RECENTLY a video of Malaysian celebrity chef, Datuk Zamzani Abdul Wahab or Chef Zam critiquing Bungkus Kaw Kaw’s (BKK) nasi lemak without sambal went viral, sparking conversations about the restaurant’s offerings.
He shared that he had purchased the nasi lemak along their chicken rendang at the eatery.
But much to his dismay, the chicken rendang which cost RM4.90 only consisted of what appears to be six tiny pieces of chicken.
To make matters worse, he explained that upon unwrapping the nasi lemak, he noticed there was not a single drop of sambal in it.
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“I opened the nasi lemak, on the inside, there was no sambal. The nasi lemak that they sell is empty, no sambal and it cost RM5.90,” he said.
In response, BKK issued an official statement on Facebook yesterday (August 23), acknowledging Chef Zam’s feedback.
They admitted that the Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam indeed does not come with sambal, only kuah rendang.
“Nasi Lemak Bungkus Kaw Kaw is generally served with its own sambal or sauce. Additional payment is only required if there are add-ons to the existing menu,” it said in the statement.
“Regarding the issue raised by Prof. Dato’ Chef Zam, we acknowledge that our Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam is indeed not served with nasi lemak sambal.
“We accept his comments with an open heart, and immediate improvements are being made to our Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam menu. As a result, our action will be to serve Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam with nasi lemak sambal as well as the kuah rendang,” it said.
BKK also highlighted that they offer six distinct varieties of Nasi Lemak, each with its own flavour profile:
Original Nasi Lemak (served with Sambal)
Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam (served with Kuah Rendang)
Nasi Lemak Ayam Merah (served with Sambal Masak Merah)
Nasi Lemak Sambal Udang (served with Sambal Udang)
Nasi Lemak Petai Udang (served with Sambal Petai)
Nasi Lemak Ayam Pedas Tomyam Sotong (served with Sambal Asam Pedas Tomyam)
“Additional charges only apply when add-ons are made to the existing menu,” BKK clarified.
The restaurant also mentioned that it has reached out to Chef Zam to clear up the situation and reiterated that they welcome all customer feedback to help them improve.
Netizens were quick to share their thoughts in the comments.
One user called duriankimchi wrote: “Dont get offended, but if you’re truly Malaysian and carrying the Malaysian slang “Bungkus Kaw Kaw” and you’re serving No. 1 Malaysian tradition food which means literally no one would serve Nasi Lemak without its Sambal regardless people like it or not.
“It doesn’t even matter whatever dishes add- on but Sambal is a must. Korea, Mat Salleh pun makan Nasi Lemak dengan Sambal. Anyway your Bihun Goreng with Sambal is my favorite!” the same user concluded.
“Basic nasi lemak is nasi itself and sambal. Doesn’t matter you want to eat it along with what sides. Either one anchovies or one whole elephant. Those two item is a must. Mandatory,” Jacque Effendy Ali pointed out humorously.
