Only 1 teaspoon of sambal? Malaysian TikTok users do not approve of Singapore nasi lemak

Here we go again. Singaporean food or Malaysian food, have your pick.

The debate over which cuisine reigns supreme has gone on for as long as we can remember. 

Last Sunday (July 17), the conversation headed to TikTok after a Malaysian woman, Ivor_xianz, posted a video about her less than pleasant eating experience in Singapore.

It was her first trip here so she wasn't sure where to go for a good plate of food.

Well, who better to ask than a private-hire driver? Unfortunately, she did not enjoy the food served at his recommended eatery.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@ivor_xianz/video/7121330102830370074?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7005884870698878465[/embed]

During the cab ride, both of them discussed the intricate differences between Singaporean and Malaysian food.

The conversation then flowed into her asking for food recommendations. 

"Do you know any nice nasi lemak in Singapore?"

The driver immediately suggested Ponggol Nasi Lemak, a popular eatery established in 1979.

An intrigued Ivor_xianz headed to its outlet in Jalan Besar and picked the side dishes.

There, she ordered fried chicken, fried egg, tempura prawn and one veggie dish to accompany her coconut rice. This came with "only one slice of cucumber" and "one teaspoon of sambal", according to her.

Her plate of food set her back $8. Now, that isn't particularly cheap, especially when you convert it to Malaysian Ringgit.

In the comments sections, Malaysian netizens were in disbelief.

"RM21 ($S8) for that is a crime," a TikTok user said.

While the fried chicken received a pass, Ivor_xianz was not impressed with the sweet sambal and less-than-fragrant coconut rice.

Even if you're not a food connoisseur, you'd know that heaps of spicy sambal and fragrant coconut rice are key components to a banging plate of nasi lemak.

In the video, the Malaysian woman cheekily suggested people can "take a flight back to Malaysia" to satisfy their nasi lemak craving.

She specifically gave a shoutout to the popular Kuala Lumpur nasi lemak joint Village Park.

Let's cut Singapore some slack though.

While nasi lemak in Malaysia will generally beat ours based on the value metric (due to the favourable exchange rate), we shouldn't be sleeping on the quality gems on offer in Singapore too.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CFwG4frhNjw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

From Mizzy Corner Nasi Lemak to The Coconut Club, Singapore has no shortage of food establishments offering mouth-watering takes on the popular dish.

ALSO READ: From corporate IT sales to hawking nasi lemak: 40-year-old says she has no regrets

amierul@asiaone.com