Chef Wan once declared that Siti Li Dining’s nasi lemak was exactly how he’d prepare it at home. If it’s good enough for Chef Wan, it’s more than good enough for us. In the upscale neighbourhood of Damansara Heights, chefs-proprietors Siti Kadir and Shareen Ramli celebrate classic Malay cuisine, no shortcuts: e.g. favouring the healthier Basmathi parboiled rice over other grains; roasting all spices in-house; using gula Melaka sourced from a Malay community in Batam (our local makers in Malacca don’t produce nearly enough for the restaurant’s needs) instead of white sugar for a smokier sambal ikan bilis.
The nasi lemak, priced at RM20, is accompanied with sambal ikan bilis, telur kampung, sliced cucumbers, anchovies and roasted peanuts. Add on RM15 for ayam goreng, RM16 for ayam masak merah, or RM18 for rendang daging. It’s not the cheapest nasi lemak on our list, but surely, you can’t put a price tag on authenticity. This might surprise you: the nasi lemak isn’t even the best thing on the menu. Many diners consider Siti Li’s laksa johor to be the finest in the city.