Pondok Jawa Timur @ Wilkie Edge (Selegie)

Driven by the passion to offer authentic Javanese cuisine to Singapore, Mdm Indah opened her first eatery house at Indonesia Embassay in 2007 before moving to Atrium Orchard 3 years later. The popular Indonesian Javanese restaurant, Pondok Jawa Timur at Dhoby Ghaut area has since relocated to Wilkie Edge at Selegie area. Fans of their Indonesian Javanese food will be glad to know the platoon of Indonesian chefs in the kitchen has remained the same all these years. Meaning you can expect the same quality and standard at Pondok Jawa Timur in their current premise.

Ayam Penyet 4.5/5

Upon sighting the smashed fried chicken that looked as if it has just been run over by a car, I knew I am into something good. Deep fried to a crispy exterior, the chicken was tender and moist. This is definitely one of the best Ayam Penyet ($7.90) I had for a long time.

Tahu Telor 4/5

I have mixed feeling towards the Tahu Telor ($9.90). I prefer my tahu telor to be the tower form so that every bite has a good mix of the beancurd and fried egg. Saying that I like the robustness of the prawn paste that complemented the fried tofu in egg.

Rendang Jawa Timur 3.8/5

The Rendang Jawa Timur ($8.90) was pretty flavourful and fragrant with all the spices. It felt that the beef redang needed a couple more hours to be more tender.

Gado Gado 3/5

After ordering all the food, we realised we did not have a vegetable dish. Hence the owner recommended us to try the Gado Gado ($8.90), mixed vegetable in peanut sauce. Some may think it is weird to have your vegetables with peanut sauce but in fact it is quite a staple dish in Indonesia. The nutty sauce actually goes very well with the natural sweetness of the mixed vegetables. Quite similar how goma sauce is used in Japanese cuisine.

Sop Buntut 3/5

My first introduction to Indonesian cuisine is Sop Buntut in Jakarta. Since then I have quite an high expectation of the oxtail soup. The Sop Buntun ($11.90) at Pondok Jawa Timur was hearty and comforting but fell short in the robustness to satisfy my expectation.

Gulai Kepala Ikan 3.5/5

One of the popular dishes here is te Gulai Kepala Ikan ($28.90). Served in a claypot, the fish head was fresh and succulent. While I can taste the aroma of the spices in the gulai sauce, the spicy scale is too mild for my palate and I prefer something more lemak. However, my dining partners did not agreed with me and they actually enjoyed the fish head curry. Hence it is down to one's preference.

Mie Goreng Jawa 4.5/5

We were already quite full from all the yummy dishes but since the owner has been raving about their popular Mie Goreng Jawa ($7.90), the curiosity in us just could not let this be missed without trying. The Javanese fried noodles was unlike the Malay style which is reddish in colour. The mie goreng jawa here is more inclined to the Chinese style, wetter with the noodles infused with the wok hei flavour.

Sate Ayam 5/5

The one dish that blown me away at Pondok Jawa Timur it the Sate Ayam ($9.90). Charcoal grilled to a nice smoky flavour, the tender chicken thigh meat satay was drenched in a very delish sauce that accentuated the whole flavour. For a more spicy kick, have a dip of the chilli sauce to further enjoy the chicken satay to the fullest.

I am glad that my food journey has brought me to Pondok Jawa Timur. The halal restaurant uses only fresh ingredients with their Indonesian chefs cooking up tasty and authentic Javanese cuisine since 2007 following closely at heart Mdm Indah's recipes. The wallet friendly restaurant with delicious Indonesian food offers an extensive menu that caters for both individual and families.


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Pondok Jawa Timur Indonesia Javanese Restaurant
Wilkie Edge
8 Wilkie Road
#01-21
Singapore 228095
Tel: +65 68845853
Website: http://www.pondokjawatimur.com
Nearest MRT: Bras Basah (CC Line), Dhoby Ghuat (CC Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bras Basah MRT station. Take Exit D or E. Walk down Bras Basah Road to the junction of Bras Basah Road and Prinsep Steet. Cross the road and turn right onto Prinsep Street. Walk down Prinsep Street and continue onto Selegie Road. Continue walking down Selegie Road until destination. Journey time about 15 mins. [Map]

2) Alight at Dhoby Ghuat MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Orchard Road to the junction of Orchard Road and Prinsep Street. Turn left onto Prinsep Street. Walk down Prinsep Street and continue onto Selegie Road. Continue walking down Selegie Road until destination. Journey time about 15 mins. [Map]

Ku De Ta @ Marina Bay Sands

Weekend Brunch at Ku De Ta Restaurant used to be ala carte buffet style. To make it more environmentally friendly, it is now semi buffet, with a free flow of desserts to sweeten your day. To put his Asian culinary skills into good use, Executive Chef Frederic Faucheux has revitalised the menu featuring an assortment of brunch favorites inspired by the Japanese Palate.

Edamame 4/5

Edamame. Yes, of course. Peppered with maldon salt, it's amazing how this little fellow can stand on its own just like that.

Oyster 4.2/5, Salmon Sashimi 4.8/5, Tuna Tataki 4.2/5

The first sharing plate of cold starters definitely set the scene. From presentation to the combination of ingredients, it is certainly a treat for the eyes and taste buds. I would say the Chef has successfully made the taste very kind for those who are not used to having cold or raw dish at the early part of the day.

