IndoChili Part IV

That's right we are back again!

IndoChili is the most reviewed makan place on The Halal Food Blog!! 4th visit and counting!!
And it's not just that the food and service are great. It's also because even though we've visited so many times, we're still trying something new with each visit!!

Azlan & Yana - Resident Reviewers

This time we are visiting with Azlan & Eriyana aka Mein Brudder and Mein Sister-In-Law who have heard us talking so much about IndoChili that they finally couldn't take it and decided to meet us for lunch.

We had the usual favourites like the Sate Ayam Madura which is THE BOMB no matter how many times we have it. We had 2 servings as usual because 1 is never enough.

My darling wife decided to have the Nasi Timbel which I had during our first visit.

Rendang Sapi ($9.80)

We also had the Rendang Sapi which we sampled during one of our recent visits.
Meat was still tender and so full of flavour (a little on the salty side this time though). If you love Rendang, this is a must-have when you visit IndoChili. A great accompaniment when you're having rice!

Ayam Kari Padang ($8.80)

Something new we decided to try was the Ayam Kari Padang.
Despite it's name, it's not really what you'd expect when you order a 'curry'. In fact, from the picture, you might probably guess it's more of a 'lemak' dish.

Full of wholesome 'lemak' flavour with just a hint of curry from the curry leaves. But it's definitely not a curry so it's you're looking for a 'curry', this is not for you. But having said that, this chicken we got was huge!
The thigh part you see above was enough for 2-3 people to share!

Tahu Telor ($8.80)

Now the Tahu Telor was a horse (or rather a beancurd) of a different colour!

Beancurd and egg deep-fried to a crispy perfection on the outside but a steaming wonderland inside. Smother it with peanut gravy and top it off with beansporuts, carrots and keropok udang and you have yourself a winner!

If tucking into the hearty egg/beancurd is not enough to grab you, the peanut gravy was excellent and very very tasty. Come on! How can you pass up on some Tahu Telor!!

Tumpeng Mini ($9.80)

JENG JENG JENG!!
Here's something that I've been dying to try since our first visit but it's either sold-out or I end up ordering something else because I'm eating in a group.

Well since this was my 4th visit, I had no excuse.
It was definitely - TUMPENG TIME!

Well let me introduce you to the gang.

You've got a nice mount of their special Yellow Rice surrounded by a lot of goodies to go along.
The meat portion is a piece of Ayam Bumbu Rojak which is chicken with some 'rojak' gravy. This was my first time trying it and I thought it was delicious! It definitely went will with the yellow rice and very tasty!

You've also got some perkedel aka bagedil. Let's face it - chicken and potatoes are like... chicken and potatoes. Must have combination! Some peanut acar, vegetable (cucumber, carrot and pineapple) acar and keropok round thing off.

This is actually a very famous Javanese dish and the bigger full version is meant to be enjoyed by a whole group of people which gives everyone a chance to bond and share in the happiness found when sharing a meal. IndoChili also has the full version (for catering) but the Tumpeng Mini is a perfect intro if you've never had anything like it before and a hearty meal to enjoy by yourself or even to share between 2 people.

Mein Brudder decided to try the Strawberry Cream Soda because it looked damn nice.
It was quite tasty but here's a tip for you. Just mix the cream in and drink. Don't worry if it's a little sour. We checked with the staff just to be sure and it's meant to be that way. Kinda like a yoghurt. Refreshing!

Yana actually had the Es Kopi Durien (which I am so sorry I didn't take a picture).
And she says it was the BOMB! Surprisingly, durian and coffee apparently go very well together and they do it perfectly at IndoChili.

She even went as far as to say that if she had to order just 2 things from IndoChili, it would be the Es Kopi Durien and the Es Teler.

Es Teler ($6.80)

That's right. You heard me. ES TELER!
You didn't think we'd miss out on a chance to order it did you?
If you had to bet your last dollar on what we'd order at IndoChili, bet on the Es Teler.

Too sweet for some. But it's the bomb.

Es Delima ($6.00)

We also decided to try something new in the desserts department so we tried the Es Delima.
This is also another pretty popular Indo dessert. A bed of shaved ice with Red Ruby, coconut and jackfruit.
Not as sweet as the Es Teler so a good choice if you're looking for something to coll down without the sugar overload.

