Ramadhan Special 2013: Nasi Tomato

Hey everyone! Just a quickie here for you.
We received an email from Lynn a few days ago to recommend some Nasi Tomato!

Apparently there's a stall in Bedok that is selling Nasi Tomato that Lynn says is "uber delicious" (aka The Bomb in my language) but it's only going to be offered during this fasting month period. Since there was only like about a week to go, I figured I'd better make my way down ASAP!

Nasi Tomato with Daging Rendang ($5.00)

Now that's a pretty picture isn't it?

So anyways this is a special set-up in front of an actual stall called Nur Indah's Kitchen/Abang Wan's Roti John at the market in Bedok North (across the road from the Bedok Stadium) and it's only going to be around until this weekend (4th August) before they pack it up.

They have quite a number of special dishes on offer including Briyani, Ayam Penyet and even Mee Bakso but I was there to sample Lynn's recommendation - Nasi Tomato!

The picture above was taken just after I got the food which was freshly packed after I ordered.

You actually have a choice of what you'd like to go with your Nasi Tomato, Firstly it's either beef or chicken and then you decide which style of meat you'd like.

For example, you have Rendang or Briyani style for the beef and you have briyani or masak merah style for the chicken.

 On top of the rice and meat, you'll also get some dalcha and some acar as well. Two types of acar for you to choose from. It's either the Acar Timun you get with Briyani or the Acar Tomato seen in the picture above.

A word of advice though - remind them to separate the meat and acar from the rice since you'll need to keep it for quite awhile before iftar time.

The beef and chicken were actually pretty nice! Well cooked and tasty. The chicken in particular was very flavourful and not over-cooked. The beef was good but the portion was a little small (for a meat lover like myself of course). The dalcha went well with the dish and definitely packed a punch in terms of flavour.

The tomato rice itself was a little hard though. This might be due to the fact that we had to keep it and then eat it later maybe? I bought it at around 1pm and kept it in the fridge before heating it up via 'kukus' method just before iftar time. Not sure if that was the cause of it?

Anyways if you're not fussy like me then you will have no problems. The rice was tasty and definitely worthy of a recommendation (unless you don't like hard rice of course).

Adam's Verdict:
Nasi Tomato Daging Rendang 2.5/5 -- Nasi Tomato Daging Rendang 3/5

I've actually only had Nasi Tomato one other time which is when my Dad cooked it at home.
I hear it's really actually quite troublesome to make for some reason so if you can find a good one, you should definitely try it.

But just remember - you only have 3 more days til the stall closes on 4 August!
Thanks to Lynn for the recommendation! Keep them coming in guys!

Nur Indah's Kitchen/Abang Wan's Roti John

Blk 59 New Upper Changi Road
Marketplace@59 #01-187

Operating Hours:
12.00pm til 7.00pm (until 4 August only)

Ramadhan Special 2013: IndoChili

Advertorial

Quite awhile back, I saw an old office buddy 'Like' a page on FB.
It was a makan place called 'IndoChili' which served authentic Indonesia fare. When I first messaged them to check on Halal certification status, they were still processing it. And a few weeks later, they got back to me with good news - IndoChili was finally certified Halal!

And finally, we got the chance to visit just in time for Ramadhan!

IndoChili is located a long Zion Road (just across the road from Great World City) and a really cozy place to have some good food and have a chill-out session with friends.

 

Such a cozy corner am I right? They also have normal dining tables and chairs if you're like (both indoor and outdoor) but this was actually really nice if you plan to relax and digest your food while chit-chatting with your friends and loved ones. (Those chairs are REALLY comfy by the way)

There were so many things to try on the menu! But alas, out stomachs could only handle so much so we chose a few dishes and will leave the rest for our next visit! :P

Kerupuk and Nuts (Complimentary)

Well they really got me in the mood to start eating when they served some complimentary Fish Kerupuk and Kerupuk Belinjau! But hey how about some real appetizers to get things going eh?

Welcoming Platter ($9.80)

This platter is actually a sampler of some of the appetizers you can actually order.
It comes with a couple of sticks of Sate Ayam Madura, Risoles and Perkedel (Potato Cutlets).
It's prefect if you wanna try a few different appetizers and also good for sharing with friends.

The potato cutlets were excellent. I know quite a number of you might be saying "It's just normal Bagedil what's the big deal?". Well believe you me, there's a big difference between a good potato cutlet and a not so good potato cutlet - and this one was a good potato cutlet.

Risoles

I'm not sure about you guys but I had never heard of Risoles (pronounced Ree-So-Leys) before our visit to IndoChili so I wasn't sure what exactly we were in for.

