Award Banner
Award Banner

$1 nasi lemak despite rising costs: Toa Payoh stall refuses to increase price for 36 years

$1 nasi lemak despite rising costs: Toa Payoh stall refuses to increase price for 36 years
PHOTO: Shin Min Daily News

$1 nasi lemak still exists in Singapore, and it even comes with fish.

The stall - Kedai Makan Muhajirin located at Blk 20 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 - has been known for offering their nasi lemak at the unbelievable price for quite a while now.

Three decades, in fact.

However, no one would expect them to maintain that pricing in this current climate of rising food costs. But continue, they have.

36 years on, the $1 nasi lemak is still on the menu.

On Saturday (Feb 4), former MP Amrin Amin shared about the family-run business in a video uploaded to his social media pages.

"$1 nasi lemak, yes you can still find it in Singapore!" he captioned the clip.

Speaking to the patriarch of the family, 76-year-old "Encik Tahir", Amrin asked the question many of us are probably curious about — "Can make money, meh?"

Said Amrin in the video: "I ask him how he makes money by selling $1 nasi lemak… and this is what he said, 'I'd rather be rich in deeds and virtues than material wealth'."

Tahir added "that there are people who are in need, the low-income among us, who should continue to have options, good options [for food]."

Wrote Amrin: "I'm touched by his sincerity and kindness. Truly food from the heart."

Indeed, according to a previous report on the stall in 2019, the pricing for their nasi lemak is based on the family's philosophy of not putting money first.

No wonder it's popular.

Read Also
This woman sells nasi lemak for $1 from her flat. Here's why
singapore
This woman sells nasi lemak for $1 from her flat. Here's why

According to Shin Min Daily News, reporters spotted a snaking queue at the stall the day after Amrin's glowing introduction. 

Each packet of nasi lemak includes a fried omelette, fried fish and sambal. Based on a sign put up at the stall, customers can opt for either the fried fish or ikan bilis for the same price. For both, it'll be $1.50 — which is still a steal.

Shared the lady boss: "Our customers have patronised the stall since they were in kindergarten, now they are married with kids and they bring them here to eat.

candicecai@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

homepage

trending

trending
    Tay Ping Hui says acting in China was a 'super humbling experience'
    Keep off the tracks: SMRT issues warning after man climbed over barriers at Boon Lay MRT station to retrieve phone
    Expert tips on eating habits for a healthy Ramadan and Hari Raya
    This newly MOP-ed 4-room HDB flat at Bidadari sets new record with almost $800k profit
    Rain holds surprise performance in Singapore, feasts on crab afterwards
    At least $1.7m lost in Singapore to scammers using insurance policies as bait
    'They deserve an award': Pre-school teachers hailed for carrying children to safety amid Punggol fire
    Kim Soo-hyun admits to dating late Kim Sae-ron, refutes allegations she was underaged
    Luckin Coffee launches Maltese-themed drinks and limited-edition merchandise as part of collaboration
    Ya Hui toughs it out in new job as creative director: 'I'm not a flower you need to take care of'
    'Deliberately confrontational': Shanmugam calls out activists for disrupting PAP's meet-the-people sessions

Singapore

Singapore
    • Ex-Kinderland teacher gets jail for abusing children in her care
    • GE2025: 5 hot wards to watch
    • Suspected gang boss, who ran gambling dens in Geylang, arrested in Malaysia after 4 years on the run
    • Popping floor tiles: 2 weeks to complete repairs at Yew Tee HDB block
    • 'If I open this door, what is behind it?' How Coast Guard responded to illegal boarding of tanker in Singapore Strait
    • Mediation by senior establishment figures led to CDL truce, sources say
    • Daily roundup: 5 hot wards to watch in GE2025 — and other top stories today
    • Bus driver, 62, dies after accident involving lorry at Outram Road
    • 4 Dutch crewmen plead guilty for causing Singapore's worst oil spill in 10 years
    • Singapore prosecutors say US server fraud case involves $519m of transactions

