Fong Seng Nasi Lemak: Haven for hungry Uni Students!
Which NUS Alumni hasn't been to Fong Seng Nasi Lemak? Some places just have the best location. I am not a NUS Alumni, but I can imagine the scenario. You live in the Hostel and have been mugging for an exam. Suddenly you feel your tummy rumbling. You look up and its 2am in the morning. No worries, there is always Fong Seng Nasi Lemak down the road! Hurrah.
With such a great location, all you really need to do is to provide a hearty meal, not charge too much for it and it's "Game Over".
Fong Seng's Nasi Lemak is not bad but I feel that if they had been in a worse location, they would put in more effort to be better. The selection of additional stuff to put onto the Nasi Lemak is impressive, but the rice was really quite hum drum with nothing to rave about. They use the cheaper grade of rice which doesn't have a good bite and you have to close your eyes and shut out all other distractions in order to taste the coconut. What I did enjoy was the chilli which I felt was nice and sweet. Just the way I like it. The wings were not freshly fried, so again was pretty ordinary. (Maybe I have to come during the peak period).
Conclusion
Overall I give it a 3.75/5. But as I mentioned earlier, you really don't have to be all that excellent to be successful when you have such a great location. The place does have a rustic charm about it and I would return again when I in the area looking for something to eat late at night.
Fong Seng Nasi Lemak 22A Clementi Road S(129751)
Open almost 24 hours.
Closed between 4 to 6 am daily
58 comments:
I think their standard dropped and the price sky rocketed! The cabbage is oily, the dishes are cold...we all know deep fried stuff should be eaten when piping hot!! I think they charged me over $5 for selecting 4 dishes...
Agree with bbwolf...standard dropped. I am not sure if they are the same chaps as when I was a student at NUS...um, about 20 years ago...
Still prefer the No 1 Adam Road Food Center one...
Pete
Well, that's the whole point. They don't have to be great to sustain their business.
wah leslie, you didn;t win omy only your visitors dropped by almost 2K last night! ! All flock to the winner liao hor?! Omy is curse.
I also don't find punggol nasi lemak nice and yet they're selling at so expensive and people still queue up for it. The last i went, i bought 2 packet with some chicken wing and long bean, and sotong balls and otah. It cost $12.
super long never eat fong seng liao. Agree that it's the location that keeps the biz alive~
Gave up eating this when they charged me $5+ for a drumstick and 3 veggies.
Had Punggol Nasi Lemak about 3 weeks back and was disappointed by the drop in standard. The rice lacked fragrance and the curry vegetable was too oily.
Now i stick to the Nasi Lemak at Amoy Street FC, located just next to Yuan Chun Lor Mee.
For $2.50, you get a chicken wing, otar, fish cake, ikan billis and an egg. The chilli is also killer.
Note that they open at around 8am and finish selling before 1pm.
when i was a student at NTU.. and in those days, late night makan spots were much rarer, especially in the west.. fong seng was the only choice at 2am in the morning..
so a bunch of us students wld drive to NUS and eat fong seng.
standard then seemed better. but its really gone downhill in recent years... 3.25 /5 these days.
fong seng nasi lemak is over rated. it's one of the worst nasi lemak i've ever eaten. had it once when i was in nus. NEVER again. expensive and lousy.
mo0ohaahhaha....u guys must have eaten the nasi lemak with all the extras topping :)
i live behind this place for 3 years in NUS.
The Fong Seng nasi lemak to buy is....rice wrap in leaves with one fish, one slice fried egg, ikan bilis and chilli. This simplest one is also the tastiest and its signature :), used to be 80 cents.
Not too long ago...10 years back ?..maoaohahaha
agree though that standard has dropped though
According to Dr Mahathir. Nasi Lemak and Laksa is something that human should avoid eating. He is speaking from experience. Heart bypass a couple of times. Heart attack also a couple of times. He once ever thanked Nasi Lemak for it on stage. Also one statistic Singaporean should note is that they had one of the highest diabetic sufferers. I heard it's about 10%. Is it true leslie? I think Singapore love eating too much liao, much more than make love and produce BB.
wahcow is rite ... i recall that they sell the no-frills version in their kitchen - that is the tastiest (and cheapest - think it is $1 or $1.20 now) ... just bypass the main counter and look for the kitchen where u will find mountains of nasi lemak being freshly made for distribution ... best time is past 11pm i recall - fresh from the pot and wok
Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay Place Food Village really got POWER in their chilli. It kicks you, hot but you want more and more. I have been wanting to eat but Boon Lay is so far away....there is something in the chilli which I cannot unravel what that is...
There is a Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak stall inside Causeway Point Cold Storage. I quite like it.
My fave is HIGH 5 Nasi Lemak opposite Jln Berseh Food Centre. Tasty and good value for money.
