Living Large on Nasi Lemak: Why British Expats Are Swapping Fry-Ups for Malaysian Delights

The first time I had Nasi Lemak, I was sitting at a plastic table at 7am in Chow Kit, surrounded by men in office shirts and market workers eating from banana leaves. A woman handed me a packet wrapped in newspaper and held out her hand for RM2.

Inside: fragrant white rice, crispy dried anchovies, roasted peanuts, sliced cucumber, half a hard-boiled egg, and a deep red sambal that turned out to be both sweeter and fiercer than anything I’d expected.

Two ringgit. About 40p. The best breakfast I’d had in years.

What is Nasi Lemak?

Nasi means rice; lemak means creamy. The rice is cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves — slightly sweet, deeply aromatic. Traditional accompaniments: ikan bilis (dried anchovies, fried crispy), roasted peanuts, sliced cucumber, half a boiled egg, and sambal.

The sambal is the heart of the dish — a cooked chilli paste with dried chillies, shallots, garlic, belacan (fermented shrimp paste), tamarind, and sugar. Hot, sweet, savoury, and sour all at once. Don’t skip it.

Why Expats Love It

The price is part of it — RM2-5 for a hawker version, under £4 for the full restaurant plate with chicken and rendang. The comparison to London breakfast prices is almost offensive.

But mostly it’s the flavour. Nasi Lemak wakes you up in a way that even a good full English doesn’t quite manage. And it crosses every social and ethnic boundary in Malaysia — available at 6am from a mamak, at midnight from a roadside stall. It belongs to everyone.

The Recipe (serves 4)

Ingredients

Coconut Rice: 400g jasmine rice (soaked 30 mins), 200ml full-fat coconut milk, 250ml water, 3-4 knotted pandan leaves, 1 stalk lemongrass bruised, 1 tsp salt

Sambal: 15 dried red chillies (soaked 20 mins), 8 shallots, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste), 3 tbsp tamarind water, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 3-4 tbsp cooking oil

Accompaniments: 100g ikan bilis (dried anchovies), 100g roasted peanuts, 4 hard-boiled eggs halved, 1 cucumber sliced

Method

Coconut Rice

Drain soaked rice. Cook with coconut milk, water, pandan, lemongrass, and salt — rice cooker or stovetop (bring to boil, lowest heat, cover, 15-18 mins). Remove aromatics and fluff with a fork.

Sambal

Blend drained chillies, shallots, garlic, and belacan into a paste. Fry in oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes until darkened and oil separates. Add tamarind water, sugar, and salt. Cook 5 more minutes. Should be thick, dark red, deeply fragrant. Adjust to taste.

Ikan Bilis

Deep-fry the dried anchovies in hot oil for 2-3 minutes until golden and very crispy. They must be crunchy — if soft, fry longer. Drain and season.

To Serve

Mound rice in the centre. Arrange ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumber, and egg halves around it. A generous spoonful of sambal alongside. Serve immediately — and if you have banana leaf, serve on it. Adds a subtle fragrance and looks brilliant.

Where to Find the Best Nasi Lemak in KL

Village Park Restaurant (Damansara Uptown) — famous for Nasi Lemak with fried chicken. Queues form before it opens.

Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa (Kampung Baru) — the most famous spot in KL. Open very early, sells out by mid-morning.

Any mamak stall, any time — sometimes the best version is from a woman at a roadside cart who’s been making it the same way for thirty years.

The Cost Comparison

Hawker Nasi Lemak: RM2-5 (about 40p to £1). Full restaurant version: RM15-25 (£3-5). A London café breakfast: £10-15 minimum, and it won’t be as interesting. For a British expat on a KL salary, this is a completely different relationship with food and money.

Useful Resources for Expats in KL

Related Reading

The bigger thing I never realised until I lived here: every one of these cuisines has a breakfast, and being British puts you so far away that the thought never even arrives.