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

IndoChili Part III

I'm guessing most of you might know by now how much we simply adore IndoChili.
This is our 3rd visit and probably not our last. And everytime we visit, we order some favourites and try some new stuff too!!

This time we visited to celebrate a birthday with the whole family of about 12 people!
IndoChili is definitely suitable for a quite dinner for 2 or even a celebration with a big group.

Sate Ayam Madura ($7.80)

As always, one of our favourites and a must-have whenever we visit is the Sate Ayam Madura.
Tender chicken bathing in peanut gravy is a sure win. Never ever fails to satisfy and most times we even end up ordering a 2nd serving.

We did try something a little differently this time though.
Since we were dining with a pretty large group, we didn't order individual dishes like we normally would.
Instead, we took the opportunity to try something on a slightly larger scale.

Combo Bakaran ($42.80)

If you've got a large group and looking to try a few different things, then this is definitely something you should consider trying.

It's basically a platter of grilled goodies including fish, squid, prawns, sate and some chicken.

And of course, we are going to run it down for you :)

This is a Black Pomfret grilled in the style of the 'masak kecap'.
And unfortunately this was the only disappointing thing in the whole Combo Bakaran platter.

Maybe it was our bad luck but the fish wasn't as fresh as you'd expect.
I visited with a whole bunch of 'professional fish eaters' and I definitely trust their taste when it comes to the consumption of fish and other assorted seafood.

Seasoning was nice but just unlucky with the quality of fish this time around.

Next up was the Cumi Jimbaran or grilled squid.
This was definitely better and was just as good as the first time we tried it.

We had the Belado the first time around and for the grilled version this time, it's got a very nice and sweet glaze to go along with the tender squid.

For me, this was the real star of the platter - the Udang Bakar Jimbaran.

Jimabarn in Bali is famous for its delicious seafood and IndoChili has taken a page out of that book and definitely put it to good use with the squid and prawns here. A nice sweet glaze coats the prawn and enhances the already sweet flavour of the prawn. And as you can see, it's a bloody giant prawn!!

I'm not really big prawn fan to be honest but even I enjoyed this which really says a lot.
But there are only 2 prawns in this platter so you have to either be nice and share or be quick and stingy!!

For the chicken component, they have 2 servings for you.
2 skewers of some Sate Ayam Madura (which is already a win) and Ayam Panggang Padang.

If you remember, we tried the Ayam Panggang Padang the last time we visited.
And it was one of the biggest surprises! (Pleasant one of course)

It looks like a really simple dish but sometimes simplicity is best I reckon and it's proven here.
The chicken is tender and grilled to perfection and the spice gravy coating is simple delicious.
The chicken is marinated well because you can taste the flavour when you take a nice big bite.

So overall, the Combo Bakaran is worth it if you have people to share it with so everyone can have a bit of something that they like. But if you like something specific, then perhaps it might be best to order just that dish for yourself and be satisfied.

Nasi Kuning ($2.00 per serving)

Oh and by the way, I decided to try the Nasi Kuning this time instead of the usual white rice.
Thought it'd be nice to have something new with all the dishes we ordered.

This is definitely more tasty than the normal white rice.
But I must give you fair warning - the rice is cooked to a soft and still slightly mushy texture. So if you're like me and have a preference for a drier texture, you have been informed!!

Rendang Sapi ($9.80)

This is a dish that I tried during the last visit but didn't get a chance to review.
The reason being - it was snapped up so fast that I didn't get a chance to photograph it!
But alas! I have succeeded this time!

The menu says that they the meat is "slow-cooked for at least 4 hours". And they weren't kidding.
The beef is super tender and succulent. I just just through it with a fork!
And the spicy gravy is a delight and bursting with flavour.

Tempe Pete ($8.80)

And last but not least for the feast is something that some people may fancy and some people may not.

Some people call it Stink Beans. It's scientific name is Parkia Speciosa.
One thing for sure - Petai is definitely an acquired taste.

I only started eating (and enjoying) petai in recent years. Most people are put off by its strong taste and pungent after-smell. Well it may be quite a mouthful but for those who enjoy it, it's simply a delight when enjoyed with some accompanying sambal.

The IndoChili version is paired with some tempeh which is fine. The dish itself is quite tasty and definitely on the spicy side. But I do find the price a little on the high side though (it's more expensive than the Sate!!)

Adam's Verdict:
Sate Ayam Madura 4/5 -- Combo Bakaran 3/5 -- Rendang Sapi 4/5 -- Tempe Pete 3/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Sate Ayam Madura 4/5 -- Combo Bakaran 2.5/5 -- Tempe Pete 2.5/5

Simply put - enjoyed the dinner at IndoChili and can't wait to visit again.
Still so many things we want to try on the menu! Mark my words... next time - Tumping!!!

 IndoChili

54 Zion Road

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

Operating Hours: 
11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

Haron 30 Satay

When someone mentions East Coast Lagoon Food Village, the top two things that come to mind are Satay and Seafood. (Admit it you know I'm right!!)

And when you talk about Satay, one of the top names you'll hear is - Haron 30 Satay aka Satay Haron.

In July, a fire ravaged a few stalls at the older version on the East Coast Lagoon Food Village and unfortunately, one of the stall that was affected was Satay Haron. That means a few months went past that people could not get their fix of freshly bakar-ed Satay Haron...

But the good news it, East Coast Lagoon Food Village has now reopened and back to business!!

Beef, Mutton & Chicken Satay ($0.70 per stick, minimum 10 sticks)

There are at least 5 stalls to choose from at East Coast Lagoon Food Village when it comes to Satay but the name Satay Haron is #1 on everyone's lips and for very good reason too.

We've been going to eat at East Coast Lagoon Food Village for years and tried all the Satay stalls at one point and after awhile, we just decided to keep buying from Haron stall. It's not that the other stalls were not delicious... I guess it's just a matter of consistency and the fact that Satay Haron sells the type of Satay that meets our standards.

Beef, Chicken or Mutton?

Take your pick. Whether it's beef, chicken or mutton, you won't regret.
If you're lucky, you might even get to order some babat!

Satay Haron marinates and seasons its meats perfectly. You get just the right hint of spices when you take a nice big chomp. The marinade does tend to put the Satay a little on the sweet side but it's not overpowering and the nice sticky glaze enhances the Satay in my opinion.

One of the key elements to good Satay is the person who is bakar-ing (or grilling) the Satay. It takes skill to be able to control the fire just right that you manage to get the meat to the perfect tenderness while getting a nice char on the outer layer. And believe me - Satay Haron excels at this.

The Satay is super tender no matter whether you order Chicken, Beef or Mutton.
I say they all rock the bomb.

In fact, my darling wife is actually not a big fan of chicken satay but ALWAYS whacks it whenever we are having Satay Haron. And trust me - that says a lot! So good she says it's her favourite!

The peanut gravy which accompanies the satay also rocks!!

I know some people who are purists and eat the satay on its own so that they can enjoy the flavour of the satay on its own but it definitely gets better if you're a fan of the peanut gravy. Good tasty gravy here. It's not really a very finely ground mixture here because you'll get the odd piece of peanut here and there but this hits the spot nonetheless.

Satay Haron also offers BBQ Chicken Wings... but we're here for the Satay!!

Adam's Verdict:
Satay 5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Satay 4.5/5

To be fair, The Halal Food Blog Team will be officially reviewing all the stalls at East Coast Lagoon Food Village eventually (maybe a Makan vs Makan perhaps??) but I'm guessing that it's gonna be a challenging feat to knock Satay Haron off from our top spot.

I remember a time when Satay used to cost $0.30 - $0.40 a stick when I was kid and prices are definitely on the up and up to an average of $0.70 (or even more!) per stick at most places. If I'm going to pay such a price, I'm gonna make sure I'm buying a product I know I'll definitely enjoy and Satay Haron comes out tops in that case.

I'm not sure how long they've been around but I hope they keep going for generations to come!

