Chong Pang Nasi Lemak is not one to be trifled with. It’s so widely acclaimed that the mere mention of the Chong Pang housing estate in the Yishun-Sembawang precinct leads people to naturally gravitate toward the thought of their nasi lemak. It’s not unusual to see swarms of people queuing up for their nasi lemak at ungodly hours in the morning.
The eatery opens from 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM and is a massive hit among the dinner and supper crowd. They have perfected the art of getting their aromatic, coconut-infused rice to just the right fluffy texture. And to boot, an impressive repertoire of side dishes to choose from apart from the usuals. Think, sambal brinjal, sambal okra, shrimp tempura, Taiwanese sausage and that’s only scratching the surface.
Standing over their massive displays of various cooked ingredients, you’ll be hard-bent not to go overboard given how amazing they look (and smell). We overheard folks in the queue raving about their sambal brinjal and spicy stir-fried long beans. Unfortunately, both were unavailable by the time it was our turn.
A few impatient sighs later—by the lady over the counter—we eventually made up our minds, arriving at the conventional nasi lemak accoutrements i.e. a fried egg, a piece of otah (S$1.20), fried fish (ikan kuning) and one of their signature fried chicken wings (S$1.60). The total for our substantial portion came to just S$5.50.
Tucking in was as easy as mixing a little bit of their sweetish, piquant sambal with the aromatic rice and making small calculated cuts from each individual ingredient to form that perfect, all-in-one first bite. The experience was exactly how we imagined. A textural powerhouse of soft, crispy, fluffy and tender running parallel to an amalgamation of sweet, spicy, savoury and umami-laden profiles. It was hugely satisfying and at that moment… It became clear to us what all the hype was about.
You’ll almost never see an order be without their crispy marinated chicken wings. Crispy and succulent with undertones of turmeric, the golden-hued chicken wing is so good we regretted not getting two.
Personally we’d argue that while their reputation is well-founded, we’ve had better. Their rice, sambal and the various ingredients we piled on worked marvellously together in one solid mouthful. But then again, it seemed to be lacking a certain quality about it. Perhaps it was the softness of the rice grains. Or the fact that eating it with plastic utensils and a styrofoam plate robbed the meal of a particular joy—who knows?
That aside, we can understand why people love it. After all, it is rare to find food of a similar calibre open until 7:00 AM in the whole of Singapore.
Address: 447 Sembawang Rd, Singapore 758404
Opening Hours: 5PM – 7AM (Daily)
Contact: +65 9655 1868
Nearest MRT Station: Yishun
Disclaimer: Uncover Asia made an anonymous visit and paid for their own meal.
Read our guide to late-night nasi lemak in Singapore.
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