Hon Ni Kitchen: $2 Nasi Lemak that attracts long queues
When something is extremely wallet-friendly, it’s always likely to be a hit among Singaporeans. It’s also why Hon Ni Kitchen at Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre has snaking queues as early as 10am.
Hon Ni sells Chinese-style nasi lemak, operating bright and early at 5.30am. It closes super early, just 1 hour into lunch at 1pm. This timing does nothing to deter the kind of crowd Hon Ni Kitchen manages to draw in. It’s no wonder as you can get a set of 3 sides for as low as S$2.10, depending on what you pick.
While I was there, the long and almost snaking queue didn’t actually have me waiting long until it was my turn. When I peered in, I noticed 3 people were manning the stall. All of them were huddled in there, dealing with their station with practice.
I was wondering where the kitchen was in their cramped space, but it turned out that it was at another stall. There was another, unrelated stall between them – kind of weird they’re not directly next to each other. The staff from the kitchen side would bring over freshly cooked sides periodically.
I’m not going to lie to you, I felt stressed when it was my turn to order. The line behind me gave me pressure to simply pick whatever I saw first so I wouldn’t take too long.
What I tried at Hon Ni Kitchen
The first order was a set with Brinjal (S$0.70), Ikan Bilis (S$0.70) and fried Chicken Wing (S$1.30), coming to a total of S$2.70.
It was all wrapped in wax paper packaging as Hon Ni Kitchen only serves in takeaway packs, even if you’re dining in. So, it’s not the prettiest-looking serving of nasi lemak I have ever had. But it certainly smelled mouth-watering.
I also ordered their sambal with this set. Underneath the intense spice are the hints of sweet and savoury. I’m rather serious about how spicy it is. Even my friend, who enjoys stuff like Samyang noodles was not expecting the kick it gave her.
The rice was fluffy, but maybe not as fragrant with the coconut taste many come to expect with nasi lemak. It’s still there, but definitely more on the subtle side. In fact, my dining companion said she felt it was rather plain without the sambal.
The fried chicken was really crispy and not overly dry. My friend was relieved that it wasn’t overly seasoned either, as she finds overly salty food too much for her palette.
For the ikan bilis, it’s kind of hard to complain about the amount paid for but it felt like a tiny cluster was stuffed into the packaging. They were not soggy or weirdly chewy, and are usually a safe bet to have with coconut rice. But it was nothing special.
Moving on to the brinjal, my friend felt it should have been coated with a spicy sauce like Hon Ni’s serving of Long Beans (S$0.70). To her, they were mushy and plain, which did not add much to the pack of rice.
The next set was one without the sambal and with the chosen sides of Fish Cake (S$0.70), one Fish (S$0.70), and another fried chicken wing (S$1.30). Chicken wings just feel like a must-have for nasi lemak.
The total for this was also S$2.70; Hon Ni Kitchen continues to assert how affordable they are.
There’s no need to repeat how good Hon Ni’s fried chicken is. We will just move on to the other ingredients. The fish cake was the round piece variant, and while fried nicely, there was nothing much to note.
The fish, though, was a pleasant surprise. Its flavour was not overly fishly and the flesh was not bitter. It was as crispy as the fried chicken and paired well with the rice. I think I prefer the fish over the chicken in that specific combination.
Final Thoughts
Hon Ni Kitchen is an affordable, no-frills nasi lemak joint. You’re not going to have anything extraordinary here but you’d also walk away with no complaints.
I ordered 2 sets and it was still well under S$6, which is not a feat most hawker stalls can boast of. If long queues and early hours are no issue, then Hon Ni Kitchen is a pretty good option.
Expected damage: $2.10 – $5 per pax
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