Haron 30 Satay

Stall #01-55
East Coast Lagoon Food Village

Tel: 6441 0495 / 9450 8754 (Lynna)

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 10.30pm on Weekends
2.00pm til 10.30pm on Weekdays
(They close when they sell out. Which is normally earlier)

East Coast Lagoon Food Village Reopens!

In August 2013, East Coast Lagoon Food Village boarded up and underwent  a "major renovation" to revamp one of Singapore favourite makan places.

East Coast Lagoon Food Village is a favourite haunt for people from all walks of life. Be it weekdays or (especially) weekends, people flock from all over to get their fill of seafood and satay while enjoying a nice alfresco dining experience by the seaside.

Well, as of 22 November, East Coast Lagoon Food Village has finally re-opened!

A $1.5 million revamp about a decade after its last major renovation.
There was a fire which affected 3 or 4 stalls (including my beloved Satay Haron) a few weeks before the reno. This was surely a factor in the decision to undergo the 3-month revamp but not the main reason.
Apparently, the decision to revamp was made before the incident with the fire. I guess it just sped up the process.

So what exactly did they change?
Not much to be perfectly honest.

One of the main differences you will see is that pretty much all the ground area is now tiled up.
Even the seating area heading towards the seaside is all tiled up instead of the sandy paths.
The covered walkway in the middle is also tiled instead of the wooden walkway.

But other than that, there really wasn't much else.
Maybe a fresh coat of paint or two? They changed the tables and chairs out for new ones. And the car park is now a gantry so no more parking coupon worries.

Unfortunately, they did nothing to solve the problem of the rain.
East Coast Lagoon Food Village is one of those places which is pretty much out of the question if it rains.
Only certain seating areas are covered and even then, you're still probably gonna be affected if there are strong winds and the seating/tables are going to be wet.

It just so happens that it rained heavily when we visited over the weekend and saw first-hand how the rain easily  took out half of the available seating areas.

The stalls are pretty much the same and only the stalls affected by the recent fire seems to have new signboards. Everyone else is pretty much status quo. Which is a good thing because your favourite stalls are still around. I know mine are!

Haron Satay

Ahmad Spring

Wah if got these 2 stalls means okay for me already.

Satay and chicken wings = SETTLED!

I guess when they said "revamp" and "major renovation", I expected them to really re-do, and improve the whole place. They should have just said they were going to touch up.

Whatever your favourite stall at East Coast Lagoon Food Village, take solace in the fact that you can now head down again and tuck in just like you used to. So bring the whole family for a feast but look out for the weather and go early on weekends!

IndoChili Part II

Our original review of IndoChili was a whopping success with a massive response! Even til today I'm still getting messages and emails inquiring about and praising IndoChili!

I'm not sure why it took me so long but finally found the time for a 2nd visit!
This time, it was dinner with some colleagues so more chance to sample some of the other inviting dishes on the menu!

Sate Ayam Madura ($7.80)

Still a hot favourite is the Sate Ayam Madura!
Soft tender chicken is going to make you go back for the next stick and the peanut sate gravy is actually really really delicious. It adds just the right touch to go with the chicken sate which was been grilled to perfection.

In our original post, we had 2 sticks of the Sate Ayam Madura which came with the Welcoming Platter. I said I would get the full 5-stick plate on the next visit right? Well we ordered 2 servings! Craving satisfied!

For the mains, since there was a group of us, we had some white rice with some dishes to go along.

Ayam Panggang Padang ($8.80)

I honestly would have gone for another choice like the Ayam Bumbu Rojak or something but thankfully, someone ordered this dish instead and what a welcome surprise!

The chicken was really grilled to tender perfection! And don't let the lack of gravy fool you because the chicken was very flavourful and the minimal coating actually gives you just the right hints of flavour.
Looks like they really know how to grill their chicken right at IndoChili!

Cumi Sambal Balado

Talk about a beautiful presentation!
All you chili lovers out there rejoice - the spicy dishes have arrived!

The squid was not overcooked and the Balado gives you a nice mouthful of heat and chili flavour to go along. I'm not much of a squid fan but I do love me a good Balado. And some of you might be thinking that it's going to be unbearably spicy but it's  not - it's just right!