Apparently it's a kind of croquette which means you're gonna get a nice crunchy deep-fried potato layer on the outside and some delicious filling consisting of mainly chicken and veggies like carrots and celery in there.

It may be a savoury treat originating from Europe but the Indonesians have definitely made this particular deep-fried goody their own.

Definitely something new that you should try if you have not already done so!

But as delicious as the Perkedil and Risoles were, I simply could not wait to move to the item I was most looking forward to on the Welcoming platter...

Satay Ayam Madura

Indonesian-style Satay is something I definitely have come to enjoy.
There's something special about it... I know we all love Satay but this is something you MUST have.

At IndoChili, they charcoal-grill the chicken satay to tender perfection and it just rips right apart when you take a nice big bite. And if pairing it with the traditional Satay peanut gravy is not enough, they keep it 100% Indon-style with the addition of some sweet soy sauce!

One of the best and most authentic Indon-style Satay that my darling wife and I had was in Jakarta and this definitely brought back memories of that.

The Welcoming Platter comes with 2 skewers of the Satay Ayam Madura so the next time we go back, I'm definitely going to order the full plate of 5 skewers!!

Nasi Timbel ($11.80)

Here's another favourite which I'm sure those of you who have visited Indonesia would have seen being offered everywhere from restaurants to even road-side stalls.

It comes with banana leaf-wrapped white rice, ayam goreng (complete with kremes!), veggies (cucumber and tomato), a piece of salted fish (solid Indon touch!), tahu and tempeh plus a side of fiery sambal to complete this hearty dish.

The fried chicken was the bomb! Especially with the kremes (crunchy fried crumbs) which again bring back memories of eating in Jakarta and Bandung. This dish was really a one-stop for those of you looking something filling and satisfying. And by the way, the sambal was spicy but not too spicy (for those of you who might be a little worried).

Steamed White Rice for Nasi Timbel

Sayur Asem

Unwrap the banana leaf to uncover freshly steamed white rice which is fluffy and simply a delight.

The Nasi Timbel set also come with a nice bowl of Sayur Asem.
For those of you who have read my other reviews, you will know that I am a sucker for Sayur Asem and I'm surely gonna order it if it's on the menu. Luckily for me it came with my Nasi Timbel. Bonus!

The Sayur Asem was excellent and came with the usual goodies like young jackfruit and corn all bathing in the sweet-sour tamarind based broth. And what impressed me most was they include Biji Belinjo in their Sayur Asem. This is a traditional ingredient in Sayur Asem and some places simply neglect to include it but well done IndoChili!

No regrets at all having the Nasi Timbel!

Buntut Goreng Special ($16.00)

I'd actually never had Oxtail Stew before. It's not that I don't fancy it but I guess I just never really had the chance to try it. It's one of my Dad's favourite dishes so I figured this might be a good chance to try it.

A little something different though. This versions is the 'Goreng' (fried) version which sees the oxtail fried and served separately from the soup which they serve to you in a hotpot complete with flame to keep it nice and steamy for you! (As seen on the right)

The soup was tasty and reminded me of a really hearty beef broth with veggies like carrots all stewed to perfection.

But how would I find the actual Oxtail itself?
Hmmmmm....

OMG.
If this is Buntut Goreng then you have got to give me more!

I was okay to just settle for the tasty soup but the Oxtail itself way surpassed what I thought it was going to be like.
I'm sure the onions and sweet sauce played a big part but the Oxtail meat itself was so yummy!

It simply falls off the bones and I could do so with just a fork on my first taste. And for something that is supposedly fried, I didn't find it at all oily. In fact, the tenderness of the meat made me think that this might actually have been roasted in the oven for awhile at least.

Well, whatever they did to it - I approve!

But there is something I might point out...

The Buntut Goreng Special is served with a dish of sambal.
I mentioned earlier that the sambal served with the Nasi Timbel was not that spicy.. well this is a whole different story let me tell you!

I'd like to think that I'm quite a 'Hantu Chili' which means I can definitely handle spicy food (I take after my Mum - the ultimate 'Hantu Chili') but this sambal was way out of my league. Even my darling wife left it aside after a first taste. This sambal really packs a punch!

I'm sure those of you who love super spicy hot sambal will definitely enjoy this.
Maybe I should bring my Mum to test it :)

Sambal Mangga ($4.80)

And speaking of spicy...
We also ordered the Sambal Mangga and Sambal Goreng to accompany our dishes.
This was a nice Indonesian rendition of a mango salad. Definitely perks up your taste buds and gives you an appetite to keep eating I can tell you that.

