The restaurant often had its critics, often for the value of its nasi otak. Its unique Ayam Goreng Berempah, which includes salted cooked poultry thigh with coconut rice, grilled chicken, fried ikan refers, almonds, cucumber and sauce, has gone from S$ 12.80 in 2016 to S$ 21 in 2023. Last year, the rate was dropped to S$ 18 at all its sources.
Sia said:” We try to keep it as inexpensive as possible, but we also want to be a good company. Life expenses have increased. For our employees to succeed, their income must be of a certain amount. Just because you’re working in a nasi lemak shop, it does n’t mean you do n’t have to be paid market price – , our salaries are comparable to those paid at fine dining restaurants”.
No budgeting on the materials either. The coconut milk is made using a specialized temperature-controlled machine and is cool pressed on-site on the same family-owned estate in Malaysia since day one.
NOT attempting to re-create
For a lighter flavor, Sia uses Mawa and Kampong copra. Sia, whose keen feeling of flavours were developed when his Peranakan paternal grandmother would take him out to buy certain food items like SCS salted butter for her cooking, said,” We want to have that balance of flowering notes and lemak- ness.”
The restaurant uses two-year-old Thai jasmine rice to create a substantially gooey texture that retains its bite yet when combined with dish. The ikan refers is a high-quality source that has been thoroughly cleaned, gutted, removed, and next split in half to give it a delicious flavor even after being fried. Every two to three days, fresh ingredients like lemongrass, onions, and garlic are blended together to make the sambal tumis ( sauteed chilli paste ) that goes with the nasi lemak and is cooked slowly and slowly for several hours.
Sia continued,” There will always be those who think nasi lemak may be S$ 5, but there are also those who have become our repeat buyers. They think the idea is relaxing, that they can eat something real in a comfortable setting without having to spend time in a hot hawker center. There is no integration happening around. We’re no trying to recreate. We’re bringing up meals that are no longer found in eateries”.
Think of the traditional Asian plate known as Sotong Sumbat Telur Asin Lemak Chilli Padi, which is stuffed squid stuffed with salt egg yolk in peppery turmeric and coco gravy and merely prepared at home. The other option is grilled tiger prawns with sauce titek and pickled belimbing, or Udang Bakar with Sambal Belimbing. Both meals are just available on the flagship’s subsequent- ground dining menu.
Sia shared that he barters the belimbing , ( a sour green fruit ) from two friends who own a tree, with kueh ( local snacks or desserts ).  ,
He continued,” We pickle the berries until it runs out, and we put it on the list.”