"Chong Pang" Nasi Lemak, Food Republic, Vivo City: A lesson learnt to always go for the original
When you swear by food, the greatest disappointment hits when you get shitty food from stalls that tag the most famous names. This is exactly what i got from the fake Chong Pang at Vivo City. Not to mention exorbitant pricing! I think they should really state their food prices, it's quite unethical to charge unknowing customers such high prices just for nasi lemak, which doesn't even taste good. Even the well-known stalls like the real Chong Pang and the one at Adam Rd dun have the audacity to do that.
But i should've known, really. I saw another stall selling the famous Depot Road Claypot Laksa at $6.90, when the original one sells at $4/claypot. Besides, the lady b4 me, who ordered her rice with 3 types of vegetables had to pay $4.40. As i was looking down at my plate with sweet and sour chicken wings, ikan bilis (the fat flat kind) and cabbage, i started shaking my head. YUP! the cash register rang up $5.70. The uncle had insisted on leaving 2 wings and a drumstick on my plate, after my request not to give me so much, and telling me that he would charge me the same price even if i didn't take it. why would anyone eat 2 wings and a drum??
anw the lady after me...i was like woah when i saw her plate. On it there was an egg, a sausage, hash brown, luncheon meat, curry vegetables and a huge fried chicken drumstick. And when she reached the counter, the uncle asked if she would like the otah. She said yes! i was interested to know how much she had to pay for hers. so i lingered for awhile. the kaypoh Singaporean in me. $8.10!!! what kinda hawker nasi lemak costs $8.10?? yes, the variety is a lot, but i mean egg, sausage, luncheon meat? how much can that cost? Oh, and a side note: I dun think its good to eat so much for lunch, esp when one is kinda on the larger side.
But anw, let's get back to my food. i tried the cabbage first. not too bad..the usual economic rice type. v simple. (TOO SIMPLE FOR $5.70 - ok enough about the price-complaining). next i tried the rice. started shaking my head. i can taste a slight hint of coconut milk in the rice but that's about it. that's not how nasi in nasi lemak shld be. where's the fluffiness and fragrance of the coconut milk? the chilli was good, i must admit, so i ate it on its own. then i picked up the sweet and sour chicken drumstick. and to my horror of horrors, it was cold. not the leave-it-there-the-whole-morning kinda cold, more like freezing cold (excuse my somewhat over-the-top exaggeration). why would anyone serve customers sth like that? anyway, i tried it. if you're expecting woah it's good despite the coldness man..i'm sorry to disappoint. yup it was cold, terrible and tasteless. the sweet and sour sauce failed to flavor or marinate the chicken. the sauce itself was tasteless. pls stick to sweet and sour pork or fish btw. chicken (& chicken wings at that) just doesnt cut it with such a tangy type of sauce. next i tried the ikan bilis. the one at Holland Village is really good - very crispy and crunchy, and the spiciness is just right. this one is chewy, and uh..chewy.. and.. tough.. just dun try it. so, in the end, this is what i left on the plate: all the rice, remnants of the chicken (incl. 1 whole wing still intact) and the ikan bilis. I paid $5.70 to eat cabbage and chilli. Are we back to the price topic again? haha.
it's so easy to give a rating for this stall. and i never give ratings cuz i'm not expert enough. but here's my rating - 1.5/5. Remarks: A nice attempt at cooking cabbage and a darn mean chilli. Well done! *Disclaimer: I must put some blame on myself - perhaps i didn't order their more well-known dishes like the fried chicken wing and small ikan bilis, but i def wont be giving them another try! simple reason: the rice, and the PRICE. (i knew i shld've just ordered the bao from Bao Today, they were having black sesame baos too! but then again, "Chong Pang" has kinda spoilt the whole Food Republic's reputation in my book, since there are so many other 'famous' names in the food court. i wonder if they are real...
"Chong Pang Nasi Lemak" (Do us a favor and change the name pls)
Food Republic
Vivo City 3rd Floor
But i should've known, really. I saw another stall selling the famous Depot Road Claypot Laksa at $6.90, when the original one sells at $4/claypot. Besides, the lady b4 me, who ordered her rice with 3 types of vegetables had to pay $4.40. As i was looking down at my plate with sweet and sour chicken wings, ikan bilis (the fat flat kind) and cabbage, i started shaking my head. YUP! the cash register rang up $5.70. The uncle had insisted on leaving 2 wings and a drumstick on my plate, after my request not to give me so much, and telling me that he would charge me the same price even if i didn't take it. why would anyone eat 2 wings and a drum??
anw the lady after me...i was like woah when i saw her plate. On it there was an egg, a sausage, hash brown, luncheon meat, curry vegetables and a huge fried chicken drumstick. And when she reached the counter, the uncle asked if she would like the otah. She said yes! i was interested to know how much she had to pay for hers. so i lingered for awhile. the kaypoh Singaporean in me. $8.10!!! what kinda hawker nasi lemak costs $8.10?? yes, the variety is a lot, but i mean egg, sausage, luncheon meat? how much can that cost? Oh, and a side note: I dun think its good to eat so much for lunch, esp when one is kinda on the larger side.
But anw, let's get back to my food. i tried the cabbage first. not too bad..the usual economic rice type. v simple. (TOO SIMPLE FOR $5.70 - ok enough about the price-complaining). next i tried the rice. started shaking my head. i can taste a slight hint of coconut milk in the rice but that's about it. that's not how nasi in nasi lemak shld be. where's the fluffiness and fragrance of the coconut milk? the chilli was good, i must admit, so i ate it on its own. then i picked up the sweet and sour chicken drumstick. and to my horror of horrors, it was cold. not the leave-it-there-the-whole-morning kinda cold, more like freezing cold (excuse my somewhat over-the-top exaggeration). why would anyone serve customers sth like that? anyway, i tried it. if you're expecting woah it's good despite the coldness man..i'm sorry to disappoint. yup it was cold, terrible and tasteless. the sweet and sour sauce failed to flavor or marinate the chicken. the sauce itself was tasteless. pls stick to sweet and sour pork or fish btw. chicken (& chicken wings at that) just doesnt cut it with such a tangy type of sauce. next i tried the ikan bilis. the one at Holland Village is really good - very crispy and crunchy, and the spiciness is just right. this one is chewy, and uh..chewy.. and.. tough.. just dun try it. so, in the end, this is what i left on the plate: all the rice, remnants of the chicken (incl. 1 whole wing still intact) and the ikan bilis. I paid $5.70 to eat cabbage and chilli. Are we back to the price topic again? haha.
it's so easy to give a rating for this stall. and i never give ratings cuz i'm not expert enough. but here's my rating - 1.5/5. Remarks: A nice attempt at cooking cabbage and a darn mean chilli. Well done! *Disclaimer: I must put some blame on myself - perhaps i didn't order their more well-known dishes like the fried chicken wing and small ikan bilis, but i def wont be giving them another try! simple reason: the rice, and the PRICE. (i knew i shld've just ordered the bao from Bao Today, they were having black sesame baos too! but then again, "Chong Pang" has kinda spoilt the whole Food Republic's reputation in my book, since there are so many other 'famous' names in the food court. i wonder if they are real...
"Chong Pang Nasi Lemak" (Do us a favor and change the name pls)
Food Republic
Vivo City 3rd Floor
posted by foodiesteps_here @ 11:24 AM
<< Home