The open-air food court at Jalan Benaan Kapal was somewhere that I have been wanting to visit for years; a spot that is located away in the Stadium/Tanjong Rhu neighbourhood that seems to be a little bit in the middle of nowhere, and carries a vibe that is more Malaysia than in Singapore.

Most people are in here seemingly for the cheap coffee which we had also tried — our bill at Kang Siang Coffee Stall for a Kaya Butter Toast and 2 cups of Kopi and 1 Teh Siew Dai came up to only $2.90; a price that is pretty much unheard of elsewhere. But considering how we had made a special trip into this spot (because a friend drove), we thought it would be good to give another stall a go.

Reading up some reviews, we went for the Nasi Lemak from Warong Mak Esah (Stall No. 9); the Nasi Lemak came with basmati rice, while we opted for a fried egg and chicken cutlet instead of the chicken wing because it was easier to share. The Basmati Rice comes perfuming of a coconut-y fragrance; liked how the grains were not too moist — fluffy, yet fragrant without being heavily “creamy” in terms of the flavour, which we found to be really alluring and not particularly jelak, and all paired well with the sambal which was balance of sweetness and spiciness that is rather manageable for those tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness — carries a rather distinct note of the fragrance of fresh chili that runs at the back of the tongue as well. We were also impressed with the sunny-side-up; nothing of that “plastic egg” (as some may call it) nonsense here, but a proper fried egg with a molten egg yolk that oozes as one pokes through with a fork — pretty much attention-to-detail here that even some economic bee hoon stalls tend to miss. The chicken cutlet may be a little generic; using the garlicky breading that may seem a tad commercial to some, but comes with that satisfying flavour and crunch whilst not being too dry within, while the Ikan Bilis still retains its crunch whilst being just so ever slightly saltish, and without feeling as though it was absorbed in grease.

The Nasi Lemak from Warong Mak Esah is not the best, but it delivers at its price point at $3.50 — each of the elements seemingly being well taken care of, and certainly beats quite a number of other variants offered at other stalls at this price range. The place may take quite a bit of effort to get too if one does not drive — but I do really enjoy that idyllic vibe of the open-air food court; does really bring one back to those simpler times.