SIN: Pondok Jawa Timur
'Nasi kuning' always makes me happy!
How many of you're fans of Indonesian cuisine? Today, we shall look at Pondok Jawa Timur that used to be located near Sultan Mosque in the historic Kampong Glam precinct, but it's now housed inside Far East Plaza at Orchard. As the name suggests, the restaurant specialises in dishes from East Java.
Tahu Telor S$8.90
Taste: 7/10
A dish that is commonly found in many Indonesian restaurants in Singapore, tahu telor is a beancurd omelette topped with peanut sauce. I found the restaurant's rendition of it to be healthier than many others as it wasn't so greasy, but at the same time, it wasn't so addictively crunchy. The peanut sauce was pretty chunky and sweet. There were also pickled cucumbers and a heap of small-sized crackers.
Nasi Kuning Komplit S$11.90
Taste: 8/10
The aromatic rice infused with turmeric came with a number of side dishes, though I was hoping to see more cucumber slices for a slightly more balanced meal. I enjoyed the tender fried chicken that went well with the fiery chili. The rendang - slightly dry beef curry in this case - was rich and succulent enough. The perkedel (Indonesian style potato cake), shredded omelette, as well as sweet and spicy potato crisps were all pretty good too.
Mie Goreng Jawa S$8.50
Taste: 8/10
The deep-fried egg noodle was an equally solid main course, thanks to the springy noodle having adequate thickness. It was flavourful without being too oily, going well with the pickled cucumbers that were refreshingly sweet and sour. While the boiled chicken breast was tender, I'd prefer it to be shredded further.
Es Teler S$4.90
Taste: 7/10
Es teler is named so because when people first tried the creation of a humble peddler, they found it so good that they felt as if they were teler (lit. intoxicated) from it. Hidden underneath the shaved ice drizzled with sweetened condensed milk were a mix of avocado, jackfruit and young coconut. For the price, it wasn't stingy with the ingredients. Overall, it wasn't too sweet.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Overall: 6.5/10
Recently, I actually went to the restaurant again to try their rawon (Indonesian beef soup), but I wasn't particularly impressed with it. Pika's advice: I forgot to take note of the details, but you may be interested in their Weekday Lunch Sets, starting from S$7.90, from 11.00am to 3.00pm from Monday to Friday.
Pondok Jawa Timur
14 Scotts Road
#05-22/23 Far East Plaza
Singapore
(Daily: 11.00am - 9.00pm)
*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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