97 Nasi Lemak: $1.20 brown bee hoon & affordable nasi lemak to start your day strong
So what better way to feast than to stop by 97 Nasi Lemak at Old Airport Road Food Centre for a few choice dishes? With their Old Airport Road outlet open since 2021, the founders have brought plates of Chinese-style nasi lemak to our tables while keeping prices low.
Of course, one of the answers is in the name. After scanning the menu, I set my sights on Set C (S$4) with fried chicken and a plate of Brown (S$1.20) with a slice of (S$1.40).
Let's take a look at the nasi lemak first. I chose not to include any add-ons, which leaves me with a fried chicken wing and drumette, sunny-side-up egg, rice, cucumber, ikan bilis mix and sambal.
The rice is well cooked and fragrant from the coconut milk. I love that each grain is visually separate, yet moist and easy to pack together for a solid mouthful. The fried egg was not as crispy at the edges, but since I was eating it for breakfast, I appreciated the lighter texture.
The dish comes together when you take a bite of rice, sambal and ikan bilis mix. 97 Nasi Lemak's sambal is almost jammy in texture and holds a sweetness that most don't include. It's spicy, but not overwhelming. I would call it the perfect beginner's sambal for those unacquainted with spice.
Butter Town: Assorted buttery shio pan & decadent sourdough cakes from hawker stall
The mellow coconut pairs well with the salty ikan bilis, while the sambal adds both sweetness and spiciness. With a crunch from the fish and peanuts against the pillowy rice, this nasi lemak is a well-rounded contender.
The chicken offers a crispy batter around nicely seasoned meat. While the rest of the dish is light, the fried chicken gives a welcome bite and fills you up. Biting off a chunk of cucumber at the end left a refreshing aftertaste in my mouth.
The only gripe I have is the difficulty of tearing the meat off the bones. Granted, I was using cutlery instead of my hands, so tissue-covered fingers might be the best option for a mess-free bite.
Moving on to the Brown Bee Hoon, I decided to add an otah to make it more filling. There were also cooked vegetables available, such as Long Bean (S$1) or Curry Vegetables (S$1.20), though I think curry might be a bit too exciting at 10 in the morning, lol.
The bee hoon was seasoned well with soy sauce and oyster sauce. It was also moist, which is how I like it! This bee hoon tastes just like nostalgia, a comforting simplicity that lingered on my mind and tongue. I was most impressed by the price point: even the otah was 20¢ more than a plate of plain bee hoon. 97 Nasi Lemak also offers or Fried Noodles for the same S$1.20.
However, I was a little disappointed by the Nonya Otah. It wasn't as flavourful as I hoped, and since it was pre-cooked, it cooled quickly. That was the biggest impact on the flavour for me. I would have liked stronger seasonings and more char on the otah.
As a whole, I enjoyed the two dishes from 97 Nasi Lemak. Since I visited with a friend, the meal was filling but not jelak enough to induce a food coma two hours later. That's definitely important for office zombies out for breakfast or lunch!
If you're dropping by with a friend like me, I highly recommend getting these two dishes and splitting the toppings for the perfect breakfast amount. The next time I eat here, I'll choose a vegetable add-on instead and give their curry a try. Oh, and a cup of soymilk to wash it down! I love sweet-and-savoury combinations so, so much.
So if you're craving nasi lemak from 7am – 2.30pm, why not drop by for a bite at Old Airport Road Food Centre? 97 Nasi Lemak will give you a boost to get through the day, both at work and at home. Even if you're not near Mountbatten, there are also outlets at Anchorvale, Senja Hawker Centre and Hong Leong Building, so go give 97 Nasi Lemak a try!
For a list of locations, opening hours and phone numbers, please click here.
