Ramadhan Special 2013: IndoChili

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Quite awhile back, I saw an old office buddy 'Like' a page on FB.
It was a makan place called 'IndoChili' which served authentic Indonesia fare. When I first messaged them to check on Halal certification status, they were still processing it. And a few weeks later, they got back to me with good news - IndoChili was finally certified Halal!

And finally, we got the chance to visit just in time for Ramadhan!

IndoChili is located a long Zion Road (just across the road from Great World City) and a really cozy place to have some good food and have a chill-out session with friends.

 

Such a cozy corner am I right? They also have normal dining tables and chairs if you're like (both indoor and outdoor) but this was actually really nice if you plan to relax and digest your food while chit-chatting with your friends and loved ones. (Those chairs are REALLY comfy by the way)

There were so many things to try on the menu! But alas, out stomachs could only handle so much so we chose a few dishes and will leave the rest for our next visit! :P

Kerupuk and Nuts (Complimentary)

Well they really got me in the mood to start eating when they served some complimentary Fish Kerupuk and Kerupuk Belinjau! But hey how about some real appetizers to get things going eh?

Welcoming Platter ($9.80)

This platter is actually a sampler of some of the appetizers you can actually order.
It comes with a couple of sticks of Sate Ayam Madura, Risoles and Perkedel (Potato Cutlets).
It's prefect if you wanna try a few different appetizers and also good for sharing with friends.

The potato cutlets were excellent. I know quite a number of you might be saying "It's just normal Bagedil what's the big deal?". