Nasi Lemak Profesor: Nasi lemak basmati with sunny-side-up & spicy paru – open till 4am daily this Ramadan

Not to sound like a slave to social media, but my first impression of Nasi Lemak Profesor came from a recent Instagram story by popular Malaysian influencer Azfar Heri. Granted, it was shared with me by a trusted friend — so I’m not easily swayed by every post I see, thank you very much. 

The story has since expired, but just imagine a snapshot of a nasi lemak plate, featuring the most appetising sambal I’ve seen in ages. What truly sealed the deal was discovering that this nasi lemak spot in Wangsa Maju stays open until 4am daily during Ramadan. Insane, right?

Even from a distance, you can spot their bright yellow signage, displaying a jolly professor with round glasses and a moustache. My friend noted it reminded them of Nasi Lemak Burung Hantu’s signature owl logo (thanks to the round eyes, or rather, glasses). As for me, it made me think of Pulcinella from Genshin Impact. Either way, I wasn’t there to question their creative choices — let’s get tasting!

What I tried at Nasi Lemak Profesor

At Nasi Lemak Profesor, the service is completely self-serve — think of it like ordering at your favourite nasi kandar spot. The menu is displayed on a board and you can see the dishes from behind a glass counter. You’d have to pay upfront before taking your food to your table. No extra charges or tax, so it’s all good.

Since my friend and I had just finished a hefty chicken dinner, we went for the Nasi Lemak Telur Mata (RM7) with a side of Paru Berlada (RM5). The portions were generous, and the prices are very reasonable given the venue.

The nasi lemak plate came with a hearty serving of basmati coconut rice, a scoop of sambal, peanuts and ikan bilis, crisp cucumber slices, and a perfectly runny sunny-side-up egg.

First things first: the rice. The long basmati grains were cooked to perfection — fluffy and almost melting in your mouth with every bite. The bold taste of ginger dominated the flavour profile, with subtle hints of pandan and a gentle aroma of santan, perfectly capturing the essence of “lemak” without being overly rich.

Nasi Lemak Serunai: Addictive sambal bawang goreng & crispy sotong, available till 10pm daily

Now, let’s talk about the sambal — the very reason I was there. Finally seeing it up close instead of just on a screen, I have to say its appearance didn’t disappoint. The chillies were finely ground (exactly how I like it!), cooked past the “pecah minyak” stage, and lined with a delicate ring of oil.

That said, my first taste was a bit of a letdown. The sambal leaned too heavily on sweetness, with only a subtle kick of heat — barely enough unless you’ve got a toddler’s spice tolerance. The sugar and onions brought the sweetness to the forefront, which, while tasty, overshadowed the heat I was hoping for.

Normally, I prefer to mix my rice and gravy (or sambal, in this case) together right away. Because this sambal was a bit too sweet for my taste, I opted to add just a small spoonful at a time.

The sunny-side-up egg was nothing short of perfection. Even though it was prepared in bulk ahead of time, it still tasted incredibly fresh, sporting just a light sheen of oil. I expected to see the rice beneath soaked in oil when lifting the egg, but that simply wasn’t the case.

Paired with the fluffy rice and decent sambal, each bite felt like a warm, indulgent hug. And the ikan bilis? They were the crisp, thin variety that delivered a delightful, effortless crunch with every bite.

Lastly, onto the Paru Berlada. This dish came as a dry version of sambal berlada — unlike the moist variety I usually favour. Instead of a smooth blend, it featured visible slices of shallots and chopped red bird’s eye chillies.

After the first bite, I was immediately hit by the saltiness of the paru. I suspect they marinated it in a salt brine, giving it a soft yet crispy texture, though it seems some pieces retained too much salt, leaving me scrambling for water.

Despite that initial sodium shock, the dish was undeniably tasty. Thankfully, not every bite was overpoweringly salty, and when paired with the spicy sambal berlada, it hit all the right notes!

I almost bit into one of those fiery red chilli pieces at first and was grateful I sampled a little bit first. It was so spicy yet delicious that I couldn’t stop polishing off the entire plate — even if I looked like I’d just survived a world-ending breakup from all the sniffling!

Final thoughts

Considering that Nasi Lemak Profesor is fairly new, there’s definitely room for improvement — but overall, the food exceeded my expectations! The rice was perfectly fluffy, while the ikan bilis, cucumber, and peanuts added a satisfying crunch and freshness. The egg was spot on, and the paru boasted a soft interior with a light, crispy exterior.

My only minor issues were the overly sweet sambal and the extra saltiness of the paru. If they fine-tune these elements in the future, I’ll definitely be making the trip again — once my GPS stops going crazy under the elevated highways every time I’m in the area!

Expected damage: RM5 – RM20 per pax

Kafe Ruuma: The cheapest nasi lemak ayam in a mall, just RM6.90 — is it good though?