Lawa Bintang Review: Cheese Lobster Nasi Lemak Found In A Kopitiam

With the increasingly crazy modifications, competition to bring out the most unique nasi lemak seems to be getting stiffer, but Lawa Bintang has brought the fight to a whole new level with their Lobster Nasi Lemak ($22) . Lawa Bintang - Giant Fried Sotong And Lobster Nasi Lemak At Tampines Food at Lawa Bintang Located in Kenny Eating House at Tampines Street 93, this family-owned business offloads nasi lemak with a variety of unique components, such as salmon ($9), soft-shell crab ($9) and smoked duck ($9) . For those looking to settle for the original version, Lawa Bintang in addition serves Nasi Lemak Ayam Wing at $3 .

Nasi Ambeng ($25), a traditional dish that is served in platter, is available for pre-order and can be shared among two to three people. Aside from the show-stealing lobster, the dish came with a generous heap of fragrant basmati rice, a sunny side up, sambal sauce, and crispy anchovies with peanuts.

The lobster was covered with a creamy layer of three different kinds of cheese, and flavoured with herbs. At first bite, the cheese was slightly spicy but generally subtle in savour and the taste of the lobster came after a few bites.

With the herbs and cheese, the lobster was well-seasoned without the sauce overpowering its natural taste. Unlike traditional nasi lemak stalls, Lawa Bintang serves basmati rice that is well-flavoured with fragrant coconut milk.

The rice alone was rich in taste and relatively greaseless though I would have preferred it to be slightly more moist. One of the more memorable aspect of the dish would be the sambal sauce, which was intensely sweet, salty, and spicy.

Though it left me sniffling throughout the meal, the house-made sauce enhanced the overall taste of the dish and went well with both the rice and lobster. The fried egg, along with peanuts and anchovies that were mildly coated with sambal sauce, added to the nasi lemak experience.

Another dish that captured the attention of people at the kopitiam was the gigantic Sotong Nasi Lemak ($7.50) . The huge squid, which took up more than half the space of the plate, was coated with a thin layer of golden brown batter and spices.

The smooth and white flesh of the squid was thick and so chewy that trying to tear the meat with just a spoon and fork became an unavoidably messy affair. The only downside was that it was almost impossible to tear the meat from the satay stick without using our hands or having the batter fall off the meat. I would recommend coming early in the morning as the lobster nasi lemak usually sells out by 11am.

The stall owner in addition clarified that other Lawa Bintang outlets in Kaki Bukit and Tai Seng are no longer operating, so Tampines is the only place to head to for their nasi lemak! The hour-long queue was not uncomfortable and the food proved that it was a worthwhile wait.

Even if the price of each dish is more dear than traditional nasi lemak, the large portion and unique component would make your splurge justified.