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'Where am I supposed to say I'm from?' Jackson Wang addresses controversial clip of him saying 'I'm Chinese'
    • Seo Kang-joon explains why he had one of the 'hardest days' of his life filming this scene in new K-drama Undercover High School
    • 'Here's to new beginnings': Kiki Lim leaves Mediacorp after 5 years
    • From 'a super lot of fun' to eventually needing counselling, Chantalle Ng has roller coaster ride playing 1st villain role
    • 'I felt this raw nerve on display': Johnny Depp recalls being 'freaked out' by fame
    • 'It's funny, teaching him how to do laundry': Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin's fiancee
    • Oasis to release documentary film in conjunction with concert tour
    • Justin Bieber admits to feeling 'like a fraud' in social media post, sparking fresh concern over his wellbeing
    • Radiohead drop huge hint they will be returning in 2025
    • Lizzo considered taking her life after sexual harassment lawsuits

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • 2 Singapore pizzerias earn spots on 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific 2025 list
    • 23 local attractions offering SG60 deals, here's what Singaporeans can enjoy
    • Hunt the Mouse is back, with $100k worth of coins hidden at Sentosa waiting to be found
    • Something's brewing: Blue Bottle Coffee to open cafe at Raffles City, its first in Southeast Asia
    • Mini Convertible launched in Singapore
    • New MRT plans revealed: How Tengah and Seletar lines may boost northern homes
    • Escape the human hustle: Resorts offering animal therapy to soothe your soul
    • Medallions and bookmarks representing historic districts among SG60 collection by Singapore Mint
    • What to do this weekend (March 14 to 16)
    • Rumi The Poet's Cup, popular cafe at Haji Lane, to close end March

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • China's top universities expand enrolment to beef up capabilities in AI, strategic areas
    • International Women's Day: Meet the Singapore women levelling up in gaming
    • US indicts slew of alleged Chinese hackers, sanctions company over spy campaign
    • Meet the women powering innovation in tech in Singapore and beyond
    • Games in March: JRPGs, co-op games and wrestling
    • Australia fines Telegram for delay in answering child abuse, terror questions
    • Embracing the future: A personal guide to how to get started with artificial intelligence
    • Australian children able to bypass age limit set by social media platforms, report shows

Money

Money
    • Amid AI push, DBS to cut 4,000 temp jobs over next 3 years
    • Singapore's economy grew 4.4% in 2024, beating forecasts
    • DBS to give staff $1,000 special bonus, introduce capital return dividend
    • Before you say 'I do' to a home: The checklist every newlywed couple needs in Singapore
    • Are older HDB maisonettes and jumbo flats worth the premium? A deep dive into pricing trends
    • Chocolate Finance imposes $250 spending limit on debit card to manage demand for miles rewards
    • Trump threatens further tariffs as EU, Canada retaliate for those already in place
    • CDL saga: Kwek Leng Beng ends lawsuit, all parties to remain in roles
    • EU to impose counter tariffs on $37b of US goods
    • Indonesia's central bank uses Ramadan sermons to preach on inflation

Latest

Latest
  • US designated South Korea a 'sensitive' country amid talk of nuclear weapons
  • UN chief says there is 'disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry'
  • Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries, memo says
  • After Trump request, Putin says he will let Ukraine troops in Kursk live if they surrender
  • Ukraine's Zelenskiy says there is now a good chance to end war
  • Death toll in Pakistan's train hijacking rises to 31, army says
  • Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleads not guilty to new indictment as trial nears
  • South Korea asks US for tariff exemption, trade ministry says
  • Mark Carney sworn in as Canada's prime minister, says he can work with Trump

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Malaysian woman stunned to find car trapped among diners after car park turns into outdoor eatery at night
  • Johor invests $1.5b in water treatment infrastructure to reduce dependency on Singapore after 2030
  • Ceiling collapses at KSL City Mall in JB, viral videos show
  • Food poisoning outbreak: 187 cases linked to Total Defence Day ready-to-eat meals, probe underway
  • Blazing car on Nicoll Highway: 1 dies, 2 taken to hospital
  • FairPrice giving away 75,000 sets of snacks and drinks to Muslim customers to break fast
  • Disabled Malaysian boy seen 'walking' with hands in school gets walkers from kind donors after TikTok video went viral
  • CDL's Kwek Leng Beng seeks to fire son Sherman as CEO over alleged 'attempted coup'
  • 10-year-old girl hurt by pebbles thrown from condo's 11th storey by toddler
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.