Nasi Lemak Wanjo: OG nasi lemak that rose to stardom with over 10K reviews — deserved or overhyped?
The first and last time I went to Nasi Lemak Wanjo Kampung Baru was back in 2021. If you ask me what it was like, the only word that would come to my mind was ‘meh’. But just like the rate of Malaysian ringgit, a lot of things have changed in the past 3 years — Nasi Lemak Wanjo not excluded.
It’s safe to say I was (pleasantly) surprised when I saw the impressive 4.1-star rating on Google, backed by a massive 10K reviews (at the time of writing). Could it really live up to the hype? Well, it’s 2024, so maybe they’ve upped their game?
Curious, I decided to check it out myself. I hopped on a train to Nasi Lemak Wanjo on a random Tuesday morning — just in time for breakfast. Conveniently, it’s just a 250-metre walk from Kampung Baru LRT Station, in a very pedestrian-friendly area — a plus for commuters!
When I arrived, I noticed they’d upgraded from their traditional warung-style setup to a more modern, single-story building. While the dining area felt a bit warm and stuffy, they do offer an air-conditioned section for an additional RM1 per person.
As a customer, I wasn’t thrilled about that, but hey, it’s a sign of the times — who isn’t trying to make a little extra these days?
What I tried at Nasi Lemak Wanjo
As a creature of habit, I planned to go for my usual nasi lemak order — a nice plate of coconut rice, sambal, ikan bilis and all that jazz, and a side of fried chicken. Not to judge too quickly, but the ayam goreng berempah didn’t look that appetising that day, so I opted for ayam merah instead. Total damage? RM10.40 — not bad!
Right off the bat, the ayam merah gravy appeared darker than what I’m used to having. As I stared at my plate, I heard my dining partner grumble — no peanuts in sight! A cardinal sin, in my humble opinion.
On my last visit, I remember the sambal being disappointingly watery, and the whole dish feeling pretty lacklustre. This time, the sambal consistency looked promising, so I scooped some with cautious optimism. But as soon as I tasted it, I was floored — for all the wrong reasons. It was overwhelmingly sweet, like eating straight-up sugar.
There was no real depth to the flavour; just a blend of chilies and overpowering sweetness. I could also tell that the sambal hadn’t been cooked long enough, missing that essential “pecah minyak” moment where the oil separates, enhancing the flavour.
The coconut rice was also interestingly not… starchy at all. While it may be a good thing in most dishes, I personally think that there has to be a perfect balance in the starchiness of your rice to give it the classic, fluffy richness that completes a plate of nasi lemak.
Nasi Lemak Wanjo’s rice was none of that sort. Each grain was perfectly separated, with only subtle hints of aromatics like ginger and pandan. My partner pointed out that it reminded her of “diabetic rice” — healthy rice prepared for those with diabetes.
Other little sides were decent enough — the ikan bilis was on a thicker side, the cucumber slices were fresh, and they served a whole hard-boiled egg, which was impressive!
Now, onto the ayam merah. Though I’m usually pretty particular about my chicken, I love it too much to be overly critical. As I cut into the thigh piece with my spoon, I noticed the texture was more like white meat than dark, a sign it had been overcooked. A common slip-up, but still noticeable!
The gravy, as I feared, leaned far too sweet for my taste. But here’s a bonus point: they didn’t just reuse the nasi lemak’s sambal as the ayam merah gravy (phew!). In the end, though, the sweetness was too overpowering, and I couldn’t finish my plate.
Moving on to my partner’s dish — Nasi Lemak with Rendang Ayam (RM10.40). Tasting the rendang ayam was like finding a light at the end of the tunnel; it was beautifully cooked, with tender and juicy chicken, even though it was the keel part. The flavours were spot on, and honestly, the rendang ayam saved the entire meal.
Unfortunately, it went downhill once more when she cut into her hard-boiled egg. Even from the outside, we could tell something was off — the colour looked a bit strange compared to the one on my plate. And we were right.
The egg whites had a mushy, slightly watery texture, and the colour was almost as if it had been marinated in soy sauce. Not wanting to risk food poisoning, we decided to push it aside.
Final thoughts
Honestly, I’m still stumped as to why Nasi Lemak Wanjo is so popular. I went with an open mind and heart, hoping for a better experience than I had in 2021, but I left feeling even more disappointed. I don’t mind a touch of sweetness in savoury dishes, but Nasi Lemak Wanjo just took it too far.
Maybe I caught them on an off day? Who knows. There must be some reason it remains one of the nasi lemak giants in KL — but for now, I just can’t see it.
Expected damage: RM5.50 – RM10.40 per pax
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