp Laksa Pasta, Beef Rendang Baked Rice, and Nasi Lemak Pizza with Boneless Wings. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/SwensensSingapore/posts/3499794706697203[/embed]

Where the former two seem like pretty natural pairings, the latter sounds like a kitchen experiment gone askew. The picture didn’t help things either — it simply looks like someone smeared sambal on a round pastry and sprinkled ikan bilis, cubes of cucumber, strips of omelette and plopped fried chicken wings on top as an afterthought. The actual nasi (rice in Malay) itself is conspicuously absent. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/SwensensSingapore/photos/pcb.3499794706697203/3499786243364716/[/embed]

The post did catch some attention on Facebook with folks expressing amazement that something this bold actually exists. 

It was when the picture of the Nasi Lemak Pizza got reposted on Reddit on Sunday (Aug 30) that generated a bit more buzz. It was posted by u/deepfriedceleron with a single-worded caption: “Cursed”. 

Cursed. from r/singapore

Reactions were mixed among Redditors, with some stating that they’d totally be down to eat it. Others weren’t as willing. 

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As far as “nasi lemak-inspired” fusions go, however, this pizza wouldn’t be the worst offender. The traditional Malay breakfast staple underwent a small renaissance of sorts years ago — most notably when McDonald’s Singapore came up with the Nasi Lemak Burger in 2017. But even before then, the madness fanned out into various forms, including nasi lemak sushi, nasi lemak ice cream, nasi lemak waffles, nasi lemak cookies and, yes, nasi lemak cheesecake. 

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In any case, if a sambal-smeared pizza with chicken wings plopped on top of it sounds like your kind of jam, the entrée will remain available at Swensen’s till Sept 13.

ilyas@asiaone.com