Food so good I can't decide on a favourite
I f you feel hungry after reading this page, I suggest you head to the stall early.
The food at Indonesian Food House is sold out by lunch every day. "Even earlier on weekends," says Ms Tan Mei Ling.
Ms Tan and her mother Lai A Man, who opened the stall after moving here from Jakarta, are Singaporeans now.
Madam Lai was a seamstress back in Indonesia.
She says: "I set up this stall over 10 years ago with no experience. I learnt how to cook from the Malay women who worked for us."
They used to sell comfort food somewhere in Orchard Road at hawker centre prices - averaging $3.
"But the rental hit an uncomfortable five-figure sum two years ago and we decided to relocate," says Madam Lai.
Customers stream in steadily for a comforting menu: mee siam, mee rebus, lontong, mee and soto ayam.
And if you go to the stall really early, you will know why their curry puffs (potato and sardines) disappear from the shelves by 9am. The pastry is light and fluffy, and it's filled with goodness.
But for me, the signature here is still the mee siam.
Then again, that was before I tried the soto ayam and the curry puffs, the mee rebus and lontong.
RICH
The mee siam ($3.50) is sweet, tangy and rich. But what made me order this twice in a week was the texture of the beehoon. It was soft without being mushy.
The lontong wowed me for a simple reason - they make their own lontong rice cake. It was soft and had a nice texture, nothing like the usual market-bought ones. The gravy was spicy and rich. I absolutely loved it.
We spoke as Madam Lai was frying up a huge wok of curry potato for the next day's curry puffs.
The moist and spicy tuber was exactly right for the curry puffs. These women are also generous with the sambal-enhanced fish flakes in the sardine curry puffs.
I'll have to say the least favourite, although it ranked way up there by many others' standard, was the mee rebus.
It came just short of the grago (dried shrimps) version of the now defunct Selera Kita in Bedok.
But it was still very likeable, especially if you prefer it sweeter with a handsomely savoury kick.
Makansutra, founded by KF Seetoh, is a company that celebrates Asian food culture and lifestyle. It publishes food guides in and around the region, produces a food series, develops interactive mobile content and services, operates foodcourts and eateries, organises food tours and events, and consults on culinary concepts.
Indonesian Food House
Block 117, #01-06, Geylang East Centre Food Corner, Aljunied Avenue 2
6.30am to noon or till everything has been sold
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