Hmm, the standard now is really so so and i think it can only worth a 3/5 @ its best now.Take away those halls, their biz will plunge immediately.
Uncle Luke, you can add Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, Sio Bak and all the other food into the list too. The main thing is that one should know what one is capable of eating. ie if you have cholesterol problem then it is time to take a pill and cut down. If not, you can still eat but in moderation.
3.75/5? take away the msg and what is left?
that will be
onoodiu lutaate
moohahahah...okok..time to sleep..time to sleep...
Question: why a 3.75/5 from you ... the rating is way to high for them i feel.
Their standard have dropped so much since the 1st time i tried them 10 years back. Expensive & overated i would say now...
The chilli pushed up the ratings a bit. If the chilli was also bad, I would have given it a 3.25/5. In fact, I wouldn't have probably publish it here. The reason it made it to the blog is because it is very well known and they open long hours. So at least you can still find something to eat around that area at 2am.
looks like FS's standards have reallyl dropped quite abit.. ratings range 3 - 3.25 for most of the readers..
i agree.. that their best was the banana leaf wrapped ones... those tasted better...
uncle luke...this not the right blog to talk abt sex and babies.
Fong Seng no good, Punggol no good, where to find a good Nasi Lemak with Luncheon Meat?
I'm not sure what the standard is like now as the last time I partook of it was more than a decade ago. And yes, the chilli is the best, followed by the chicken wing. I can still smell the aroma of the sambal, which makes me hunger for real good nasi lemak again!
Good chinese nasi lemak? my favourite stall in in Boon Lay market....
chong pang?? the one next to the "huat huat" 7-11/4D shop, they get my vote for wings and chilli. heard there's a midnight one down the road, never tried that one though.
The Chong Pang nasi lemak i ate was near Chong Pang Camp next to a pet shop along the same stretch as Beancurd City.
Fong Seng no good, Punggol no good, even Chong Pang also no good. I know cos my army camp in Chong Pang. :)
Cheap and good can try Tanjong Pagar Market. $2 can have luncheon meat and many more ingredients.
Used to have it for lunch when I worked there few years back. Not sure whether they have raised the price though. But oh, they are definitely not opened till 2am. :)
Oh forgot to add that they have a few stalls selling Nasi Lemak and all of them are selling it at $2 then. The standard are pretty much the same, so depending on queue - I will buy from the shortest one. :)
Fong Seng is pure location. Food's totally expensive, cold most of the time and really nothing great... I'm a NUS student btw =)
Where can I find Nasi Lemak with luncheon meat? I don't get it at my usual places liao. :(
buy nasi add lemak and fry your can of luncheon meat
ieat, should make a trip to Boon Lay Shopping Centre for the Power Nasi Lemak!
The best nasi lemak is from my secondary school days. The best chicken wing also. I don't know why after left secondary, really cannot find any good chicken wing liao...Outside one all no taste one..btw my school is East View Secondary School. The nasi ayam there also tokong one. Give you 3 lovely fried chicken wing still piping hot and then pour the chili sauce over. Really shiok man. Then beside nasi ayam got one indian stall, it's drum stick is also shiok, outside one selling at $2 each still no fight. Don't believe me, go there and try.
walao eh! HisFoodblog!! go flaunt your arrogance elsewhere man! And your lack-of knowledge! Leslie Tay's blog is not a place for you to brag! You also spam your useless blog posts at all sorts of forums even in girly ones. Shame or not?? The only place for you is in the Makansutra forum where there are only show-offs!
i think this is not worth reviewing actually. their food is expensive and not nice. i'd rather go next door and eat maggie goreng which is still nice.
liverpool1965: Hello! There is a Boon Lay Power Nasi lemak at Novena Square 2 basement now. Just not sure how the standard is compared to the original one at Boon Lay. But it's at a centralised area.
for those who have patronised the original Boon Lay Power at Boon Lay and the branch at Causeway Point, is the quality and range the same?
Please keep the discussion focussed on the food establishment. We really do not like to stir up ill feelings amongst members of our blog community as well as to denigrate other websites.
So I hope everyone can cooperate to keep the friendly kampung spirit here.
If there are issues with someone, you could always go to their blog or send them an email or pm to grouse. I think very regular to this blog likes the friendly kampong spirit here. There are differences but we do not resort to name calling or persoanl attacks.
Fong seng is just there to feed the crowd who doesnt want to eat cheese prata in my opinion. hah. As for the boonlay power nasi lemak. they only open at 9 or 10 and closes at 2 or 3am. And my! the queue is crazy, but luckily the uncle selling the nasi lemak is v friendly and fast. My fav is still the changi nasi lemak! love their rice and fried chicken!
hao
no good.. wont drive all the way there for normal nasi lemak!
rather call Mac 24 hr
lol
Not one person with something good to say? I am adjusting the ratings to reflect the general sentiments!
