The latest development in the nasi lemak scene — after The Coconut Club’s atas $12.80 one, McDonald’s burger version and The Beast’s burger rendition with coconut rice buns — is a $22 dish by Tampines eatery Lawa Bintang served with one whole lobster that’s stuffed with cheese, seasoned with herbs, and surrounded by the usual suspects like sambal peanuts, fried egg, ikan bilis and sambal chilli.
Needless to say, people are shook. People are obsessed.
In food-crazed Singapore, it’s not easy to stand out. But the halal eatery, located at a coffeeshop in a Tampines industrial estate, currently attracts crowds of people hungry to try the country’s latest street food trend every day. The queue starts in the morning and can go up to two hours on occasion, although customers are limited to two lobster nasi lemak orders per person, due to the overwhelming popularity of the dish ever since Lawa Bintang popped up on food blogs.
Besides the star of the show, the stall also offers unorthodox nasi lemak with options like prawns ($9) and fried squid ($7.50). So if it happens to run out of lobster — it usually goes through its daily order of 20kg of lobster in about two hours — either of these options are just as satisfying.
Curious now? Take a closer look below or head over early and prepare to wait in line for quite some time if you’d like a first-hand experience of what all the hype is about.
Lawa Bintang is at Blk 9008, Tampines St 93. Tues-Thurs 8am-2pm, Fri 10am-2pm, Sat & Sun 9pm-2pm.