Sambal Goreng Tahu Tempe ($7.80)

I know we are used to having a drier version of Sambal Goreng but the Indonesian-style includes a little more gravy so this goes really well if you're having a rice dish.

This is also a great choice if you're looking for a veggies-only dish!

Jus Alpukat ($6.80)

If you love Avacado Juice, this is the beverage of choice for you!
Delicious avocado and iced up and refreshing! And the best thing is that this not the watered-down type you might get at some places so this means this will probably last you for the whole meal.

And here's an interesting thing my darling wife spotted first.
Normally you'd get Avocado Juice topped off with some Gula Melaka (brown sugar syrup) to give it a hint of sweetness. Well, what you see above is... Chocolate syrup!

It's not conventional I know but it's actually not bad!
Well for those who still prefer the traditional Gula Melaka, don't worry you can still request for it when you place your order with the friendly staff. :)

Citron Soda ($4.80)

You guessed it! Some citrus (lemon and orange) syrup and fruit bits with soda water for a refreshing beverage to wash down all the yummy food!

They also had Jus Durian! Hmmm... maybe next time!

And you would think that after all that we would be full-up right?
Well we saw the desserts on the menu and couldn't bear to leave without sampling!

Es Cendol ($5.80)

My darling wife is a Cendol fanatic so we all know what she's gonna have am I right?

Pandan jelly, kidney beans, jackfruit, Gula Melaka and coconut milk all atop a bed of shaved ice...

I think we can tell by the look on her face that she's enjoying her Cendol! :)
And that was her first spoonful mind you.

Special mention about the shaved iced that was so finely shaved that it melts so smoothly when you devour a whole spoonful.
Simply delightful when it blends with the coconut miles and gula melaka.

If you like Cendol - try this!

Es Teler ($6.80)

Let me start by saying this - THIS WAS THE BOMB!

Finely shaved ice with jackfruit, avocado and coconut all covered with condensed milk!
Sinful maybe but definitely worth it I'm telling you. If you have a sweet tooth like me, this is perfect!
I finished every last thing in that dish.

I really saved the best for last on this one. I'm even going as far as to say that this is probably...
THE BEST DESSERT I'VE EVER HAD!

Adam's Verdict: 4.5/5

Maryah's Verdict: 4/5

There are still so many items on the menu that we are simply dying to try.
Rawon, Tahu Telur, Tumping Mini (which was sold out when we visited!) and assorted Ikan Bakar among other things.

This is a great place to come and enjoy great food. The staff is really friendly and the ambiance is just lovely.
Thanks to IndoChili for having us! We're definitely coming back!

IndoChili

54 Zion Road

www.indochili.com
www.facebook.com/IndoChili
Tel: 6445 1766 / 8168 4958

Operating Hours: 
11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

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***Special Ramadhan Promotion***

From now til 7 August 2013, enjoy a FREE Ramadhan Dessert when you visit IndoChili!!
(Limited serving per person while stocks last)

You will also receive a 10% discount vouched which you can use on your nest visit to IndoChili!
Make your reservations today at www.indochili.com

Check out The Halal Food Blog's FB page for more information on a special Ramadhan Contest where you stand a chance to win IndoChili dining vouchers!!

Ramadhan Special 2013: Pastamania Delivery

Great news for all you pasta lovers out there!
Now you can get your Pastamania fix for your sahur even!!

For the Ramadhan period, Pastamania will deliver up to 4am daily!!
That extra hour extension for their delivery means you can order your pasta for delivery and have it just in time for your sahur! Now that's what I call convenience!

What's more if you order their Jumbo Delight (shown above), you will get 3 complimentary cans of Coca Cola if you place your order in advance by 11pm the night before!

With the wide selection of pasta and pizzas available for selection, there's something for everyone to choose fro. If not ordering for sahur then can order for buka also!

So visit www.pastamaniadelivery.sg for the full menu. You can also place an order via the site, by phone or even via smartphone app.

www.pastamaniadelivery.sg
Delivery Hotline: 6275 7555
Delivery Hours: Up to 4am Daily during Ramadhan (Normally up to 3am Daily)

Ramadhan Special 2013: AquaMarine ft Chef Sahroni

Our original post on AquaMarine remains one of the most popular posts on The Halal Food Blog since we put it up almost a year ago. Well, we are sure they have been on the up and up since our last visit and they have something special to offer this Ramadhan.

This Ramadhan, AquaMarine has invited special guest Chef Sahroni all the way from Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta to serve up a special delectable spread for diners for Iftar this fasting month.

You can look forward to tucking-in to Indonesian favourites such as Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup), Opor Ayam (Braised Chicken in Coconut Milk) and even a variety of Penyet Delights including Chicken, Duck, Fish and Squid.

You can still get the same favourite spread you love at AquaMarine plus some special Asian and International delights such as Chicken Tikka, Shawarma, Chawanmushi with Crab Meat and Baked Seafood Pasta with Fennel Cream sauce among other tasty regular favourites like Sushi and Sashimi.

Sop Buntut

Opor Ayam

Satay

Penyet Delights

For those with a sweet-tooth, rejoice for you can still get your fix of the delicious desserts at AquaMarine plus special desserts prepared top suit the special menu this Ramadhan.

Try the special Indonesia Kueh Lapis and puddings to end your meal on the sweetest of notes

Lapis Surabaya

.

Assorted Indonesian Kuehs

Pudding

AquaMarine is also having a special lucky draw for the month of Ramadhan where diners stand a chance to win the Grand Prize of a pair of return-trip tickets to Bali on Garuda Indonesia (worth up to $680) and also other additional prizes such as Marina Mandarin Singapore's dining vouchers.

FYI, the hotel has prayer rooms (separate for gentlemen and ladies) on the 6th floor of the hotel  and kurma (dates) will be served for this special Iftar spread at AquaMarine. Best to call and make reservations especially if you'll be breaking fast with loved ones and family.

Insya Allah, hopefully The Halal Food Blog Team will get to sample the special spread at AquaMarine and spread the word to our readers on how it is! Watch this space!

Prices for the buffet are as follows;

Sunday to Thursday - $68++ per adult / $34++ per child
Friday and Sturday - $78++ per adult / $39++ per child

Aquamarine

Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Marina Square

http://www.meritushotels.com/en/hotelinformation/marina-mandarin-singapore/dining-entertainment/aquamarine
Tel: 6845 1111

Operating Hours (Iftar):
Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm

Bazaar Raya Utara (Woodlands Bazaar) - Putu Piring

I remember back during fasting month in my active NS days, I used to visit the Woodlands Bazaar.
We're talking about back in 2005 when my camp was in Mandai and in our spare time in the evenings, we'd either go to Choa Chu Kang or to Woodlands mainly because the buses outside our camp went to either.

And in 2005, Woodlands Bazaar seemed like it was such a wonderful place.
It was the first place I had ever heard of 'Bee Hoon Briyani' and also a place for us to get food there was no way of getting anywhere near our camp like 'Siput Sedut' and 'Murtabak'.

So I thought what a nice idea it was for my darling wife and me to take a trip there.
Revisit the old days of exploring the wonderful offerings of the Woodlands Bazaar.

Oh boy was I wrong.

Don't get me wrong it was still a massive area of food stalls. But the problem is they were all selling the same thing. And I know you're probably saying "Why you complaining? It's the same everywhere what!"
Well, in that case I choose not to travel all the way too Woodlands when I can experience the "same" in the east side.

But some notable mentions though.
I saw a really long queue forming along one of the stalls which was apparently selling 'Nasi Bukhari'.
It seemed so popular that when one giant pot finished, people were willing to wait while another giant pot was being delivered to feed the masses.

Another popular stall was one selling Laksa. But we didn't buy any.

We did however buy some Putu Piring.

So there was this table set up beside one of the bigger stalls selling Nasi Briyani.
I mean literally a table with no sign and just this dude and a pregnant lady making the Putu Piring.

Seemed like a decent enough set-up and well I guess I was hankering for some Putu Piring.

Putu Piring (5 for $2.00)

So this traditional Malay kueh is basically gula melaka encased in rice flour before being steamed.
It's served with grated coconut and definitely satisfies a sweet tooth.

Okay so the Putu Piring itself was not too bad and was going for a decent price.
However, truth be told, there are definitely better quality Putu Piring out there for the same price.

Okay so I don't care so much about the rice flour because in the end the kueh is still there.
But as my darling wife was the first to point out - the gula melaka was mixed with normal granulated sugar.
And for some reason - that really really made a difference.
If you click on the photo I took above of the guy adding the gula melaka to the kueh, you can see (if you zoom) that it's not really pure gula melaka.

But hey hey who knows maybe times are hard and gula melaka prices are on the up and up. So that's fine.
But another thing - it wasn't even cooked properly...
Maybe the growing crowd made them think they could shave off a few seconds of steaming time.
Big mistake.

In my humble opinion, Putu Piring is one of those things that you should eat as soon as possible while it's still warm and soft. So I guess the fact that we ate it only 2 hours later for our breaking fast plays a big part.
(But I doubt that eating it hot would have made us miss the granulated sugar)

Adam's Verdict:

Putu Piring 2/5

Maryah's Verdict::
Putu Piring 1/5

Well overall it wasn't so bad if you ask me.
Not the best I've had but it's still good enough for anyone who feels like having some Putu Piring.
Just make sure they cook it properly.

