Pondok Jawa Timur @ North Bridge Road

My visit to Pondok Jawa Timur was back in March 2014 and I have heard that they have relocated to their new location at 737 North Bridge Road. Together with Maureen and Kimberley, we stopped by Pondok Jawa Timur on a weekday night for dinner.

Avocado Juice 3.5/5

A must order drink for me whether I have Indonesian food is the Avocado Juice ($5.80). I have always enjoyed the nutty and creamy drink,

Soto Madura 3.5/5

The Soto Madura with Beef ($6.50) reminds me of Mee Soto. It seems rather similar except it comes with pieces of beef. Squeezed a dash of the lime or add some chilli to alter the flavour for an accentuated enjoyment.

Corn Batter with Prawn 4/5

During my previous visit, I did not get to try the Corn Batter with Prawn ($5.70 for 3pc). I am glad that I got to try it this time round. It is really a delightfully snack to kick start the meal.

Tahu Telor 4/5

The peanut sauce at Pondok Jawa Timur is freshly made daily. There are 3 different types of peanut sauces at the restaurant for the various dishes. The one used for the Tahu Telor ($6.90) is richer and bolder in flavour which goes well with the fried tofu and egg.

Gado Gado 4.2/5

The other peanut sauce is used for the Gado Gado ($6.90). The sauce is lighter but creamier with a subtle sweetness that paired excellently with the vegetables.

Sate Ayam 3.8/5

Lastly the peanut sauce which is more coarse and nutty is the perfect marriage for the delectable Sate Ayam ($8.90). I thought the sate ayam was not as well marinated compared to my previous visit. It was also missing that charred smokey flavour I was looking for.

Mie Goreng Jawa 4/5

If you want to just have a quick meal and you do not want to over order, I would recommend the Mie Goreng Jawa ($6.90). I like the fact that the stir fried noodles is the wet kind, flavourful and with hints of wok hei aroma.

Ayam Penyet 4.5/5

Probably a Singaporean favourite is the Ayam Penyet ($6.90) that is served with freshly made sambal. The ayam penyet is another dish I would order. The chicken is cooked to a nice exterior crisp while retaining the tenderness inside.

Rice

Over at Pondok Jawa Timur, customers have a choice of 3 different types of rice. Namely the normal white rice, pandan rice and yellow rice.

Fish Head Curry 3.8/5

I did not really enjoy the Fish Head Curry ($32.9) during my previous visit as I thought it was too watery. However, the fish head curry was more palatable this time round. According to the owner instead of using coconut milk, they used fresh milk to cook their curry. The gravy will go well with a plate of rice or even bread.

Es Teler 3.5/5

Wrapping up the dinner, I have the Es Teler ($4.50) which is a sweet dessert of fresh fruits, shaved ice and condensed milk. I was introduced to the dessert during a Jakarta trip and this has become my favourite Indonesia dessert. I simply love the taste of condensed milk with the shaved ice. However I think the presentation could be better and the shaved ice can be finer. It was a bit coarse on the palate.

After moving from Selegie to the new location at North Bridge Road, Pondok Jawa Timur exactly dropped their prices. I was actually quite surprise but it is a great news to the customers. On top of that, there is no service and GST. With the type of pricing and good food, it is definitely a wallet friendly place for a meal.


Pondok Jawa Timur
737 North Bridge Road
Singapore 198705
Tel: +65 68845853
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pondok-Jawa-Timur-Javanese-Cuisine/484078558340235
Website: http://www.pondokjawatimur.com/
Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk down Victoria Street towards Golden Landmark Shopping Complex. Turn right onto Arab Street. At the junction of Arab Street and North Bridge Road, turn left onto North Bridge Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Ah Lim Zi Char & Fish Head Steamboat @ Bukit Batok Crescent

To be frank I would have never imagine myself travelling all the way to the West for Zi Char not to mention an ulu location nestled in the Bukit Batok industrial area. Who would have known that there is a coffeeshop with a zi char stall which is only opened for around 2 weeks during my visit. The location of Ah Lim Zi Char & Fish Head Steamboat actually felt a similarity to Sin Min industrial area with eateries opening in the area in recent years.

Fish Head Steamboat 3.5/5

Dinner started with Ah Lim's signature Fish Head Steamboat (market price) using charcoal fire. While the soup is packed with the vegetable sweetness, all of us felt that it is lacking the robustness that we are seeking for. Compare to popular fish head steamboat like Whampoa Keng and Nam Hwa Chong (Ah Chew), this fell short of my expectation. Nevertheless this place is opened for only two weeks, probably a little more adjustment and fine tuning they should be good.

Homemade Golden Mushroom Beancurd 4/5

The Homemade Golden Mushroom Beancurd ($12) was much better. The star has to be the silky and smooth beancurd. For me the golden mushroom is purely gimmick but it did give the dish an extra crispy bite.

Crispy Chicken 3.8/5

I thought the Crispy Chicken with Plum Sauce ($22) was quite unique in its own way. The delectable crispy chicken skin is like an interpretation of suckling pig or Peking duck. However I thought if the marination for the crispy skin could be stronger or tastier it would be even better.

Fried Five Spice Pork 4/5

The inconspicuous Fried Five Spice Pork ($10/$15) has a familiar homely taste that I could not really put a picture or word to it. The combination of the aromatic spices together with the layer of fats simply melted my heart disintegrate in my mouth.

Salted Egg York Crab 3/5

While I applauded the thought behind the Salted Egg York Crab (market price) to showcase the freshness and natural sweetness of the crustacean, the salted egg york flavour was hardly noticeable. Having grown up with the saucy chilli crab and pepper crab, a good sauce has become an important criteria to determine a good crab dish. I still think Singaporean will still prefer something that is more saucy to encompass the sweetness of the crustacean.

Stir Fried Dou Miao with Fried Garlic 4.2/5

The Stir Fried Dou Miao with Fried Garlic demonstrates the wok skill of the chef. It was cooked to perfection with the greens retaining the crunchiness. I like having the fried garlic giving it an extra aroma boost.

Braised Pork Belly 4.5/5

A must try at Ah Lim Zi Char is the Braised Pork Belly ($15/$20). The gorgeous looking collagen packed pork belly glazed with honey was melting delicious. As this takes long hours to cook, each day only limited amount is available. If you want to savour this and not to be disappointed, it is better to pre-order before your visit.

Thai Sambal Chilli Fish 4.5/5

The other worth ordering dish is the Thai Sambal Chilli Fish (market price). Fresh red snapper fish head cooked in a delectable Thai sambal sauce that not only worked harmoniously, it also accentuated the taste of the fish meat.

Being only opened for two weeks, I have not set my expectation high as I understand it will take them sometime to settle down. Saying that, they did manage to delight my palate with the execution of the Braised Pork Belly and Thai Sambal Chilli Fish.


Ah Lim Zi Char & Fish Head Steamboat
WCEGA Plaza
1 Bukit Batok Crescent
#02-06
Singapore 658064
Tel: +65 81980414
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ahlimkopitiam
Nearest MRT: Bukit Batok (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bukit Batok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bukit Batok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 43009). Take bus number 77 or 106. Aight 5 stops later. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]