Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang (Lau Pa Sat)

Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang is a hawker stall at Lau Pa Sat, the old market hall at 18 Raffles Quay in the Central Business District. You will find it at stall 71. It serves nasi lemak, the coconut rice dish loved across Singapore and Malaysia, topped with ayam taliwang, a spicy grilled chicken from Indonesia.

The brand was started in 2017 by Mohammed Noorman, a former Singapore Airlines flight attendant. His Indonesian wife came up with the ayam taliwang recipe, and the couple paired it with his nasi lemak. The first stall opened at Yishun Park Hawker Centre, and the brand had more than 30 outlets by 2025.

What to order

Start with the signature plate, also called Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang. It comes with:

• Coconut rice: rice cooked in coconut milk, soft and fragrant.
• Grilled chicken: a chicken leg, charred on the outside for a smoky flavour and tender inside.
• Sambal: a hot chilli sauce spooned over the chicken. Ayam taliwang comes from West Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia, the province that takes in the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa.
• The classic sides: usually crisp fried anchovies (ikan bilis), peanuts, a fried egg and cucumber.

The sambal is the part to watch. One reviewer found it very spicy at first, then sweet and savoury, so try a little before you mix it all in. The stall also sells curry rice dishes, such as chicken fillet curry rice. To learn more about similar plates, read our guide to Malay hawker dishes.

Michelin recognition

The original stall at Yishun Park Hawker Centre has been listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore since 2021. Sales picked up after the listing and the brand grew fast, according to a 2025 report on the founder. The Lau Pa Sat stall is a separate outlet of the same brand, so it is a convenient place to try the dish if you are staying in the city centre.

The setting

Lau Pa Sat means "old market" in Hokkien. Its eight-sided cast-iron hall dates from the 1890s and it is one of the most striking hawker centres in Singapore. Seating is shared, under the high iron roof. It gets very busy at lunch, when office workers from nearby towers come to eat. Our page on Lau Pa Sat covers the other stalls under the same roof. If you are new to hawker centres, our plain guide to what a hawker centre is and our tips on hawker centre etiquette will help.

Good to know before you go

• How to order: queue at the stall, order and pay, then carry your tray to any free table.
• Spice level: the sambal is hot, so ask for it on the side if you are unsure.
• Timing: come before or after the weekday lunch rush for an easier time finding a seat.

Nearby

Lau Pa Sat is a short walk from the Marina Bay waterfront, so the meal fits well with a visit to Merlion Park. For more ideas, see Marina Bay on a budget, browse restaurants in Marina Bay and the CBD, or explore our hawker favourites.