Chinese-Muslim hawker reopens stall in Ayer Rajah, reveals what makes the perfect nasi lemak

Nasi lemak comes in many variations, featuring different side dishes unique to the chef's ethnicity and country of origin. 

In its most basic form, the dish can simply be a plate of peanuts and fried anchovies accompanied by fluffy coconut rice and a fried egg.

But according to Aishah Lim, when it comes to nasi lemak, one key feature trumps it all.

"It has to be the sambal," the hawker said.

Aishah, who turns 39 this year, runs Ah Lim Nasi Lemak, a hawker stall that opened in Ayer Rajah Food Centre in early August.

During an interview with AsiaOne on Aug 16, she explains how delicate and multi-dimensional the flavours of nasi lemak sambal can be.

While some prefer a fiery sambal, others appreciate a sweeter flavour profile to theirs.

At Ah Lim Nasi Lemak, Aishah makes an effort to serve a balanced-flavoured sambal, where one can "taste the sweetness" but not miss out on the all-important spicy kick.

Journey to the west

Her story as a hawker began at Maxwell Food Centre, where Ah Lim Nasi Lemak was originally located. 

She opened the stall in January 2022 and business was thriving. She'd sell out every day and it even got to a point where she "didn't have breaks at all" at work.

Unfortunately, the stall lasted all of three months at the food centre.

There were disagreements with a person she was working with, and Aishah felt the best decision was to simply close the stall down. 

"I could not stand being bullied and decided to just shut down," she shares. 

However, Aishah was not about to throw in the towel just yet. While she looked for a new location, Ah Lim Nasi Lemak lived on but as a home-based business.

Days turned to months as the search for a new location proved harder than expected.

Aishah tells AsiaOne that she looked "non-stop" for the perfect location and when Ayer Rajah Food Centre popped up as a potential option, she sought advice from her husband.

"My husband used to work nearby and had lunch here all the time. He felt like West Coast was a good area," the hawker says.

On top of that, the stall in question would be located alongside a variety of stalls, both halal and non-halal options. 

Aishah saw this as an advantage, as the potentially higher footfall in the area could lead to a boom in business.

Is there a Chinese or Malay nasi lemak?

Nasi lemak features prominently in both Malay and Chinese cuisines, and this begs the question of whether there's such a thing as Chinese-inspired or Malay-inspired nasi lemak.

Being of Peranakan descent, Aishah might just be the right person to answer this. 

She provided a rather diplomatic response by stating that "nasi lemak is just nasi lemak".

Aishah pointed to the side dish options as a difference between nasi lemak sold by Chinese and Malay vendors.

While the Chinese hawkers have a tendency to offer vegetables and "lighter sides", the Malay community might include dishes from their cuisine such as rendang.

While Aishah notes the nuances and differences in how each community prepares their nasi lemak, she feels that it doesn't need to be racialised.

Even within the same community, people tend to prepare nasi lemak in different ways.

Good ol' fried chicken

When asked about what makes a good plate of nasi lemak, Aishah was clear-cut in her response.

For one, the rice has to have a certain level of richness from the coconut.

"It's called lemak for a reason, right?" Aishah asks rhetorically.

She is also particular when it comes to the choice of rice. Using basmati rice for nasi lemak isn't her jam as she finds it too dry. 

However, if all else fails, Aishah is of the belief that a top-notch sambal can help elevate a run-of-the-mill nasi lemak.

Apart from sambal, Ah Lim Nasi Lemak pride themselves on their fried chicken. Back during their Maxwell days, Aishah would research extensively on finding the perfect recipe. 

She simply gave off a wry smile when quizzed on the ingredients of her special fried chicken.

Describing her fried chicken as "something different", Aishah mentions that her recipe is one she holds close to her heart.

Upon hearing that, I found myself fully invested in understanding just how amazing this fried chicken would taste.

Moment of truth

I ordered a plate of Aishah's famed nasi lemak with chicken wing ($5) and on first glance, I had a sense that it was going to be a decent meal.

For $5, you can't complain about the large serving of rice as well as the hefty dollop of sambal on the side.

Aishah was not kidding about how serious she took the rice in her nasi lemak. Describing it as fluffy might just be an understatement. 

The rice was rich and felt a little sinful (in all the right ways, of course).

Ah Lim's Nasi Lemak's sambal was on point too. As a nasi lemak lover, one of my biggest gripes is a sambal that's completely lacking in spiciness.

While I accept that everyone's spice tolerance level differs, that doesn't mean a stall's sambal has to just be sweet and one-dimensional.

Thankfully, Ah Lim's Nasi Lemak's sambal had a punch to it. So if you're not big on spice, my suggestion would be to take it slow.

The fried chicken Aishah mentioned during the interview lived up to expectation. You do not need to be a foodie to understand that plenty of effort was put into making the fried chicken.

A crispy batter and juicy meat, what more could one ask for?

A big plus is just how light the chicken was. Although it was fried, I did not get the sense that the chicken was too oily or greasy.

I can only assume that Aishah has fried it at a high temperature for the exact right amount of time. While it may sound rather straightforward, this is a skill in itself. 

The chicken isn't particularly heavy on spices or herbs, neither does it have a thick batter. And that's not a criticism at all since I personally prefer a thin batter on my fried bites.

Overall, the meal was a delightful experience and the highest praise I can give to Ah Lim's Nasi Lemak is that it was one of the better nasi lemak dishes I've had in recent memory.

Address: 503 W Coast Dr, #01-22 Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Singapore 120503
Opening hours: 9am to 3pm on weekdays, 9am to 1pm on Saturdays, closed on Sundays

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amierul@asiaone.com

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