 No Name Putu Piring
(Look for this sign)


Bazaar Raya Utara (Woodlands Bazaar)
Beside Woodlands MRT Station


Operating Hours: 2.00pm - 7.00pm

Bussorah Street Bazaar - Mini Otah-Otah

So I recently dropped by the Bussorah Street Bazaar Ramadhan to see how it was this year.
Firstly, it's smaller. Secondly, it's shifted slightly. It's no longer along the same stretch on the Kandahar/Bussorah main road this year. It's actually shifted onto the pathway along Sultan Mosque itself known as Muscat Street.

It's a pretty packed environment truth be told. Just a narrow lane with stalls flanking each side.
Most of them are selling pretty much the same thing. You've got your lauk-pauk to go along with your rice. Kebabs are always around just like the burger stalls. There are some shops selling your kuih-muih Melayu (although classic favourites like Bubur Som-Som and Kuih Jongkong seemed to be missing. Or maybe I was too early/late). Some unique stalls selling Naan and even one selling Bosnian food are there.

There was one stall that did catch my eye though.

Mini Otah-Otah (5 for $2.00)

There was this guy slaving over an electric grill with what seemed like otah-otah.
Really really small otah-otah.

I'm actually a sucker for otah-otah believe it or not so how could I possible resist this.
I'm definitely used to seeing the normal otah-otah around and quite a lot of different variations nowadays but this was actually the first time I was seeing the Mini variety.

You may see this guys working hard to grill the otah-otah.

I didn't get a chance to ask his name because he seemed so busy but I'm going to call him 'Guy Smiley'. Why? Because the guys was smiling all the time! And to me that was a real plus point.

He would literally look you in the eye and give you this wide smile which was really inviting and said to me "Come try my otah-otah bro!" And so I did.

And yes yes I know. The lady besides him looks like she's making the hand signal for money.

Don't be fooled by the small size of the otah-otah - it still packs a punch!

The otah itself does not contain too much flour (like some of the others you might get nowadays) nor does it have too much coconut in it. Just the right mix if you ask me but my darling wife doesn't really fancy the coconut aspect of the otah-otah. But we both agree it also manages to be a bit on the spicy side!

And I took a photograph but it wasn't really clear - there are some pretty considerable chunks of fish you might find in your otah-otah. This definitely gives it a nice texture with some bite rather than your average flat red otah-otah which may be tasty but does tend to be a bit... lembik if you know what I mean.

Adam's Verdict:

Mini Otah-Otah 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:

Mini Otah-Otah 3/5

This shop also sells Pau Johor if you want to try it.
But I definitely recommend the Mini Otah-Otah. Please buy me some too okay! 

Anjung Otah-Otah Mini / Pau Johor


Bussorah Street Ramadhan Food Fest 2012
Bussirah Mall/Muscat Street


Operating Hours: 3.00pn til 8.00pm (21 July til 17 August)

Tampines Bazaar Ramadhan

I'm sure many of you east-siders know of the famous 'bazaar bawah blok' in Tampines right?

It used to be situated at Blk 942 just before the Tampines Stadium junction) and there was always traffic congestion in the late afternoons because people would park and wait at the bus stop at the side of the road just to rush in and get some food.

Well I'm afraid the bad news is that there is no more bazaar there this year.

But my darling wife and I decided to go check out a lead and found out that it has now shifted to a different location in Tampines!

It's now been shifted to Blk 301 Tampines Street 32 (like duh as seen above).
This is just across the road from Tampines East CC (the big green one) and at the same junction where you turn in at Ngee Ann Secondary School to get to Tampines Mart.

Well you've still got your usual mix of stall but most of them selling the same thing.

I think at least half of the stall were selling all the lauk-pauk for you to enjoy with rice.
I saw a Kebab stall. I saw a couple of stalls selling burgers. And a lot of stall selling kuih-muih.

The one major stall that was missing seems to be the stall that sells 'Bee Hoon Briyani'.
When the bazaar at Blk 942 was still around, I remember the biggest crowd would be for this Bee Hoon Briyani and it would sell out the fastest as well.

So if you're looking for Bee Hoon Briyani you might wanna head down to Bussorah Street instead.

Two more things I simply have to point out.

1 - The parking is going to be hell.
2 - The block is not as spacious as Blk 942. So prepare for the situation as shown below

Bazaar Ramdhan


Void deck of Blk 301 Tampines Street 32
Operating Hours: 3.00pm - 7.00pm daily (21 July - 17 August)