nasi lemak shop @ BU4 — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

The experience of dining here is a funny one, it's like a rollercoaster of emotion. I went here on a busy Monday night 8:00PM to try their nasi lemak for the first time. Sat down and scanned the QRcode to order, my drink came pretty quickly. But after 20 mins or so, my food still didn't come so I asked the servers to check on it (I can see it was a busy night for them so I thought they were still preparing my food). After that my food came out within 5 minutes or so. My nasi lemak honestly tasted pretty amazing, I would come back here to eat again the nasi lemak.

As a token of compensation, they did say sorry for the delay in the food and did offer a free mango bingsu. Taste wise the bingsu was pretty good as well, and I would imagine that it will be nice to eat it on a hot afternoon especially. However after eating both my nasi lemak and bingsu 1 person, I felt pretty full and couldn't finish my drink so I asked the waitress to do a takeaway. After 10 minutes, my drink didn't came back.. I think she assumed to take away my 80% full drink and threw it away instead.

Felt like the servers are a bit blur or lacking in communications, like they don't understand English or Malay.. I tried talking to them in both English and Malay, and they gave me like a question mark face expression. Service here is like good and bad mixed together, I guess you need to come here to experience it yourself.

Atmosphere wise it is pretty terrible as I was sitting in the long table (sharing table). At the end of the night, I knew about the guy sitting beside me whole life story as he was describing it pretty loudly to the 2 ladies across from me. Even with my airpods on, it was terribly loud still. It's more like a kopitiam instead of 'shop'. The upside is at 8:00PM, I manage to get in right away without queuing as I drove by this afternoon and wanted to eat the nasi lemak for lunch but there was like 20-30 people standing outside at...

First time visiting The nls. I’ve been wanting to try it for a really long time.

In my opinion, the nasi lemak ayam served here comes in a much bigger portion compared to Village Park, and the sambal is refillable (FOC). But does it taste better?

Personally, I think the nasi lemak ayam here is above average—nothing particularly special. The ayam breading is salty (cannot taste the “berempah “)and very thick, which causes it to separate easily from the meat. The chicken itself is juicy but unfortunately quite bland. In comparison, Village Park’s ayam has a much thinner coating and is noticeably better marinated. The thick ayam breading at NLS also makes it feel a bit jelak after a while.

Other than that, it checks the basic boxes of what nasi lemak should be. I asked for extra ikan bilis (they were crispy) as a substitute for kacang—and they accommodated that. The timun was crunchy. The sambal was spicy and more watery and oily compared to Village Park’s, which has more bawang (I think) and leans more sweet than spicy on first bite. The egg was just a standard egg, and the nasi was fragrant at both places.

That said, my personal pick for the best nasi lemak still goes to Village Park.

As for the service, I got seated the second I walked in, and my food and drinks arrived within 5 minutes—which is really impressive considering how packed it was when I arrived. The staff were friendly, and I didn’t feel rushed, unlike the usual vibe at Village Park.

If you’re looking for good nasi lemak ayam and a more “authentic” feel, Village Park is the place to go. But if you prefer a kopitiam-style setting that’s more relaxed and comfortable for chatting and catching up—and where service is excellent—then The Nasi Lemak Shop is a...

IG: @melvineateat

8.5/10 $ (MYR16 per pax)

Petaling Jaya is never short of nasi lemak contenders, with names like Village Park, Nasi Lemak Burung Hantu, and 3 Days Nasi Lemak dominating social media feeds. Now, a new player has entered the scene and is drawing quite the crowd: Nasi Lemak Shop.

From the moment I arrived, its popularity was undeniable. The minimalist white façade was already buzzing, with a steady queue of diners waiting patiently under a tent. Despite the crowd, the turnover was efficient — we secured a table in just 10-15 minutes.

Inside, the ambience matched the exterior’s clean aesthetic: warm brown and white tones, cosy seating, and thoughtful details like counter spots perfect for solo diners. Service was swift and attentive; impressively, our orders landed on the table within five minutes, steaming hot and freshly prepared.

The Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng (RM15.90) was a classic ensemble — golden fried chicken, fragrant coconut rice, crunchy ikan bilis, roasted peanuts, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, and a vibrant scoop of sambal. The ayam goreng, while less spiced than Village Park’s berempah version, was beautifully fried with juicy, tender flesh. The rice was aromatic with pandan, lemongrass, shallots, and ginger, though I wished it had carried just a touch more lemak richness.

The true star was the sambal — a harmonious balance of sweetness, tang, and heat, layered with a whisper of belacan that lent depth without overwhelming the palate. The sambal cuttlefish, however, was less compelling, echoing the same sambal flavours without adding much dimension.

All in, Nasi Lemak Shop is a worthy addition to PJ’s nasi lemak circuit, especially for its ambience, brisk service, and that...