I live near NUS and totally agree that the food at Fong Seng is the pits. And so is the prata next door. We also never fail to curse at those people who park indiscriminately along Clementi Road, causing danger to other drivers, and for such lousy food too! Nasi lemak should not have evolved to 'chai png' - but be accompanied by the traditional ikan bilis, ikan kuning, egg, cucumber and sambal, all wrapped in a banana leaf. I only take Malay nasi lemak. Maybe they should call the Chinese version something else?
I am an NUS student and I do think the food isn't very good. However Dr. Leslie is right in saying that it's a haven for hungry students -- sometimes after a horrid test or a trying day you just want *something* to eat. Ditto the prata place! The fact is, the cheese prata at ACJC canteen is exactly the same but about 50 cents cheaper (being from ACJC I could never make myself pay for exactly the same thing -- with less curry!)
I politely disagree with auntieblog - there are many variations to a dish and it is attributed to how different groups of people cook it. There is no one definitive recipe.
Most say that traditional nasi lemak must have ikan kuning, yet some may argue over the sambal - so then whose version is traditional? The spicy or sweet one?
Essentially as long as the rice is cooked with coconut milk to make it lemak, that's what the dish is named for. Any other sides with the 'nasi lemak' is what you choose to add. The malays have their combination, the chinese also have their variation.
I for one, prefer the Chinese take on Nasi Lemak 'cus they offer more variety of sides instead of just the 'traditional' but imo, mundane condiments.
They improvised on the dish and made it even better, so I dun see why they should call the chinese version any differently.
I tend to agree with Holydrummer although I can understand how some people will be sticklers for what they consider "traditional" Nasi Lemak. I love my Nasi Lemak with Chicken Wing, Luncheon Meat, sunny side up egg and ikan bilis which I can only get at Chinese Nasi Lemak Places. Phwa I really need to go find some nasi lemak today!
Oh man I used to trust your ratings man, can't believe you actually gave them 3.75 initially. I think they taste normal only, but crazily expensive for the amount they gave (maybe not for you).
Forget abt fong seng prata. Over-rated!
So Anonymous, tell me, what does a 3.75/5 rating mean to you?
And do you think 3.25/5 is a justified rating? If not what is your rating and how do you qualify it?
Hey there.. why not eat at changi village nasi lemak.. stalls there will not disappoint u.. but of course they dont have luncheon meat bcos they r halal.. i guess if the nasi lemak is good enough.. they wont really be a need for additional toppings.. simple one with chicken wing or fish will be just fine
Have already done so. Check the Changi Village or Nasi Lemak label. Anyway which stall do you recommend?
Uh..imho, i feel that Fong Seng nasi lemak is way below the average nasi lemak we get from outside. My friend and I ate there once, the rice is almost tasteless and clumpy. The dishes were all cold and most unforgetably, the fried fish nugget was like rubber >.< I believe it's one of the worst nasi lemak I've ever eaten.
oh btw maybe you could try this nasi lemak stall operated by a chinese couple at the hawker centre at causewy checkpoint there. It has luncheon meat and the rice is fragrant i feel. And its pretty cheap too :) Maybe u can go check it out. I think it opens for lunch hours only and its the one with a queue during noon time ;)
Nus Student Here.... i think more ppl go to the prata place(which is equally bad for its expensive and so-so pratas) beside fong seng rather than eat there. I have never eaten there after my senior ordered a $6 meal from that. (Must be the fish and drumsticks and 2 veges). So i agree tat without the location, confirm will go down!
Coming from a recent graduate from NUS, I apologise, but Fong Seng is just overated and gross. The last time I ate there, there was a humongous cockroach staring at me from the wall. I had to wrap a plastic bag around my hand and catch it myself to prevent it from jumping into my hair or food. Let's just say I never ate there again. Overtly oily food that tastes only of stale oil, hygiene standards that fall below the deepest shit holes and bad, rude service from the people dishing out the bad food. By golly, there are better supper places to head to!
Haha. I still think 3.25/5 is still quite generous. To me, anything with the word "Fong Seng" just spells trouble and rip-off, especially to NUS students.
Don't go there, it's not worth the effort. Fish and ikan bilis are hard, most things are not fresh and the price is expensive. A few years back they are good, but now forget it..
everytime my friend go order alike dishes different people charged different price! somemore so expensive! we are just staying behind it, the inconsistent pricing is so untolerable. Everytime you bring back the plates to question them they just pretend and said "sorry". No matter how good their food are, such dishonest act should have brought them down if not their location. Moreover the food is just OKAY only. They should be punished by wise consumers.
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