My Name Jef(ri) Hawker food may not be the most delicious or the most glamorous, but it’s certainly some of the most comforting and affordable food to the common man in Singapore. Take this plate of Nasi Ayam Goreng from Jefri The Original Botak Chicken Rice for example. It’s only $4.50 a plate, and it’s pretty palatable to boot.⠀
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The nasi goreng (fried rice) was a little wetter than most other fried rice out there, and it appears to be an egg-less fried rice. The egg is replaced by bits of leafy green veg & sliced cucumbers, so hooray for healthier choices. The rice is fried in a mix of ketchup & sambal, which flavours the rice with a sapid spiciness mixed with hints of sweet & sour. The best comparison I can think of to describe Jefri’s nasi goreng is to liken it to a spicy omurice, sans omu (omelette).⠀
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As for the chicken, it’s a decent, albeit unremarkable roast chicken. Chicken parts seem to depend on availability & luck, but you might be able to request for breasts or drums if you ask very politely. My drumstick was tender, passably juicy and nicely spiced & salted. A savoury brown sauce is spooned over the chicken for extra savouriness & lubrication, and this delicious Malay chicken rice certainly satisfied my hunger and my tastebuds.⠀
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I’m assuming that the stall has such a long name because Jefri is the owner, and he has a shiny bald dome (botak = bald in Malay). Whatever Jefri’s hairstyle of choice is, I hope he never stops dishing out decently delicious Nasi Ayam Goreng.