SIN: The Moluccas Room {CLOSED}

Two delightful chicken dishes done Indonesian style!

UPDATE (04/12/2015): The restaurant has closed down.

The Moluccas Room was born in an attempt to elevate Indonesian cuisine to the level of fine dining, adding yet another chic restaurant in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. The name Moluccas refers to the Maluku Islands, which are also informally known as the Spice Islands due to its historical significance as a hub of trading of the said goods.

Besides offering contemporary main courses, the restaurant also serves a variety of satay dishes that can be found in the country of origin.

Sate Ayam Madura S$22.00

Taste: 8.5/10

Madura is an island off the coast of East Java. The grilled chicken skewers were truly tender, covered with creamy sauce which was a concoction of roasted peanuts and sweet soy sauce. They came with pickled cucumbers, shallots and chilis which were highly refreshing as a result of hours of bathing in garlic vinegar.

Sate Padang Lidah Sapi S$27.00

Taste: 7/10

My BFF has always raved about beef tongue being immensely tender. My virgin experience with that primary organ of taste of an Angus beef did attest to his words. Unfortunately, the sauce made of beef broth was half as good as the original one from Padang, the capital of the West Sumatra province. It wasn't spicy and seemed to be lacking in some ingredients that rendered it less fragrant.

Confit Sakura Ayam Tuturaga S$30.00

Taste: 9/10

The chicken main course brought me for a jolly trip to Manado, the capital of the North Sulawesi province. The white meat was clean and juicy, while the citrusy curry spoke of fresh coconut milk that packed a punch without being cloyingly rich. The dish was decorated with thin, curly strips of what I'd guess to be made of sweet potatoes.

Angus Steak Rendang S$32.00

Taste: 4.5/10

Alas, the dish that I was highly anticipating turned out to be a fiasco. Firstly, the outer layer of the steak was burnt to the point of being bitter, even though the inside still retained some moisture. Secondly, the gravy wasn't even vaguely reminiscent of that found in the Indonesian spicy meat dish, not too mention that it was too sweet for my liking.

Nasi Kuning S$3.00

Taste: 8.5/10

The cone-shaped yellow rice was cooked well. Each grain had a remarkable turmeric fragrance which was just nice without being too heavy on the palate.

Nasi Uduk S$3.00

Taste: 8.5/10

Similarly, the Indonesian equivalent of nasi lemak (Malay rice dish cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves) was executed well. The aroma of pandan was oh-so-evident, especially complementing the chicken satay nicely. 

Es Campur S$12.00

Taste: 4.5/10

The expensive dessert, arranged inside a glass bowl which probably would be claustrophobic even for just one goldfish, became sweeter with every scoop to the point of being overwhelmingly so. The amount of cocopandan syrup and sweet condensed milk was definitely not balanced by that of crushed ice, not to mention that the attap seeds had previously been soaked in sugar solution. The saving grace was the fresh avocado used.

Es Teh Serai S$10.00

Taste: 8.5/10

The beverage that I tried was a glass of refreshing and fragrant lemongrass tea. A small container full of simple syrup was served for me to adjust the level of sweetness.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8.5/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Service was pretty much efficient by the female server, even though it was somewhat robotic on the manager side. Apart from that, I enjoyed the relaxed ambience of the restaurant. Pika's advice: The restaurant serves a range of take-out dishes which isn't too expensive. You may want to check it out! 

The Moluccas Room

2 Bayfront Avenue

#01-81 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Singapore
(Daily: 11.30am - 3.00pm, 6.00pm - 10.30pm)

http://themoluccasroom.com/

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)