Kacang Panjang Balado

Someone had this the last time they visited and simply swore by it.
Long Beans smothered with Sambal Balado will pretty much go with any other dishes you're having with your rice.

Delicious chili flavour as always with the Sambal Balado without burning your mouth off.

Cah Kangkung ($8.80)

Another fave is always the Kangkung am I right?
But don't worry, this one is not that spicy because there's some Belachan in there to take the spicy edge off.
I know it looks fiery and spicy but I reckon this was probably the least spicy of all the dishes we had.

There is actually one more dish that I wanted to add but it was so delicious that I totally missed out on snapping a photo of it before it was snapped up. So I may not be able to include in this post but for those who trust me - order the Rendang Sapi. Seriously!

Adam's Verdict:
Sate Ayam Madura 4/5 -- Ayam Panggang Padang 3.5/5 -- Cumi Sambal Balado 2.5/5
Kacang Panjang Balado 4/5 -- Cah Kangkung 3.5/5

IndoChili is not just a great place for a quiet evening dinner for 2 but also great for dinner functions with colleagues and a group of friends. Good food and good company always go well together and I right??

And in case you were wondering - YES! It was Es Teler for dessert!!
(And yes it's still the bomb)

IndoChili

54 Zion Road

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

Operating Hours: 
11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

Ramadhan Special 2013: The Famous Satay Burger

I'm pretty sure that most of you would have heard of The Famous Satay Burger.
One of our readers, Syawal, sent me an email to try it at the Tampines Bazaar Ramadhan this year.
I wasn't able to battle it with the Ramly burger but it was still worth a visit.

I first heard about it a few years ago and it appeared to be a regular fixture at the Geylang Bazaar Ramadhan. It seemed like a really popular thing with the long queues at the stall too!

I tried it way back when (before the idea of this Halal Food Blog was even formed in my mind) but never really officially reviewed it so I decided that I would do so this year. But apparently they're not located at the Geylang Bazaar this year. They've apparently taken up a space at the Tampines Bazaar instead!

Satay Burger ($5.00)

So you have a choice of beef, chicken or mutton for your Satay Burger.
Is it any coincidence that it's just like ordering satay?! I think not!

Let me break down the anatomy of the burger for you...

The special Satay Sauce

Comes with lettuce, cucumber and onions

So it's a pretty standard burger from what I can see so far.
The uniqueness of it will be the taste of the satay sauce that gives this burger a truly local flavour.

You know what? Even the meat patty itself makes a big difference!
It's seasoned exactly the same as how they would season satay meat on a skewer! When you take a nice big bite, you're going to immediately recognize that familiar taste of satay spices like coriander, cumin and fennel seeds (jintan).

It was just like I was eating a steak made up of satay meat all compressed together!
In fact, you will see at the stall that they actually do press the patties at the stall itself. They actually have the patty press there! No joke! And they also charcoal-grill the patty so it's still juicy!

For my experience this time, unfortunately the bun was a little soggy (as you can see from the first picture posted above). I guess it has been sitting in the box waiting for packing for quite awhile and soaked up some water from somewhere. So I ended up eating just the patty and veggies.

But what about the Satay Sauce??

Looks a little spicy right? Well it's not that spicy.
I actually feel this was a really good Satay sauce. It had a great flavour and it went really well with the meat patty since it's like eating satay.

But this burger can tend to get a bit messy to eat...
It may not look it, but it's pretty big. So watch out for the dripping sauce.

World Halal Quest blogger Kak Mas tried it way back when in 2009 when they had a stall at the Pasir Ris fishing pond. I'm not sure if they still have a stall there to be honest. Check out her post HERE.

Adam's Verdict:
Famous Satay Burger 3.5/5

For all you Satay lovers out there - this is a must try!
It really really tasted like I was eating satay!

Famous Satay Burger

Tampines Bazaar Ramadhan
Beside Tampines MRT

Operating Hours: 12 noon til 10.00 pm Daily