Expected damage: S$1.20 to S$6 per pax
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Because I have more in common with them spiritually.' Victoria says she's an admirer of how family oriented local culture is. 'It would be like in my country a century ago, where the grandparents and the parents and the kids and the grandkids all lived in the same house,' she says. 'Generations resided together. We don't live like that in America. Once you're 17 or 18, you go off to college and you never want to go home again.' She's also noticed that life in Bali, which is a Hindu-majority region of Muslim-majority Indonesia, seems to revolve around ceremonies, which frequently take priority over work or activities. 'There are ceremonies for everything. From the baby being born to the baby being named, to the cremation, to the anniversary of the cremation,' she says. ''The ceremony comes first, which would be unheard of in my country. Except for major holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.' Last year, Victoria was invited to a Balinese cremation ceremony, known as Ngaben, and was the only non-local in attendance. 'Hence, I felt like an honored guest, witnessing the traditional washing of the body on the first day and the actual cremation on the second, with elaborate rituals, drumming, music, meals, and processions.' Bali is much slower paced than she's used to, which has its pros and cons, according to Victoria. 'Sometimes I find myself standing in the grocery line and it takes like 15 minutes and three people to do something that in the United States would take five minutes,' she says. 'But it's just the way it is.' As the cost of living is lower in Bali, Victoria's money goes further, which means she's able to afford things that she would once have considered luxuries. 'Ordering from catering services and through the food delivery is so inexpensive, almost embarrassingly,' she says, pointing out that she rarely cooks, and her housing costs are around a quarter less than they were in the United States. 'So, I don't do laundry for the same reason. It's inexpensive to take it next door, a minute away.' She gets around mainly via motor scooter, which she learned to ride at the age of 65, and while she's had a 'couple of spills' on Balinese roads, Victoria prefers two-wheel transport to a car due to regular traffic snarls in Bali. 'I'm cautious,' she says. 'And I'm old. I know my reflexes are slower than the kids. So I kind of drive slowly to the left. People pass me all the time, but I don't really care.' Although Victoria suffers from a chronic medical condition, which causes pain and fatigue, she describes herself as in 'relatively good health,' pointing out that she also walks as much as she can, and goes to yoga classes regularly. She says she's had positive experiences with the local healthcare system, which consists of both public and private healthcare providers. 'I am fortunate enough to be on the government health insurance program, which is very affordable,' she says, adding that she also has a private insurance plan that would cover her for 'something major.' Victoria points out that the standard of care is not the same as 'in the West or other countries.' 'My feeling is, if you're going to live here, you kind of have to suck it up…' she says. 'If you want Western medicine, then stay in a Western country. But overall, I've been pleased.' She notes that 'retirement centers or homes and assisted living options' are 'non-existent' in Bali as families tend to care for their elderly relatives in their later years, quipping that she may have no choice but to return to the US if she lives 'too long.' But after residing in the Indonesian island for three years, Victoria says she can't imagine going back to the life she had before. 'I jokingly say, 'The only way I'm setting foot back in the United States is if I'm demented,'' she says. 'Everyone that has a conscience and a soul in the United States that I know wants to leave now.' Victoria plans to convert her retirement visa to a KITAP visa, or permanent stay permit card, which is valid for five years, within the next two years. However, she admits that she misses simple things about living in the US, such as being able to do all of her shopping in one place. 'I know it seems sort of silly,' she says. 'But the difference is the shopping options – we get kind of spoiled (in the US). 'There's a major drugstore in every corner. You can go in, and buy everything at one place. Here, you have to go to 10 different shops and little markets. You don't have the same kind of availability.' Victoria also misses going to the opera and theater regularly, but stresses that there's 'nothing to be sad about' as she was an 'active participant in those activities for 40 years.' Although she's happily settled in Bali, Victoria concedes that she hasn't ruled out moving 'elsewhere,' describing herself as a 'vagabond.' 'I've learned never to say 'never' and always to remain flexible,' she says. Her main focus now is trying 'to live a little more consciously' and 'being of service' during what she describes as the 'last phase' of her life. 'A person's life is enriched by variety and change,' Victoria adds. 'And, I feel incredibly blessed to finish out my life in such a beautiful, peaceful location.'