Oysters (ikura, konbu jelly, Apple). The mutiple toppings did not take away the experience of having an oyster. Both the texture of ikura and konbu jelly sit in nicely with the oyster, giving it a much fuller body when tasting it in your mouth. Their savory elevates the sweetness of the apple bits, which adds layer to the taste. I wish there were more apple bits though. For those who still craves for the additional oysters, they are available at 6 bucks each.

Salmon sashimi (shishito dressing, mizuna, uni powder). Yes, no wasabi or soya sauce. I always eat my sashimi with the oba leaf underneath that many thought they are just meant for decoration purposes. It could be, but I always feel it cuts the taste of the sashimi really well. Instead of the usual oba leaf, Mizuna took that role instead. The shishito dressing spiced it up a little, with the uni powder as the savoury component. And again, playing on texture, the fried yam bits on top did its job pretty well. Slightly more would be better.

Tuna tataki (onion ponzu, spring onion). This has always been one of my favorite. Nothing surprising about the combination of ingredients, but nonetheless, still very delectable.

Prawn Salad with Glass Noodles 3.5/5

Our next round of starters start to warm up a little. Personally I feel this round seems to pale in comparison after the first.

Prawn salad with glass noodles. Not the Thai style of glass noodles salad that you may be thinking. I like the way the carrot being sliced as thinly as the grass noodles. I can fit both in between my chopsticks as one body, unlike the usual trouble that I have with crunchy vegetables in my salad. The carrot sweetened this soury dish, but I feel it needs some herbs to freshen up the taste.

Cucumber Salad 3/5

Cucumber salad. I was expecting something more refreshing. But the taste seemed to skew more towards the salty side.

Prawn and Vegetable Tempura 3.5/5

Prawn and vegetable tempura. I love how the prawns remained as succulent in the batter, and the big fat mushroom. The batter was quite fluffy but not as thin as I would like it to be. It is also comes with a bowl of Miso soup. A good miso soup just warms me up really well. I like how light it tasted, and the little aroma that it carried as I held onto the bowl and drank the soup. I guess there is a reason why miso soup should be drink straight from the bowl and not using a spoon!

Donburi 4.5/5

Moving on to the mains of the new revamped weekend brunch menu, diner gets to choose one out of the ten choices.

Donburi. Pork belly! Nice proportion of fats and meat. A very appetising dish, one of my favourites. I can do without the chilli garlic on my vegetables, as I feel just plain vegetables would have balanced the teriyaki sauce better, for a cleaner taste.

Char Siew ith Hong Kong Style Egg Noodles 4/5

Char Siew. A hearty portion of chicken char siew with Hong Kong style egg noodles. I must say this dish reflects the Asian culinary training that the chef had. I was surprised by the wok taste of the noodles. Good proportion of mee, mushroom, egg, vegetables. The char siew was very tender, but i like it to be a lot more charred.

Chicken Katsudon 3.8/5

Chicken Katsudon. With poached egg. Don't you love the way the egg yolk ooze out of its white? The egg certainly added some moisture to this dish. The chicken was slightly dry as the cutlet was rather thin. But the batter was thin and crispy, so it really depends on personal preference.

Ramen 4.5/5

Ramen. This is not a dish that you will find in the traditional ramen stall, with thick broth, spring egg and char siew. Rather, it is udon, with shoyu soup, bacon and pan fried egg. The bacon is really a clever touch to the soup. This dish will leaves you with a clean palette at the end of it.

Laksa 4/5

Laksa. With linguine as the noodles, it resembles a pasta dish with laksa sauce. The succulent tiger prawn tastes really well with the sauce. I find this dish quite aromatic and flavorful, with spiciness lingering in my mouth at the end. As the sauce was rather coconuty and creamy, Slight more bean sprouts would have given this dish a better texture. It would be a good option if you are looking for a taste that is much more flavorful from your starters. I think it would have gone very well with your champagne .

Asian Omelette 4/5

Asian Omelette. Okonomiyaki with tuna. Omelette never goes wrong. Light and fluffy, very delectable indeed. Unless you are already full from your starters, you may want to go for something more substantial.

Dessert 4/5

Desserts. Rather mediocre. A range of petite cakes and fruits. Their dessert of the day was a cucumber mousse cheesecake. Quite a unique choice of ingredient but the taste disappoints. Lacks the cheesiness and texture. I'm not a fan of local macaroons, but their strawberry yoghurt macaroon is really quite delightful. Pairing your desserts with their teas I say is a must. Extensive range of unique blend of teas, that I feel you must give it a try. Recommended are Ku De Ta Blend, Sakura Flower Tea, Peach Nectar. Coffee is forgettable, unless you can't do without it.

I can feel the motivations behind this new revamped menu is to help customers to learn to appreciate the value behind the culinary experience as a whole, not just the main courses. I would say this menu is a good start.

Weekend Brunch - $98 Adult $58 Child
(include juices, coffees, teas and soft drinks)

Cocktail& Champagne Brunch - $178
(include Louis Roederer Brut Premier, selection of white, red & rose wines, cocktails and draught beers)

Written By Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. 


Ku De Ta
Marina Bay Sands
SkyPark, North Tower
1 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018971
Tel: +65 66887688
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kudetasingapore
Website: http://kudeta.com/singapore
Nearest MRT: Bayfront (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours: 
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 3pm (Lunch)
Daily: 6pm - 11pm (Dinner)
Sat-Sun: 11am - 330pm (Brunch)

Direction:
1) Alight at Bayfront MRT station. Take Exit C or B. Walk to Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Walk to North Tower and take lift to SkyPark. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]