The words “nasi lemak” and “babi” (pork in Malay) seem like an unlikely pairing – but at H. Village Park Nasi Lemak, there’s not just one, but two “nasi lemak babi” dishes. The two-month-old stall is located at a coffee shop in Holland Drive, and specialises in “Indonesian-fusion” nasi lemak inspired by Balinese dishes. If you find its name familiar, well it’s heavily influenced by popular nasi lemak eatery Village Park Restaurant in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, which one of the hawkers visited before and loved.
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What exactly is nasi lemak babi? According to this stall owner, it’s basically quintessential nasi lemak — coconut rice, ikan bilis, egg etc, paired with flame-torched pork belly (more on this later). Some variations of this dish can also be found in parts of Malaysia.
We haven’t seen nasi lemak served with pork in Indonesia before, but we’re told this fusion version takes inspiration loosely from Balinese dishes like babi guling (spit roasted pig).