SINGAPORE: When an auntie in Kuala Lumpur tried to give a pair of Australian tourists free nasi lemak, they were visibly touched by her generosity and hospitality.
The tourists, mother Susan Blick and her daughter Steph, called it “one of the most incredible travel moments” in a video posted on Facebook and TikTok on July 5, which has since gone viral.
Susan and Steph featured a Malaysian auntie who was selling her nasi lemak and other meals on the street next to her car, and her dishes must be delicious, based on the long queue of customers patiently waiting for their turn.
They learned that the price of the auntie’s nasi lemak starts at just RM3 (approximately S$0.95), and diners pay more for add-ons.
“Less than a dollar, guys,” Susan noted.
When she asked a motorcyclist in the queue if it was good, she got a quick smile and a thumbs-up
“Look at the queue,” she added. “People are excited to get this. This is incredible.”
Meanwhile, Steph stood in line, adding that when she sees locals queuing somewhere, she just feels “the need to join them and try whatever it is they’re trying.”
When it was their turn, the auntie dished up rice, cucumber, peanuts, a boiled egg, a bit of sambal, and a piece of chicken, wrapping it in some brown paper and then placing it into a plastic bag.
To the surprise of Susan and Steph, when they asked her how much she wanted for the nasi lemak, the auntie shook her head to indicate she was giving the dish to them for free.
They insisted on paying RM5 for the nasi lemak and the chicken, however, and expressed how delighted they were with the auntie’s “super hospitality.”
The pair then proceeded to a carpark to enjoy their breakfast, identifying their location as Brickfields, known as Kuala Lumpur’s Little India.
Steph, who is the main tester among the two, tried out the auntie’s nasi lemak and appeared to enjoy it.
“I bet it’s got heaps of flavour,” said Susan, adding, “Grandma knows how to cook it.”
Steph later explained that it was not the first time that people have tried to give them free food in Malaysia.
The video has since gotten over 900,000 views.
When one commenter wrote, “Sometimes roadside nasi lemak much more delicious than viral famous restaurant,” many agreed.
Another suggested, “Malaysian hospitality! But if they don’t take it, pay it forward to the next person then.”
Others wrote that the dish would normally cost at least RM7 or RM8. /TISG
Read also: Yishun hawkers say they keep their nasi lemak at S$2 so elderly residents don’t go hungry