Located at the newly opened Bay Hotel at Telok Blangah near Vivo City is Rumah Rasa, a pan-Indonesian restaurant specialising in bringing together the best flavours of the Indonesian archipelago.
Called House of Taste, Rumah Rasa is helmed by Chef Sharifah Zaharah who is armed with years of experience at the likes of SATS, Raffles Hotel and ST Regis. Her philosophy is to use fresh seasonal produce to sincerely share the beautiful flavours of Indonesian with the dining public.
Soda Gembira 4.2/5
The Soda Gembira ($6) is a freshing drink mixture of Rose Syrup, Evaporated Milk and Soda. I call this the modern version of Bandung drink. The traditional version usually turns out to be way too sweet but the soda gembira has a nice refreshing balance of sweetness.
Buah Belinjau Chips 3.8/5
While we waited for the food, we were served Buah Belinjau Chips. Belinjau is a fruit that has medical value. Accordingly to what I read on the web, it helps to reduce sugar level in the blood and helps protect the kidney. Compare to other chips, it is a rather healthy snack as no flour, preservatives or colouring is added. The buah belinjau chips has a subtle bitter taste which surprisingly was very enjoyable.
Soto Ayam Madura 3.8/5
The Soto Ayam Madura ($6) is a hearty chicken broth with shredded chicken, beansprouts and topped with a Potato Croquette. For me, the highlight was the potato croquette. The potato croquette was crisp on the outer crust and fluffy inside. The soup was tasty but I find it awkard to be served Soto Ayam as a soup on the menu. It felt like someone has stolen my noodles.
Paru Goreng 4/5
I love all sorts of innards but I have not tried Beef Lungs before. I was looking forward to the exotic Paru Goreng ($8). The thinly sliced beef lungs were fried until crispy and served with sambal petai. I am probably the only one that kept going back for more. I could have finished them with a mug of beer.
Redang Sumatra 4/5
The Redang Sumatra ($14) which was simmered in spicy coconut gravy for hours. The rich and thick gravy was a perfect camflourage for the melt in the mouth tender beef.
Ayam Korma 3.8/5
The Ayam Korma ($14) which was simmered in mild yellow curry was palatable. The chicken meat was moist and tender. I am not sure whether the gravy should be that watery but I would prefer it to be thicker.
Tahu Telur Surabaya 4.5/5
The Tahu Telur Surabaya ($8) definitely stands tall among the rest of the dishes. The tower of fried beancurd and egg combo drizzled with a sweet and spicy dark sauce disappeared within minutes. The smooth and silky beancurd definitely was the main cast of the dish. One of our blogger friends, Nat who just returned from a trip in Bali, told the chef that the Tahu Telur was as good as the one he had in Bali.
Gulai Kambing Aceh 4/5
The almost melt in the mouth tender Aceh style Mutton Stew, Gulai Kambing Aceh ($10) simmered with coconut milk and a medley of spices was indeed very good. Drenched with the gravy on the rice, it was just simply sedap.
Sayur Lodeh 4/5
Unlike the Chinese version of mixed curry vegetables where the gravy uses more coconut milk and thicker, the Sayur Lodeh ($8) is on the mild side. I actually preferred Rumah Rasa's version as it is healthier. The vegetables were also not over cooked still retaining that crunch.
Udang Petai Belado 4/5
The Udang Petai Belado ($12) uses big, succulent and fresh prawns stir-fried in chilli gravy with petai beads. Surprisingly the bitter petai beads complements the chilli gravy demonstrating the chef's vast knowlegde of flavours.
Ayam Panggang Berkakak Jakarta 4.5/5
The Ayam Panggang Berkakak Jakarta ($14), probably is the BEST grilled chicken I ever eaten. The chicken was grilled to perfection with Rumah Rasa's homemade spicy sauce. The crisp skin had a lingering sweet taste and the chicken was tenderly yummy.
Gado Gado 4/5
The Gado Gado ($8) is a light melange of mixed vegetables, tofu and crispy emping cracker drizzled with Rumah Rasa's very own homemade spicy peanut sauce. Unlike other Gado Gado I have tried, there is a refined approach to the dish at Rumah Rasa. The plate of vegetables are delicately presented and not flooded with sauce.
Ikan Bakar Rumah Rasa 4.2/5
If you have been to Indonesian, grilled fish along the street is a common sight. At Rumah Rasa, the Ikan Baka ($28) was marinated in turmeric, topped with homemade spicy sauce and charcoal grilled to perfection.
Es Chendol 3.8/5
The Chendol ($6) served in tall glass does look elegant but I ever blogged before that I disliked Chendol to be served in glass. It is very hard to mix everything together and eat the ingredients at the bottom. Nevertheless, the chendol with its fresh coconut milk stands out for me.
Deep Fried Banana Fritters served with Vanilla Ice Cream 4.5/5
I was sceptical about the Deep Fried Banana Fritters ($8) served with Vanilla Ice Cream. I never think savoury and sweet can married together to be a dessert. I have tried deep fried banana fritters with peanut sauce and was very disappointed. Chef Sharifad's definitely has changed my opinion.
I would like to thank Dennis of Publicist PR Communications for the invitation.
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Rumah Rasa
Bay Hotel Singapore
50 Telok Blangah Road
Level 1
Singapore 098828
Tel: +65 68186681
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rumah-Rasa/244708265619255
Webiste: http://www.bayhotelsingapore.com
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (CC Line, NE Line)
Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 4am
Direction:
Alight at Harbour Front MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk towards traffic juction along Telok Blangah Road and Sentosa Gateway. Cross the road and walk towards Bay Hotel Singapore. Journey time about 5 minutes.
