Spicy Lemak

Automall has a substantial number of restaurants. One of them is Spicy Lemak (辣死你妈). Occupying the former location of Le Toma Cuisine, Spicy Lemak is sandwiched between Penang Street (老街) and Sae Ma Eul BBQ. Its Chinese name is a double entendre. Not only is it a transliteration of the Malay phrase “nasi lemak”, the name also hints that the food here is very spicy.

Spicy Lemak uses three types of rice: red, yellow and blue. The colors come from pitaya (dragon fruit), turmeric and butterfly-pea flower respectively. Overall, the rice is tasteless and lacks aroma. If any coconut milk is used, its amount must be minimal.

The Chicken Whole Leg (RM14.90) also comes with a piece of lorbak (卤肉), hard-boiled egg, fried anchovies, roasted peanuts, sliced cucumber, chopped onions and fried cabbage. The dish is served on a piece of banana leaf. I think the fried chicken is way too dry. The saving grace is sambal (chili paste), which is moderately spicy and has mild sweetness.

Dragon Fruit (RM5.90) is a tangy drink with pitaya flavor. There are also several large pieces of longan. A lemongrass stalk serves as the stirrer. Nothing to shout about, really.

Address: 29D-3-8A, Automall Penang, Persiaran Karpal Singh, 11600 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-476-6426
Business hours: 11:00am-10:00pm, closed on Mondays
Taste