Nasi Coco Review: Tempura Nasi Lemak and Coconut-Based Carbonara Under $10

It sucks that my dream school, which I did end up attending, is a good hour away from my house, all the way in the West. For two years of my life, I spent 60 minutes in the morning, dragging my feet to school.

Only now that my time at school has ended, cool eateries got under way popping up everywhere – first was Oh My Mango and now Nasi Coco ! Tempura Nasi Lemak At West Coast | Nasi Coco Food at Nasi Coco Nasi Coco serves up coconut-based dishes. This dish came with two different sauces – sambal mayo and coconut mayo – and they were the highlight of the dish.

The bright yellow sambal mayo had a pinch of heat, the way a good sambal should be, while the coconut mayo was just lemak enough. The combination of the house-made sauces was the perfect mix of savoury and sweet that got me hooked on this dish! However, Nasi Coco has it all worked out with their version of Pasuta Lemak ($9.90) .

The dish smelled just like nasi lemak and teased my appetite with its aroma when it arrived. Topped with ikan bilis, “dancing” bonito flakes, luncheon meat in place of bacon, and seaweed, the pasta delivered a medley of texture and taste. The saltiness from the crunchy ikan bilis gave a touch of familiarity, while the diced luncheon meat was a little milder in taste to complement the small fish.

This was my favourite dish, despite the slight bitter aftertaste that lingered at the back of my throat. Nasi Coco’s signature, Nasi Coco Supreme ($9.90) , is the highlight of their entire menu.

Lying around the fragrant coconut rice was a range of tempura, from vegetables to chicken, prawn, and a tempura lava egg. There was also a dollop of house-made sambal, and ikan bilis with peanuts.

The slightly spicy yet sweet sambal, and their TEN sauce tied it all together. I was most impressed by the flavour of the tempura lava egg, even though it was not as flowy as I would have wanted it to be.

What I liked about this plate of tempura nasi lemak was that each element had a part to play in presenting this picture-perfect dish; any missing element would have changed the taste of the dish. Ambience at Nasi Coco One of the only shops that stand in NeWest, Nasi Coco can be easily spotted due to its location near the main entrance.

The verdict For someone who never craves nasi lemak, I don’t see myself going all the way to the West for Nasi Coco’s dishes. That said, this is a place all you nasi lemak lovers must try, even if you live on the other end of our Little Red Dot.