Tambuah Mas

I can't believe that I haven't talked about Tambuah Mas. It's easily in my top most favourite and my to-go whenever I need my fix of comfort food. Recently I went there and over-ordered and almost died from over-eating. I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce most of the dishes in this post.

Tahu Telor, Beef rendang ($9.50), Chicken satay ($9) - I never leave this place without ordering the Tahu Telor. This is fried tofu with fragrant egg floss. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, a can't-go-wrong texture. But the key was the generous sweet soy dark sauce which is an Indonesian special. The Beef rendang and chicken satay are also not too bad but there's no X-factor.

Ikan Pepes ($7.50), Udang Belado ($11.50) - Another dish that I always order is Ikan Pepes which is actually otah. But the otah is made of sea bass not the usual mackerel. I can't tell the difference between sea bass and mackerel but it doesn't matter. Because Tambuah Mas' otah is like heaven - aromatic and melts in the mouth. The prawns were ok but not fantastic.

Es Chendol Kacang, Es Delima - 

And the chendol is like the most amazing ever. As a Singaporean with unbiased judgement, I declare the Indonesians make better chendol than the Malaysians. A good chendol is one which is well balanced with coconut milk and Gula Melaka (palm sugar) and the perfect ratio is found at Tambuah Mas. On the other hand, the Es Delima which is water chestnuts is too sweet for me.

Address: Paragon #B1-44

Warung Lele

I love Indonesian food. Characterized by traditional spices and aromas, it is the type of food that is capable of indulging my fussy palate.  Warung Lele is an established Indonesian restaurant located in Tanjong Pagar. My friend saw a deal coupon on Qoo10.sg that offers $30 worth of cuisine for only $12.90. Excellent deal for penny pinchers like us.

The restaurant was not fully packed on a Friday night, and its patronage were mainly Malays. The setting was simple and neat with rows of tables.

The Tahu Telor ($8) was first to arrive. Tahu Telor is beancurd with crispy egg shreds. We had the option of either having the beancurd with peanut sauce or kicap manis (sweet soy sauce). We took the option of peanut sauce. I didn't think the peanut sauce complemented the beancurd very well. Couldn't really taste the peanut or feel the crunchiness of the peanuts. I would still prefer my Tahu Telor with the sweet soy sauce.

Up next was Ayam Penyet ($10). I wished the chicken was more tender and crispy. However, loved the  chilli sauce that accompanied it. 

Our last dish was Sate Ayam ($9 for 6 sticks). You have to eat with the peanut sauce that accompanies it. One bite into the glistening satay chicken made this trip to Warung Lele worthwhile. The caramelized charred meat was super tender and the portion was generous. There was also the occassional juicy fatty meat chunks in the middle of the stick. 

Service could have been more attentive. My friend had to call the service staff to refill the water more than once. The service staff also not very friendly and one of them showed me an impatient face when I made her wait while trying to find my discount coupon in my bag.

Our total bill amounted to about $34, but it costs us only $18 after the coupon deal. We were also given two $5 vouchers (min purchase of $20) to return. The food is really affordable with the coupons and I might return for the Sate Ayam again. Hopefully by then, a friendlier face would greet me instead of a nonchalant one.

My faves:

- Sate Ayam

Address:

8 Shenton Way #01-16/19, 

AXA Tower Singapore 068811 (Located just outside Tanjong Pagar MRT exit D)

T: 64231552, 64382239

Opening hours:

Mon - Sat: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm