Nestled in the vibrant culinary landscape of Newton Food Centre is a gastronomic gem that promises a delightful journey for your taste buds. This bustling hawker haven is home to a diverse array of stalls, each boasting its unique flavours and specialities. Among them, OG Lemak stands out as a must-visit destination, offering a culinary experience that encapsulates the essence of local Singaporean cuisine.
OG Lemak Price List
From savoury delights to tempting treats, OG Lemak captures the spirit of hawker fare, ensuring a memorable dining adventure in the heart of Newton.
| Dishes | Price |
| Chicken Rendang Set | $9.90 |
| OG Lemak Set | $7.90 |
| Vegan Set | $9.90 |
| Beef Rendang Set | $9.90 |
| OG Lemak Chicken Thigh Set | S9.90 |
Location & Opening Hours
Location: Newton Food Centre #01-16
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm)
OG Lemak Reviews
For context, I am a ex-Malaysian, who enjoys Malaysian nasi lemak and some Singaporean nasi lemak. I also strive to give an objective review, not letting emotions compel me to give 1star. I would give this 2.5 stars, but since I can only pick 2 or 3, I settled for 2I came with high hopes after watching the raving reviews on foodking. I queued for an hour plus before receiving my order, which would have been fine if the nasi lemak had met my expectations.The ordering is rigid, and you can ONLY pick from the available sets. No option to just try the rendang alone or fried chicken without buying the whole set. As I was with my wife, we took one set which had fried chicken and a beef set.Rice: it was acceptable. I’ve actually had more fragrant nasi lemak in Singapore. The attempt at innovating didn’t quite impress me. Nothing stood out.Sambal: I quite enjoyed the sambal. But I had issue with how they served it. There is a sambal Tumis and another belacan one. But when being served, it was put together. Would have preferred it slightly separated so I can enjoy both individually, and mix it at my own accord if wanted to.Fried chicken- we ordered the non drumstick version. No particular herb/ spice stood out. Your average ayam berempah trumps this. Not sure if it was inconsistent preparation, or just it being naturally underwhelming. The chicken was not cold and maintained some crunch, which was a slight consolation. I was disappointed as the review made painted a thoroughly different experience.Beef: meat was tender. That’s the end of the positives. The rendang was severely under seasoned. Anything under seasoned will just cause all the complexities of the ingredients to be subdued. It was also more on the watery side rather than the pasty, drier sort. However, even if it was properly seasoned, I think it would have just been ordinary.Fried egg: the type I like. Deep fried but still having the insides slightly flowy. There are parts of the egg white which is rendered slightly crispy. Ironically, the egg was my favourite thing of the assemblage, which is a sad thing ultimately.Pricing: the portions were quite okay. If the quality was better, I will not complain.Maybe I just went on a bad day where the quality was not up to scratch, hence the polarizing viewpoint.
We got the vegan set and loved it so much! Wonderful flavors and textures. Highly recommend.
The reviews seemed polarizing, likely because this was recommended by a popular Singaporean YouTube channel.My experience was great. Went on Sunday noon and there was no queue. Ordered the OG Lemak set with crispy chicken. The chicken serving was really generous (3 large pieces) with a unique batter and sweet sauce that made an interesting experience; it's not the crispy type however, so be open minded for a different experience. Rice was sufficiently fragrant though not the best. There were two types of sambals - the redder one was sweet and the darker one was spicy. $7.90 which initially seemed overpriced, but worth it considering the chicken servings. Overall I enjoyed it, recommended!
I had the vegan set just for fun, not because I’m vegan. Hubby had the fried chicken set. The most unique part was the rice. It’s very “lemak” but had something additional that also reminds me of lemang. The vegan set was disappointing because it was bland. Other than some sweetness there’s no flavour. Perhaps they forgot the salt today. They aren’t the usual pasty sweet sambal (which I don’t like) but they are not fantastic either.
Tried the nasi lemak with fried chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken was mostly composed of fried batter that was too hard to bite through (see image) and the chicken meat was pretty bland. The rice was fluffy but lacked fragrance and even felt a bit overcooked. The dish was heavily reliant on the chili for flavour, but even then, the chili was mediocre and not spicy enough for my taste. Hope they'll take some effort to look into negative customer feedback!!
Rice is great, fluffy, soft and fragrant. Chicken is like japanese karaage on the sweet side so, I don't find it suited for nasi lemak, the chilli is good, egg is good. I would probably say it's worth $6 for the $7.90 set. Chef opened but not chef run.
What defines a good plate of nasi lemak is the fragrant rice. Here it's made the traditional kukus style - steamed not boiled. It can be tricky cause if you don't do it well, the rice can go either way, either hard because it's undercooked, or mushy. OG Lemak thankfully doesn't have this problem. The rice here is soft and fluffy, and infused with the fragrant and rich coconut flavours so characteristic of this local favourite. Another difference is the addition of fennel seeds which gives the rice a nutty bite and lovely textural contrast.There are four sets to choose from, one of which is a vegan set ($9.90) - a rarity in itself and good news for vegetarian friends.The three meat-laden sets are all served with a sinful fried egg, crispy ikan bilis, a couple of cucumber slices and two types of chilli.The Orginal ($7.90) comes with savoury fried chicken; while the Chicken or Beef Rendang sets are priced at $9.90.This is clearly not your $2 nasi lemak and for good reason. It's restaurant-quality food at hawker prices, which actually makes the $9.90 you pay a steal. The portions are extremely generous - we had food coma after each visit because it is a very enjoyable, and filling meal. The chicken is succulent and meaty, while the beef rendang is tender, earthy and robust - the way rendang should be.Another thing I really like is the choices of sambals served. The sambal belachan is unlike a Peranakan sambal belachan that can be raw and biting because of the way it is made. Here the fiery sambal belachan is more mellow (read smooth, not biting), and has a subtle sweetness. The sambal tumis served is also different from the Malay-style sambals that are heavy on sweetness. The OG Lemak sambal tumis, again has gone in the right direction, by easing up on the sweetness. Because when you have that natural sweetness going on with the coconut rice, you want a sambal that is more savoury than sweet to complement it.