Adam's Verdict:
Sate Ayam Madura 4/5 -- Kari Ayam Padang 2.5/5 -- Rendang Sapi 3.5/5 -- Tahu Telor 4/5
Tumpeng Mini 3.5/5 -- Es Teler 5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Nasi Timbel 3/5 -- Tahu Telor 4/5 -- Es Delima 1.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Sate Ayam Madura 4.5/5 -- Rendang Sapi 3/5 -- Tahu Telor 4.5/5
Tumpeng Mini 3.5/5 -- Es Teler 4/5 -- Strawberry Cream Soda 3.5/5

Yana's Verdict:
Sate Ayam Madura 4/5 -- Kari Ayam Padang 1/5 -- Rendang Sapi 3/5 -- Tahu Telor 5/5
Es Teler 5/5 -- Es Kopi Durien 5/5

Needless to say, another happening visit to IndoChili.
We heard they might be making some changes to their menu items this year so we hope we get to visit soon and we will report back our findings soon!

IndoChili

54 Zion Road

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

Operating Hours: 
11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

Bumbu Desa: Es Kacang

So my darling wife and I have been spending a bit more time at Novena Square recently because we go nearby for some medical checks. This that after these checks, we do makan most of the time at Novena Square and/or the surrounding area.

One of those particular days, my darling wife suddenly decides she feels like having something "icy and sweet". Luckily for us, we came across Bumbu Desa!

Es Kacang ($4.30)

So the Es Kacang is a nice big bowl of sweet Red Beans, cononut milk and ice.
That's about as simple as it gets I think and yet it can still be so good!

They're not stingy with the coconut milk so you get a nice rich coconut milk flavour with every spoonful you shove in your mouth. And the beans are big, sweet and really really satisfying if you're having a *ahem* craving. SATISFYING TO THE MAX!

But I do wish they would have done a bit of a better job with the ice instead of having one big block in the middle like that. I guess the best way to sum this one up is Cendol but without the Cendol.
Weird right?

Adam's Verdict:
Es Kacang 3/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Es Kacang 4/5

They actually have quite a interesting menu with a nice big spread of Indo classics. Looks like we might drop by for a full meal the next time!

Bumbu Desa

Novena Square 2 #B1-01 to 05
10 Sinaran Drive

Tel: 6397 2783
www.bumbudesasg.com

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

Pondok Jawa Timur - Tahu Telor

Okay okay so I know it's weird.
When you try out some place new for the first time, you normally go for their main dishes or at least the dishes which are supposed to be the star attraction.

But this is not the case today...

Two of our avid readers, @Siti Zulfie, messaged us on FB one day to update us that Pondok Jawa Timur was finally certified Halal. We first visited Pondok Jawa Timur when we were doing the EpiKebabs review but they informed us that they were not yet certified Halal. Well, I guess they fixed that problem!

Tahu Telor ($9.90)

That's right. We started with a side dish. And that's all we had.
Truth be told, we were just killing time before a movie and thought this would be a nice snack.
And what better snack than some fried stuff right?

First things first - this is a huge serving. Definitely enough to share between 4-5 people.

Second things second - It's actually quite tasty. The peanut sauce is quite nice and not too think or too watery. Gives a nice oomph to the dish especially when the deep fired egg soaks up the gravy and you take a nice big soggy bite. Nice big pieces of tahu mixed in there too.

Third things third -

I don't know if this is an Indo thing but there was a hidden treasure beneath the tahu and the telor.
Potatoes and lontong! It was as if there was a golden blanket covering these little morsels!
Anyways it wasn't much. Just some extra filler-uppers I guess.

Another thing you might want to take note of is the sambal on the side.
This is some spicy stuff so beware if you're not a fan of fiery mouths.

And they also had some pickled cucumber on the side which is always welcome in my books.

Es Kelapa Muda Gula Jawa ($4.50) & Es Soda Gembira ($3.50)

Well just because we had only a side dish doesn't mean we didn't need to wash it down.

I had my usual choice of Soda Gembira.
Unfortunately it wasn't good and was pretty tasteless actually. Can't beat the #1 Soda Gembira in my books.
And it was a little pricey too.

My darling wife had the  Es Kelapa Muda Gula Jawa.
It's not Gula Melaka okay.. it's Gula Jawa! Which was actually a very nice touch to the coconut juice but unfortunately they were a little stingy on the coconut itself. Not worth the price.

Adam's Rating:
Tahu Telor 3/5 -- Es Soda Gembira 1/5

Maryah's Rating:
Tahu Telor 2.5/5 -- Es Kelapa Muda Gula Jawa 3.5/5

Maybe next time we will get a chance to try out the mains.
@Siti Zulfie recommended a few like Nasi Kuning Komplit, Nasi Campur Surabaya, Ayam Bakar Kecap and Gado-Gado! We have a favourite haunt for Indo food but seeing as to how the dishes at Pondok Jawa Timur are quite similar, I guess it's time to do a comparison!

Pondok Jawa Timur

Wilkie Edge
8 Wilkie Road #01-21

Tel: 6884 5853

Operating Hours:
11.30am til 10.00pm Daily