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My best knowledge of Indonesian food is Sanur Indonesian Restaurant. I've tried Rice Table and Riverside Indonesian Restaurant but after many years, I still go back to Sanur whenever I feel like Indonesian. The thing I love most about Sanur is its fiery sambal belacan chilli. Each time I visit Sanur, my tongue will be burnt even before the main dishes(mostly spicy) are served. Because I just couldn't resist dipping the keropok with the chilli sauce. The chilli is available for purchase. ;)
Lately, F introduced me to a new Indonesian dish, Ayam Penyat ($5.50). Ayam Penyet Ria is an Indonesian restaurant with franchises in Jakarta, Medan, Batam and Surabaya. It is apparently very popular with Indonesians especially, and has opened two outlets in Lucky Plaza alone. And yet, one still has to queue during peak hours. I guess this is a sign of authenticity.
Ayam Penyat is actually chicken thigh hammered flat with a wooden pestle, then deep-fried. The chicken is a tad dry and the crisps didn't really help to ease my throat. Maybe I should have ordered their soup to go along. Anyway, what complimented the not-so-fantastic dish was the sambal chilli. Power! It reminded me of Sanur's. So much kick!
I also tried the Bawal Lele (deep fried pomfret) which was not as dry.
The Gado Gado (keropok salad) is not my choice. I would rather eat the keropok with the chilli! :P
All in all, I'll definitely go back for the chilli and at the convenience of Orchard Road. But to substitute Ayam Penyet for KFC, no way. Right, K? ;)
I finally got to try 兴化 cuisines for the very first time. But instead of the well known Pu Tien (莆田）, Z brought us to Ming Chung Restaurant at 67 Maude Rd (just one street away from Pu Tien, Kitchener Rd).
The "white lor mee", which is their signature dish, was loaded with clams, pork, veggies, prawns, fried bean curd. I find it too bland for my liking even though the vinegar supposed to bring out the flavour of the dish.
The "la la" (clams) was my favourite. Spicy and garlicky, it tasted very much like vongole.
The fried bee hoon was tastier compared to the signature noodles, although nothing to shout about.
The fried prawn balls were deep fried to perfection. Crispy and not too oily with the sweetness of the prawns intact.
While chatting over dinner about 兴化 cuisines, we decided to swing by Pu Tien (莆田） for some desserts.
Z highly recommended The Pumpkin Cream with Ice Cream ($4.80) which was rich and creamy yet not too sweet.
The Sweet Potato Balls($12.00) were great munchers to go along with the Pumpkin dessert. I don't like pumpkin or sweet potato per se but surprisingly, I enjoyed them both.
All thanks to Z's fame, desserts were complimentary. :)
兴化 cuisines appeared to be simple and unpretentious. (Looking at Pu Tien's scrumptious menu, I reckon I've to try them to verify that.) Irregardless, if you like homecooked style food, I'm sure you'll enjoy a hearty meal at Ming Chung Restaurant. They opens from 3 pm till midnite and are closed on Mondays.
