Bungkus Kaw Kaw Responds After Chef Zam's Nasi Lemak Order Is Served Without Sambal
The food and beverage chain also addressed the alleged small chicken rendang serving size highlighted by the celebrity chef.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 23 Aug 2024, 03:09 PM
Local food and beverage (F&B) chain Bungkus Kaw Kaw has responded to a recent controversy involving its nasi lemak being served without sambal, explaining that only one version of the dish did not come with the staple condiment
Bungkus Kaw Kaw's clarification comes after celebrity chef and entrepreneur Chef Zam, whose real name is Datuk Zamzani Abdul Wahab, criticised the business for charging customers extra for sambal at their outlet in Skypark Terminal in Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Selangor.
In two TikTok videos posted on Wednesday, 21 August, Zam showed his RM17.90 order, consisting of a small plate of chicken rendang, nasi lemak, and teh tarik.
He criticised the rendang for having only a few pieces of chicken. The main issue, however, was the nasi lemak, which came without sambal. Zam claimed he was asked to pay extra for the condiment.
"The nasi lemak has no sambal. They expect you to buy additional rendang or sambal to eat with your RM5.90 nasi lemak telanjang (naked)," he said.
At the time of writing, Zam's videos have amassed over three million views. Watch it below:
Speaking to SAYS, Zam said he refused to pay extra for sambal and received it for free after confronting the staff members at the outlet
"They told me I had to pay for the sambal as an add-on. I asked them how could nasi lemak be served without sambal.
"At the time, I was already pissed off (with the small portion of chicken rendang).
"The staff members also agreed with the universal understanding that nasi lemak must come with sambal. The young staff members were speechless," he said when contacted yesterday, 22 August.
Zam stated that Bungkus Kaw Kaw expected customers who order nasi lemak with chicken rendang to eat it with just the provided sauce; if customers wanted sambal, they would have to order extra.
"In the end, I gave them an ultimatum, 'Either you give me sambal at no charge or you take everything back'," he said.
Zam, who runs an academy offering culinary courses to young students, explained he was not upset with any of the staff members but rather with the F&B brand for providing such a menu item.
Below is another video Zam uploaded:
In an exclusive interview with SAYS, Bungkus Kaw Kaw acknowledged that their Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam comes with rendang gravy instead of sambal
The spokesperson said they serve six types of nasi lemak:
1. Original Nasi Lemak (served with sambal)
2. Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang (served with rendang gravy)
3. Nasi Lemak Ayam Merah (served with sambal masak merah)
4. Nasi Lemak Sambal Udang (served with prawn sambal)
5. Nasi Lemak Petai Shrimp (served with sambal petai)
6. Nasi Lemak Asam Pedas Tomyam Sotong (served with asam pedas tomyam sambal)
"Each item has a unique sambal, except for Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang.
"However, after receiving so much feedback from customers, we have decided to include sambal in our Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang from now on," they said when contacted today, 23 August.
They added that plans to include sambal in Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang were in the pipeline, but Zam's review of their establishment came before they could introduce the new menu in September.
However, they are grateful for Zam's review, which has given them confidence that the upcoming changes will be well-received by the public.
The spokesperson also addressed the small rendang serving size highlighted by Zam, explaining that the staff members had mistakenly served the nasi lemak and chicken rendang separately
In a video call with SAYS, a spokesperson demonstrated that when the chicken rendang is placed on the same plate as the nasi lemak, the portion looks proportionate to the amount of rice.
"In Zam's experience, we admit that we were at fault. The staff members accidentally served the nasi lemak and chicken rendang separately, thinking Zam wanted the food to-go.
"We separate both items in takeaway orders to avoid making the nasi lemak too oily," they said.
In a Facebook post today, Bungkus Kaw Kaw thanked netizens for providing constructive feedback and pledged to improve their offerings for their customers.
A photo provided by Bungkus Kaw Kaw showing how the chicken rendang is usually served with their nasi lemak in-store.
Image via Provided to SAYS