Nasi lemak stall Wild Coco upgrades from kopitiam to 60-seater restaurant

When nasi lemak stall Wild Coco opened at a hip Balestier kopitam last year, it gained popularity for being the cheaper, humbler “kopitiam version” of Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant The Coconut Club, thanks to their similar offerings of gourmet Malaysian-style nasi lemak.

On Sep 28, the stall relocated to a proper full-service, air-conditioned restaurant.

Wild Coco is owned by Wayne Tan, 44, who’s also behind laksa stall Laksa Labo within his old kopitam space. This means all Labo’s laksa items, including the Classic Laksa (S$8.90), are also on the menu at Wild Coco.

Wild Coco specialises in “Malaysian-style” nasi lemak, which according to Tan is about prepping components like coconut rice, anchovies and sambal in specific ways, such as ensuring the sambal is potent and less sweet.

The eatery also features the quintessential ayam goreng berempah (fried chicken marinated in a spice blend including turmeric, lemongrass, ginger and chilli). 

Tan tells 8days.sg that “opening a restaurant was always in (his) plan”. His new eatery takes on a new concept that’s “full-service restaurant-style, with a more comfortable space and more menu items”. He chose to set up shop at Hamilton Road as it’s near his previous kopitiam location which has a lot of customers from nearby offices.

FANCIER 60-SEATER SPACE

Tan invested around S$200,000 into the new eatery. He’s the sole owner of the brand and says business at his original outlet was good, which gave him the confidence to upgrade the eatery. Wild Coco’s new 60-seater space is roomier than their old outlet. The restaurant sports a simple but cosy tropical interior with rattan chairs and hanging nest lamps, with coconut tree wall art painted by a customer who happens to be an artist. 

It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Wild Coco’s new eatery and The Coconut Club. The new space shares some similarities in decor with TCC’s flagship Beach Road restaurant, albeit less luxe. It, too, has a patterned floor, rattan chairs and palm fronds painted on the wall.

Even the plates at the new Wild Coco are similarly green like The Coconut Club’s. However, Wayne Tan insists he wants to “be uniquely Wild Coco” and “never wanted to compare (his eatery with) any other nasi lemak brand or follow what others are doing”.

However, when we last asked Tan this question in 2022, he said he was a fan of The Coconut Club when it first opened years ago and was pleased that his offerings have been compared to “one of the best nasi lemaks in Singapore”.

NEW MENU ITEMS

Besides signature nasi lemak dishes, Wild Coco is introducing over 20 new items and drinks to their menu. The eatery also has a new head chef who used to work at a hotel and specialises in Asian cuisine. 

Some highlights include new nasi lemak variations, including sambal sotong nasi lemak (S$18.90) and ayam masak merah nasi lemak (S$17.90), which consists of chicken drumstick and thigh in a mildly spicy tomato gravy.

Another interesting addition is the nasi lemak goreng (S$10.90), a cross between nasi lemak and fried rice. The coconut rice is fried in a spiced blend, together with diced ayam berempah (spiced, fried chicken) and egg, and served alongside house-made crackers.

New side dishes include crispy calamari (S$16.90) and pan-seared mackerel (S$15.90), plus a selection of coconut shakes.

INCREASED PRICES

Along with the fancier space and expanded menu comes a heftier price tag. For instance, the signature nasi lemak ayam berempah now costs S$15.90 (chicken leg) or S$16.90 (chicken breast and wing) instead of the previous S$11.80, while the nasi lemak sambal fried fish currently costs S$17.90 instead of S$12.80.

As a rough comparison, a signature nasi lemak with ayam goreng berempah (breast or leg using more premium organic chicken) from The Coconut Club costs S$21.

Tan attributes the significant price hike to increased operation and ingredient costs. His new outlet requires more full-service staff, and he’s “upgraded ingredients to better ones”. For instance, he uses “much better quality rice compared to what (he) used at the old shop” – premium grade Thai Hom Mali rice that costs 20 per cent more than the Thai Hom Mali rice at his previous outlet.

Tan has also says he now provides a more generous serving of ingredients. The rental cost at Hamilton Road is also “around 30 per cent more” than at Balestier. 

HOPES FOR MICHELIN BIB GOURMAND NOD

When asked whether he’s aiming for Wild Coco to be awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod, the entrepreneur simply says: “Yes, I am!” He also plans to expand Wild Coco: “I’d love to open a similar concept as McNair Road”, meaning he’ll probably set up another Wild Coco kopitiam stall in the future. 

Wild Coco is located at 14 Hamilton Road, Singapore 209184. Open daily 10.30am to 9pm.

This story was originally published in 8Days.