MintMy favourite Indonesian food in Singapore... Authentic and so delicious! Highly recommend the nasi kuning, sate ayam and perkedel. Good service from staff and manager who gave us free kerupuk. It is pricier than usual Indonesian food here but worth it!
FerdiI used to be a regular at their Bugis outlet many years ago (which has since closed), so it was nice to revisit the brand again. Their nasi goreng Jawa remains one of the two most authentic Indonesian fried rice options in Singapore. My go-to order is the nasi goreng Jawa, extra spicy (cooked with more chilli padi) and with extra vegetables (usually more cabbage and beansprouts)—though I forgot to request the extra veggies on my last visit. The nasi goreng had a lovely smoky wok aroma, with some grains nicely charred at the edges. Flavours were bold and rich from the blend of spices, balanced by the sweetness of kecap manis. Many places seem to think nasi goreng is just kecap manis (thick sweet soy sauce) plus garlic, but there’s clearly more depth here—and Pondok Jawa Timur gets it largely right. From my visits across outlets, my nasi goreng ranking would be: Bugis (best, but no more), this Far East Plaza branch (solid and close behind), and PLQ last. In fact, the PLQ one tasted quite different. The bakwan jagung (corn fritters) is another must-try—the thin batter gives a crisp exterior while keeping the inside soft and moist. The soun goreng (fried glass noodles) is cooked in a similar style to the nasi goreng. I’d be curious to see if using bee hoon instead might elevate the dish further. Nasi goreng without kerupuk is like Batman without Robin. The kerupuk here is the authentic white curly fish cracker you’d find in Indonesian warungs—simply addictive.
Rab ChwanI ordered the pecel lele and sate taichan. Service was soso, quite cold but still OK. Pecel lele was 2 fish for one portion and it was delicious, wish there was an option to add on tempe/tahu (there was none) but overall pecel lele was good and filling. However, I was shocked and very disappointed when the Sate taichan was served to me. That is NOT, nowhere close, not even near, to what sate taichan is. The chicken meat itself literally had no taste no salt no flavour, and served with peanut sauce?? Oh come on, I'm not indonesian but I've been to Jakarta and ate their sate taichan, it was so so different, a stark contrast to the one served here in this restaurant. Very disappointing. My first and last time coming here. Please improve on your satay. If your chef don't know the authentic way of cooking then don't put it in the menu.
