Lemak Boys @ Shaw Centre – $18.50 Premium Nasi Lemak and More

Lemak Boys Nasi Lemak restaurant in Shaw Centre Singapore has been in the news recently. It is another new dining concept by Les Amis Group featuring local dishes with a Peranakan twist.

This corner of Shaw Centre seems to be populated with Les Amis group restaurants. A part of Peranakan restaurant Indigo Blue Kitchen’s space had been sacrificed to make room for the new Lemak Boys. They are now next to each other, connected by a sliding door.

Possibly the most affordable of the many brands under the Les Amis umbrella, Lemak Boys also exudes a low price point vibe. Dishes are displayed in a glass case like typical nasi lemak stalls. The furniture is low key, slightly better than those at hawker centres. The immediately visible differences of eating nasi lemak here are the good service and calm air-conditioned space.

Lemak Boys Menu

Here are pictures of two of the panels displaying the food menu at Lemak Boys. The two local dishes featured are nasi lemak and laksa, with the former clearly dominating the food choices. We decided on a standard nasi lemak ($12.50), a premium nasi lemak ($18.50) and a few side dshes.

Lemak Boys Nasi Lemak (Premium)

The premium nasi lemak is a well-endowed dish. It is a luxurious meal of rice and a sampling of the side dishes available – lemak rice, chicken berempah, sambal prawn, sayur lodeh (served separately), vegetable omelette, otah otah, roasted peanuts, fried anchovies, sliced cucumber, sambal.

The Standard Nasi Lemak

If we had not seen the premium version, we would have thought that the standard nasi lemak looked “premium” enough. It had lemak rice, chicken berempah, vegetable omelette, otah otah, roasted peanuts, fried anchovies, sliced cucumber, sambal.

We also added some sides – tumeric fish curry ($8) and sambal eggs with tempeh ($3). They were both good. The fish was of good quality and the curry was good as well. Do note that it is a whole chunk of fish with bones and all. But for those who are accustomed to picking out tiny bones from ikan kuning (which is not on the menu here), this is a walk in the park.

The Verdict

Our main disappointment was that the rice was not lemak enough. The coconut flavour was barely detectable. Other than that we love everything else about Lemak Boys. The side dishes at Lemak Boys were very good. The sambal had a good balance of sweet and spicy. The young men and women in attendance were friendly and helpful. Clean sharing plates and service were provided with a smile. We thought that premium is a bit excessive. The standard nasi lemak is more than enough. Yes, the $12.50 price is high compared to the ones at hawker centre. But as a total dining package we think it is quite reasonable.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 4
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs

Lemak Boys @ Shaw Centre
1 Scotts Road
#03-10 Singaproe 228208

Tel: +65 6235 3218

Opening Hours:
Tues to Sun Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6pm to 9pm

Nearby MRT Station: Orchard

---

The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog