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7 BEST Indonesian Eateries In Singapore Even Indonesian Expats Frequent
Salam Nusantara!
17 August 2020
Get ready for a spicy meal!
Indonesia might be some hours away, but here are some of the best places in Singapore to get your authentic food fix from the rich and diverse archipelago as it celebrates its Independence Day on 17 August.
1. Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant
You don’t want to miss the nasi tumpeng (pictured) here. Originating from island of Java, this coned-shaped turmeric “rice mountain” comes with eight delectable vegetables and meat dishes, symbolising gratitude and good fortune.
This heritage restaurant started in 1954 on Kandahar Street specialising Minangkabau (an ethnic group indigenous to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra) cuisine, such as nasi padang (rice with various side dishes), rending (spicy meat dish), and sayur lodeh (soup with vegetables in coconut milk).
Sample a range of home-cooked Indonesian dishes from Padang, Sulawesi and Java at Tambuah Mas (which loosely translates to “Add more [food], please” in Padang dialect). Try the tahu telur (fried beancurd with eggs), an original family recipe, and the ikan pepes (similar to otah-otah but made of pure seabass fillet, pictured).
We can’t forget yummy food from our beloved hawker centres! Over at Block 16 Bedok South Road, we hear this is the place to get the best nasi rawon (rice with black beef soup), nasi jenganan (rice with peanut sauce) and nasi sambal goreng (pictured). Get a glimpse of its full menu here.
Even if you are clueless about Indonesian food, we’re pretty sure you’ve heard of ayam penyet. You can find this “smashed fried chicken” all over Singapore, even at hawker centres. It’s a simple dish but it packs a (spicy) punch. You can also replace the chicken with fish, beef balls, prawn, beef steak or bean curd but we say you can never go wrong with fried chicken.
Everyone’s favourite Indonesian island has a presence in Clarke Quay in the form of Balinese cuisine. Enjoy meat, seafood and vegetables dishes with a touch of tangy freshness at Bayang (which means “shadow” in Bahasa), including its signature dish, bebek betutu (seasoned and baked or roasted duck). We also love their Indonesian-themed decor (pictured).
#01-05 Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Rd, 179024 Website
NEXT: Bumbu Restaurant →
7. Bumbu Restaurant
We’ll throw this in for good measure. Bumbu (which means seasoning or spices traditional mixed by using a pestle and mortar) serves Thai-Indonesian food and an interesting pick includes pandan leaf chicken.
Selamat Tujuhbelasan to all our Indonesian friends!
By Muneerah Bee, August 2016 / Updated by Muneerah Bee, August 2019 / Additional reporting: Kirstie-mae Baptist, August 2020/ Photos: Respective Facebook pages
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