Che' Rose Nasi Padang : Chicken Rendang

I have walked past this stall many times but never really thought of trying. The "probably the best Rendang in Singapore" on their signboard has managed to catch my attention though. This stall used to be at Toa Payoh Lorong 2 before moving to this coffee and it has been here for a few years. Che' Rose, the founder, has been selling Nasi Padang since 1968, using the recipes that handed down from her grandparents. Her son and his wife are planning to take over the stall. 

We were there for lunch on a Sunday and most of their dishes have already finished. I asked, "Chicken Rendang is the popular dish here?" The lady smiled and nodded. She wanted to give me a chicken drumstick but I asked for a bigger piece so she suggested that I should take the breast part. There were not many choices left so I went with a Sambal Egg and Ikan Belis with peanuts. She added a bit of achar, too. I paid $6.00 for it.

The Chicken Rendang is the dry version, the rendang sauce is only added to the fried chicken when is about to be served. My dining companion said, "It is not bad but I do not think this is the best Rendang in Singapore." It was slightly tough as it is usually so from the breast part. The sauce somewhat reminded me of curry sauce that has a mild spiciness. I have not tasted another Chicken Rendang to actually compare but this particular one was not quite memorable. The Sambal Egg and the Ikan Belis with peanuts were just normal. I might just come early someday to try the other dishes that were not available on that day. 

CHE' ROSE NASI PADANG

Block 128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #01-811 SINGAPORE 310128

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Fridays)

Serangoon Nasi Padang : a Chinese Nasi Padang stall

Mr and Mrs Tan, the owners, have been selling nasi padang since 1983 when they started their first stall in Serangoon and that very much explained why it is called "Serangoon Nasi Padang" when they are actually located in Bishan. Mr Tan used to help out in those Malay weddings and that is how he learned to cook nasi padang. This is one of those stalls manned by Chinese that is not quite common 

All the dishes are prepared using the freshest ingredients and that including the freshly squeezed coconut cream. Most than 30 dishes are prepared each day and some of the popular choices are curry fish, fried chicken, grilled sotong, grilled fish and so on. These dishes are prepared in small batches to serve warm and also to ensure its freshness. The queue was long when we were there for lunch on a Sunday. While queuing, we were eyeing the last few pieces of the egg omelette on the display shelf but did not get to order as the last piece was taken by the customer in front of us. 

We ordered 2 plates with different dishes. We were asked whether we want it with gravy and chilli. The first plate consists of Ayam Goreng, Sambal Goreng, and Sambal Kangkong. Ayam Goreng, a Malay-style fried chicken dish, is the must-order right here. The best part would have to be the chicken leg. It was well-marinated and fried to perfection to achieve the desired crispiness on the outside but still juicy within. This is one of the most sought-after dishes here as almost every of the customer ordered it. The Sambal Goreng was nice too, it comprises of french bean, fried beancurd and tempe, stir-fried with Sambal Chilli, the spiciness was rather mild. The Sambal Kangkong was not too bad as well.

The second plate consists of Curry Fish, Curry Vegetable, and Sambal Ladyfinger, a request was made for the tail part of the fish. The Curry Fish was nicely cooked and it retained a firm texture with a robust savory flavor, the spiciness of the curry was rather mild. The Curry Vegetable and Sambal Ladyfinger have a very homely taste.

We paid $11.20 for both plates. The best timing to be there would be before noon as most dishes would still available at that time and also to avoid the long queue. 

SERANGOON NASI PADANG
Block 150A Bishan Street 11 SINGAPORE 570150
Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Coba : Let's go Coba Coba!

"Coba Coba" is an endearing Indonesian phrase used by the elders on the young to "try try" unfamiliar food as mentioned on their Facebook page. That very much explained how did this eatery get their name. They are serving supposedly authentic Indonesian style Nasi Padang in a retro ambiance. As it is also indicated on their page that they prepare their food freshly and in small quantity to ensure its freshness. 

It was not too crowded even during the lunch time when i was there. I was with a friend and we decided to have Nasi Padang even though they do serve Mee Siam, Mee Rebus, Mee Soto and Lotong at $2.80 each. 

First, the order has to be made at their counter. You select your dishes and pay at the counter then collect it. You order your drink right there too. I was asked what do i want for drink and even before i give my answer, i was asked again, "Coffee ah?" Their coffee is brewed from Arabica-Robusta coffee beans so it must been good but i did not want coffee this time, i will try it if i do come back. That counter staff was a bit surprised when i decided to go with a canned drink. 

We decided to share a Tahu Telor, a common street food in Indonesian. It is prepared upon ordering so i stood by the counter and waited for it to be ready, i got it after waited for a couple of minutes. The egg tofu is in a round cylindrical shape with a shredded carrot and cucumber then topped with a good amount of peanut sauce. The egg tofu tasted fresh as well as those shredded carrot and cucumber that still have its crunchiness and not soggy. The peanut sauce has got quite a bit of chunky peanuts in it and it did not taste too spicy. It tasted much better than we expected it to be. 

The first plate of Nasi Padang consists of Beef Rendang and Sambal Goreng. The texture of Beef Rendang was a bit too chewy to my liking but the sauce was fragrant and not too spicy. Sambal Goreng that consists of tau kway, long beans and tempeh was stir-fried with quite a bit of sambal chilli but it did not taste as spicy as it expected to be.

The other plate consists of Sambal Brinji, Sayur Lodeh and Chicken Rendang. Sambal Brinji has always been a favourite, it is specially tasty when stir-fried with good sambal chilli. This tasted nice though not as spicy. I guess they must have toned down the level of spiciness to better suit the taste buds of the locals. Sayur Lodeh is a curry vegetable dish that i usually order for Nasi Padang. The cabbage and long bean were perfectly cooked to just the right softness that i liked in a curry sauce, a rather comforting dish. Chicken Rendang was lovingly done to give it the desired softness and flavor. And, do not underestimate spiciness level of the belachan chilli that they added by the side, that was spicy, in fact the spiciest of all.

If you wonder, this cafe is Halal certified. This is a cosy place to have a quiet lunch in this neighborhood, a stone's throw away from the Northpoint Shopping Centre and directly opposite Yishun MRT, just about 4 minutes walk away. 

COBA

Block 156 Yishun Street 11 #01-106 SINGAPORE 760156

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 9.00 pm