(Closed) Ambeng Cafe by Ummi Abdullah – MUST TRY Nasi Ambeng!

Ambeng Cafe by Ummi Abdullah serve traditional Ambeng Platter or Nasi Ambeng at East Village. Manage and own by a reputable catering company Dapur Ummi Abdullah Catering and Management Pte Ltd, it serves fragrant rice dish consists of white rice prepared with chicken curry or other Indonesian dishes, just like our Chinese version of chap chye perng.

Ambeng Cafe’s nasi ambeng sahan set comes in 2 or 3 pax. Three of us went for a late lunch and decided to go for the most expensive one on the menu – Classic Trio Set D ($48). Served on a big platter, the dish is completed with up to ten side dishes in portion for three (actually I think four pax also can). Dishes include ayam kalio, beef rendang, sambal sotong, ikan sambal bali, urap kencur, terung garem asam, sambal goreng, sambal kachang ikan bilis, begedel, telur belado, paru, ikan kering, serunding & sambal belachan. It is served the traditional way to encourage communal dining – so bring the whole gang, wash your hands and tuck in “makan tangan” style. Honestly, things always taste nicer when you tuck in with your hands.

To make good nasi ambeng, the most important and basic ingredient is the rendang. And by having an excellent rendang is half the battle won. Ayam Kalio which is chicken cooked in a fragrant and slightly spicy coconut gravy served in a separate steel bowl. I love the gravy as you can clearly taste the strong flavours rendang, however, the chicken seems like it wasn’t cooked long enough for it to be infused with the sauce.

Terung garem asam (eggplant in asam sauce) features soft and well-cooked eggplant with a delicious orange asam sauce. The beef rendang was well infused with aromatic and flavourful spices but unfortunately, it was too tough on our day of visit. Same goes for the ikan sambal bali which was slightly dry. However, the rest of the spicy dishes like sambal sotong, sambal goreng, sambal kachang ikan bilis, telur belado (fried egg in spicy gravy) were well executed with different types of chilli sauce used to cater to different ingredients.

Not forgetting, the sambal belachan at Ambeng Cafe is da bomb! It has a mild sweetness but very fragrant and fiery. Enjoy it without the sambal first to savour the traditional taste, then add in as much sambal belachan as you wish. I love it very much! No reservations or pre-order allowed for the time being.

For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel! You may also wish to check out our article on Noods & Meats, a halal eatery in Yishun that serves fusion dishes!

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