Enak Review: Gigantic Nasi Ambeng The Size Of An XL Pizza

Paru goreng (fried cow lungs) and I carry a classic story of love at first bite, and from then on I never fail to get a portion of it every time I buy nasi padang. On my conquest to find the best paru goreng in Singapore, I came across Enak at Bedok South.

But after some investigation, I realised the main highlight of this stall isn’t nasi padang, but a GIGANTIC nasi ambeng that is able to feed a family. Per to Enak - GIANT Nasi Ambeng Enough To Feed A Family Food at Enak As, by one of the regular shoppers we met, nasi ambeng usually contains a huge serving of basmati rice with chicken curry, vegetables, rendang and more. Even though I usually hate sharing my food, our Nasi Ambeng ($15 for small, $30 for large) was so huge that I was more than willing to give some away!

The succulent chicken was infused with the delectable flavour of the gravy and I love how there’s a kick of spiciness from the rempah (spice paste). Their beef rendang was in a brighter tone of red than other beef rendangs I’ve had and the taste of the gravy reminded me of sambal you’d have with nasi lemak – spicy with a strong sweetness.

As there were tons of intense flavours on this plate, it was really refreshing to munch on the acar . For those who can’t take the heat, this will not render any help to your burning tongue as it is tangy AND spicy! Another staple you’d always find on my plate of nasi padang would be sambal cuttlefish.

As compared to belacan, which is a savoury spicy chilli, sambal is sweet and spicy and I couldn’t stop mixing it with white rice. But it was a bit too salty to eat it on its own so I had to eat it with the rice and some belacan.

Even though the chilli was less flavourful than the other dishes on the plate, it complemented the natural sweetness of the brinjal well. Provided a good balance to the heavy flavours on the rest of the plate. Even though the sides were mostly spicy on its own, I take spiciness very seriously so having belacan at the side was great.

I could adjust the level of spiciness without altering the overall taste since this belacan was more spicy than savoury or sweet. I’m someone who can survive with a bowl of rice mixed with a good blob of belacan so if you’re like me, you will find comfort in this!

They serve it just as nice as the plate that I had here and sealed it with cling wrap. You’ll have to pay an additional $5 (small) or $10 (large) for the tray.

As nasi ambeng takes quite a bit of effort to prepare, we waited for around 20 to 30 minutes before we could tuck in. The verdict Nasi ambeng is a dish for people to come together and bond through sharing, and this is a meal you should try with your squad at your upcoming gathering. The cheap and good nasi ambeng at Enak proves you don’t have to splurge for a satisfying meal!