We tried Singapore’s worst-rated nasi lemak
Next on our worst-rated series, nasi lemak takes the spotlight (or the hot seat). After research, my mission was to head to Adam Road Food Centre in search of No.1 Adam’s Nasi Lemak. This stall has a 3.1-star rating and a total of 118 Google Reviews (at time of writing).
“That’s the stall that made me wait very long for my plate of nasi lemak!” My mum exclaimed when she heard that I’m paying them a visit.
Indeed, there were numerous 1-star reviews going on about how slow the service was. Some even waited over an hour for their food.
Other bad comments were about the rude attitude of the elderly aunty as well as issues with the food, including tasteless rice and salty chicken wings, just to name a few.
As usual, I didn’t let these reviews affect me and went over with an open mind. When I arrived, I was greeted by the stark contrast in the queue situation between No.1 Adam’s Nasi Lemak and Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak.
Though there were 2 people in front of me, the makcik was quite speedy, in my opinion. Even as a string of customers formed behind me, she managed to tackle it fairly well.
She had a brief exchange with the guy in front of me, explaining that the set he wanted didn’t include otah and advised him to take a look at the picture carefully.
The makcik wasn’t wrong, though. While firm, she wasn’t rude. She told me that she has been working here for over 20 years. I was rather disappointed when the fish set wasn’t available, as there had been many complaints about the fish being overly seasoned.
What I tried at No.1 Adam’s Nasi Lemak
I started with the priciest item on the menu, the Adam’s Special (S$7). It consisted of the quintessential coconut rice, mutton rendang, a whole fried chicken wing cut in half, an omelette wedge, ikan bilis, peanuts and a single slice of cucumber.
Referencing an epic review that stated, “Worst chicken wings ever tasted, they probably soaked it in salt for a year before frying it,” I dived straight into the chicken wings, psyching myself up for an intense salty encounter. But, strangely, it was quite the opposite.
Though the skin was tasty and well-seasoned, the flesh was bland. Thankfully, it wasn’t dry as some netizens had claimed. The chicken wing gave me the impression that it was re-fried, as others had commented, but I had no issues with that— except for the tasteless experience I was left with.
The basmati grains were fluffy and well-separated, maintaining their individuality. Though the rice wasn’t the best I’ve had, it still had a decent aroma and taste of coconut.
I spooned a portion of sambal over the rice and gave it a good mix. Instantly, my taste buds were jolted with the kick of spice, which packed a significant amount of heat. That being said, I actually liked the sambal for its spicy character, which was more pronounced than its sweetness.
The ikan bilis wasn’t as salty as what the online reviews stated. It paired really well with the rice.
However, the crowning glory of the dish was the mutton rendang. It was tender, flavourful and spiced to perfection. My dining partner even mistook it for beef due to the complete absence of gaminess usually associated with lamb.
We then moved on to the Sutra Special (S$6) that had a mound of nasi lemak, a quarter piece of egg omelette, a halved chicken wing, otah, cucumber, and ikan bilis… but no peanuts.
Before saying anything, I glanced at the signboard again, and sure enough, the Sutra Special did include peanuts. The makcik had probably missed them out.
Hoping for a better experience with the chicken wings, it turned out to be the same— flavourful, crispy skin with tasteless flesh.
The additional fried crumbs on the side were giving my jaws an early-morning workout. They were slightly hard and lacked the crispiness.
The otah was thin and tasted just like any other store-bought rendition. Thankfully, I’m quite an easy eater and found satisfaction despite its ordinariness.
The egg was alright and didn’t blow my socks off. It would’ve tasted better if it was seasoned more.
Final thoughts
It seems that whenever I set my expectations really low, things always turns out better— and vice versa. No. 1 Adam’s Nasi Lemak actually exceeded its rating and I would give it a 3.3-star score instead.
Although there were some hits and misses across both plates, it was definitely not the worst nasi lemak I’ve had. It also helped that the makcik had some assistance during the peak lunch hour, which sped up the queue considerably.
Have you tried this nasi lemak stall before? Do leave your comments!
Expected damage: S$4 – S$7 per pax
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