'Damn dry ah': Malaysian TikToker unimpressed by $10 nasi lemak, other local dishes in New York City

When you're overseas, trying food from your home country can be a hit or miss.

For Malaysian TikToker Ivor, the experience wasn't great.

She took to TikTok on Friday (May 19) to document her review of a restaurant selling Malaysian food in New York City's Chinatown. 

@ivor_xianz a Malaysian trying Malaysian food in New York China Town 🇲🇾🇺🇸😭 #chinatownnyc #malaysianfood #ivortrying #nasilemak ♬ original sound - Ivor trying so u dont hve to

 

Aptly called Kopitiam, the restaurant was crowded when Ivor visited, which seemed promising to her. 

She started her meal with a plate of nasi lemak, which set her back US$8 (S$10.70).

The dish came in a bowl and featured a mound of rice, a boiled egg, slices of cucumber, an overwhelming scoop of ikan bilis and a smidge of sambal chilli, which came in a tiny tub. 

First impression? She found the serving of ikan bilis too much and the sambal chilli too little. 

She requested for extra sambal chilli before putting the nasi lemak to a taste test. 

Ivor wasn't impressed with the rice. "Very dry and rice got no coconut fragrance [sic]," she noted.

She then highlighted that the sambal chilli was on the sweeter side, mentioning that it's "very Chinese-style sambal". 

She also wasn't a fan of the ikan bilis as it was soft instead of being crispy.

She also mentioned that the nasi lemak she tried in Australia was much better.

Impressed by how the restaurant's staff was authentically preparing teh tarik – he can be seen in the video repeatedly pouring the drink from one container into another – Ivor got herself one. 

The US$6 drink came in a cute takeaway plastic bag. After sipping on the drink, she noticed that the drink was milkier than the ones she would get back home in Malaysia. 

"It's not the best but not the worst," Ivor mentioned.

Another dish she got was the Penang white curry mee, which came with yellow and white noodles. 

Her first impression was that the ratio of the noodles and soup served was off, saying that there was too much of the former compared to the latter.

"I'm from Penang," Ivor added before trying the dish.

She thought the soup was mild in flavour, and the only thing she liked about the dish was the fried beancurd. But she was impressed that it came with pig's blood, which is a key ingredient for the dish.

She was taken aback by the US$18 price tag though, calling it 'daylight robbery" as she claimed that she could get a Michelin-starred version in Penang for only US$1.50.

Ivor even went as far as saying that "the instant noodles she cooked" is better than the restaurant's iteration of white curry mee.

Netizens chime in

Ivor's review of some of the restaurant's dishes has left netizens a little divided.

In the comments section of her video, some felt that making such comparisons is biased since the restaurant might be catered to Americans' taste buds.

That said, some users found the cost of the dishes far too expensive.

While others appreciated Ivor's honest review. 

What is Singapore spicy coconut soup? 

Just last month, a Canadian TikToker reviewed Singaporean food and boy was it a field day for local netizens.

The Canadian TikToker in question is user ghobs aka DrHobs. He is known for trying and rating different cuisines from all over the world with more than 1.2 million fans. 

The first dish he presented was called "laksa Singapore spicy coconut soup". It was cloudy and pale in appearance with a light sprinkling of chilli flakes.

Netizens were bamboozled by it as it looked nothing like the fiery red laksa we know and love. 

He also tried a dish that's called Singapore satay chicken noodles. 

One netizen pointed out that our local makciks might not approve of it. We have to agree as well, since satay bee hoon is typically a wet dish.

The comments section was filled with scrutiny from Singaporean netizens, stating that the featured dishes are not really considered Singaporean food.

READ ALSO: 'Singapore Noodles' packaging with Native American imagery baffles actual Singaporeans

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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