SIN: The Rice Table {CLOSED}
Savour a variety of Indonesian dishes in small portions!
UPDATE (03/06/2021): The restaurant has closed down.
Service: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
UPDATE (03/06/2021): The restaurant has closed down.
Rijstaffel (lit. Rice Table) is a term coined by the Dutch during their occupation of Indonesia, who approached Indonesian food with a great deal of caution at first by sampling one dish after another in small quantities. The Rice Table inside the unassuming International Building at Orchard Road is a restaurant where you can have all-you-can-eat rijstaffel experience.
I went there for lunch with my friend.
All-You-Can-Eat Lunch S$19.80
For the price, you can order rice and a total of 14 dishes as many times as you like. Some of the dishes are placed on a food warmer, so that you can enjoy them slowly without having to worry about them getting cold.
Ayam Kalio; Ayam Panggang; Ikan Goreng; Otak-Otak
The ayam kalio - a kind of chicken curry - was savoury enough for my liking, while the ayam panggang (lit. grilled chicken) with kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) was adequately tender and tasty. I don't have anything much to say about the ikan goreng (lit. deep-fried fish) with sweet chili sauce, except that it wasn't oily, thankfully. Since it's an Indonesian restaurant, I was looking forward to the Palembang style otak-otak - a kind of grilled fish cake - that's whitish in colour and bouncier than the soft and spicy, orange-coloured variant commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia that I don't quite like. Alas, it turned out to be the latter.
Sate Ayam; Tahu Kuning; Kangkong Belachan; Sayur Lodeh
Topped with peanut sauce mixed with kecap manis, the sate ayam (lit. chicken skewers) were quite juicy and tender. The tahu kuning - tofu in light curry sauce - was so-so. I found the stir-fried kangkung (lit. water spinach) with belachan (lit. shrimp paste) to be rather salty, but the sayur lodeh - vegetables stewed in coconut milk - was adequately rich.
Daging Rendang; Okra Tauco; Rujak Manis; Acar Ketimun
The daging rendang - a slightly dry beef curry - featured beef shin that was acceptably succulent and gelatinous. It could be spicier though. The okra tauco - ladyfingers cooked with salted fermented soy beans - was piquant and enjoyable enough. The rujak manis - a kind of fruit salad with shrimp paste - was quite refreshing, but the acar ketimun (lit. pickled cucumbers) was less so.
Tahu Telur; Soto Ayam
To be frank, I wasn't expecting the tahu telur - deep-fried beancurd with eggs - to be so moreish that I had three plates of it. It was topped with peanut sauce mixed with kecap manis, similar to that used for the chicken skewers. The soto ayam - clear chicken soup - didn't actually have chicken meat, but there were bits of eggs. I suppose they simply used chicken bones for the broth, seasoned with turmeric and other spices, which was actually not too shabby.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7.5/10
Ambience: 6.5/10Service: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
I've been hearing that due to its popularity, the restaurant usually receives a lot of calls for reservations, especially for weekend lunch. Pika's advice: If you're willing to spend S$11.00 more, you can go for dinner instead. Priced at S$30.80, it includes five additional dishes.
The Rice Table
360 Orchard Road
#02-09 International Building
Singapore
(Daily: 12 noon - 3.00pm, 6.00pm - 10.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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