Indochilli (Zion Road)

Indochilli is my favourite place to go when I crave Indonesian food, so much that I have been there at least 4-5 times in 2017. 

I suggest that you make a reservation if you want to dine there because it is often full by 7 p.m. 

We always order the Tahu Telor ($8.80). Who can resist the crispy eggy beancurd with abundant sweet peanut sauce drizzled over it?

The Kacang Panjang Balado ($9.80) is a simple dish of long bean fried with fiery chilli and aromatic shrimp paste.

The Sate Ayam Madura (S$10.80) is also a must order. It is a juicier, sweeter and chunkier version of the satay we usually eat. It's almost like a grown up version. Instead of the usual sauce with the peanut bits, the accompanying sauce is a smooth peanut sauce, which consistency is like peanut butter. Squeeze a bit of lime over this dish and you get a dish which is sweet and tangy.

The Ayam Pangang Padang ($9.80) is a nicely grilled chicken dipped in Padang style chicken curry. The meat is very tender and falls off the bone easily.

The Nasi Goreng Seafood ($13.80) was a dish I would gladly eat on its own. A slightly sweet, moist and aromatic fried rice with fresh prawns and squids, topped with a a fried egg. 

I tried their Kue Lapis Legit ($2.10) and absolutely loved the layered goodness which was not too sweet. However, the Kue Lapis Legit is always sold out and they always try to sell me the, not so legit, Lepit Legis Surabaya ($2.20) which lack of layers just makes this cake so much less desirable.

Food is good, service is excellent and prices are reasonable.

Indochilli (Zion Road)
54 Zion Road
Singapore 247779
Tel No: 6445 1766 

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Medan Town

On its website, Medan Town describes itself as a "quaint 50-seater restaurant". Not sure what's so quaint about this place. It's simply a no-frills restaurant with good food. The owners of these restaurant are from Medan. 

As starters, we ordered the Tahu Goreng ($4.50). This is the first time I'm having crackers on top of tahu goreng. An addictive appetiser, the crunchy peanuts, beansprouts and the fried tofu rested on a bed of sweet and spicy sauce.

I had the Kwetiauw Bebek Dry ($6.80). Duck is a difficult meat to handle- cook it for too long and it becomes very dry. This slow-cooked duck easily shredded and was a very comforting dish with the springy kwetiauw and the duck herbal soup. I am not usually a fan of herbal soups because the taste can be rather overwhelming. I ordered it dry so that I could decide how much soup to add to the noodles. Surprisingly, the soup was light with just a mild herbal taste.

If you are looking for cheap and good food in the East, this is for you!

Medan Town 
253 Tanjong Katong Road
Tel No: 6348 9227 

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Makan Dulu

Makan Dulu means "eat first" in Malay. Previously known as Lee's Kitchen, it's now known as Makan Dulu because customers thought this was a zichar place when it was named Lee's Kitchen. 

Located at Katong Shopping Centre, it is a  real pity that this place isn't getting the crowd it deserves.

I strongly recommend getting a Lee's Charcoal Fish. The half fish ($16.80) had a crispy skin infused with a sweet sauce. This coupled with the smoky taste of the charcoal fish was a clear winner.

The Tahu Goreng ($5.60) was average with a homely peanut sauce.

This was another must order. Because we had tried the Charcoal Fish, we decided not to go for the Charcoal Grilled Chicken but ordered the Ayam Bumbu ($5.90) instead. This was essentially curry chicken with a very smooth curry base. The waiter informed us that the coconut milk is extracted fresh daily. The chicken was also very tender.

All of the above dishes were good on their own- but when paired with this rice, it just makes you think of how good and simple life can be sometimes. We ordered rice and they came with two of these little buckets- one was filled with coconut rice and the other with plain rice. We tried both and of course swept the coconut rice clean. Fragrant and not oily- this was perfect with the dishes. 

I didn't try the chendol but my mum who tried it said that it was rather average.

Service here was friendly and helpful. They are familiar with the menu and make good recommendations. An enjoyable lunch here!

Makan Dulu 
Katong Shopping Centre
865 Mountbatten Road
#01-41
Tel No: 6 534 1602 

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Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant

Cumi Bali has been operating for more than 2 decades and is supposedly one of the best Indonesian restaurants in Singapore. The first thing that hits us when we enter the restaurant is a very strong smell which might be a little overwhelming. Ironically, we didn't order Cumi Bali, which is grilled squid.

Simple furnishing. Initially, we thought these were christmas lights but realised that it was a mish mash of random decor.

This belecan was mild but added a subtle punch to the dishes. 

The Ikan Bakar ($28) was fish slathered with otah. This was something new and while delicious, it probably could be cooked slightly more. Maybe I'm just too use to the smoky flavours of the barbequed otahs.

The Sate Ayam Madura ($7 per stick) is a must order. Big, chunky and tender- each stick is good for two to share. The sweetness of the marinate and the slightly charred taste came together perfectly.

The curry vegetables were pretty ordinary. 

It would be better to come in a larger group and share the food. Otherwise, it might be a tad expensive. Other than that, the food here is pretty good! 

Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant

66 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel No: 6 220 6619 

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Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant (100 AM)

Pagi Sore is one of our favourite Indonesian restaurants in Singapore. So when a Groupon came up, we snapped it up almost instantly. 

The branch at 100 AM was pretty empty during lunch time on a weekend.

The appetisers came up first. The Keropok Belinjau ($1.20) came even before we ordered anything. The one we ate tasted like it has been left in the open for quite some time- it would have been much better if it were still crispy. But the combination of lime and becalan made this pretty addictive nonetheless. The slightly bitter taste of the belinjau fruit was quite distinct.

The Kangkong Belachan ($9.80) is pretty much a staple I order everytime I run out of ideas of what vegetables to order- you might want to be wary of the level of spiciness!

The Ayam Bali ($14.80) was truly lovely- the smokiness of the tender grilled chicken thigh with a sweet marinate made this a clear winner.

The Sotong Pedas ($11.50) was pretty ordinary.

The Tahu Telor ($10.20) is a massive block of beancurd, together with crispy egg bits. The sweet sauce was also a good accompaniment to this dish, together with some nutty goodness.

Value for money Indonesian food!

Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant (100 AM) 
100 AM
100 Tras Street
#02-28
Tel No.: 6 636 1373 

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