'Never going there again': Diner outraged to pay $18.20 for 2 packets of nasi lemak

If you're looking for a delicious packet of fragrant nasi lemak, how much is too much to pay?

For Facebook user Azureen Mohd Zailan, $18.20 for two packets was where she drew the line, according to a Facebook post by her to the Complaint Singapore Facebook page on Saturday (Dec 2).

"Bought two packets of the exact same [nasi lemak]," she began. "Guess how much this cost me? It's $18.20! I'm not even joking!"

Azureen also shared a photograph of her meal from Universal Nasi Lemak at Yishun Block 431, which included a fried egg, chicken and fish, as well as nasi lemak staples of sambal chili, ikan bilis with peanuts and a slice of cucumber.

However, the price point was too much for how her food tasted, Azureen said.

"The taste of the nasi lemak is as good as eating plain rice. The sambal is tasteless," she explained.

Warning netizens not to patronise the shop, she also added: "I am super pissed. Never going there again."

"I am still in denial that I spent that much on such nasi lemak," she added.

Speaking with AsiaOne, Azureen shared that she made the purchase on Saturday morning from the shop itself.

There was no indication of a la carte pricing and she wasn't sure how much the fried fish cost, she said.

"However, in the menu it stated that the chicken wing nasi lemak is $3.50," she added. "I added one fish. Cannot be [that it's] an additional $6, it's ridiculous."

Netizens also shared Azureen's sentiment, commenting on her post that the pricing was "crazy", "ridiculous" and even "criminal".

"We can get this for $4… with extra and delicious sambal at many market areas," a comment claimed.

"If this is true, it's terrible," a user also said.

Another joked: "They count each peanut at $0.10 is it?"

Some Facebook users also tried to reverse-engineer the cost of the meal in an attempt to justify the price.

Based on their calculations, the average set with chicken wing costs about $4, with the fish bringing up the total to $9 per packet.

"If you chose [only] chicken I think it would cost you $4.10 only. The fish is not normal small fish," a user guessed. "If you chose a different type of fish it could cost you $4 each."

According to a TikTok video uploaded by user Onevoice2020 in May, the shop's nasi lemak with chicken wing or selar fish cost $4.50, while the combo with both cost $7.

AsiaOne has reached out to Universal Nasi Lemak for more information.

ALSO READ: 100g for $3.98: Chinese restaurant in Alexandra raises eyebrows for charging dishes by weight

khooyihang@asiaone.com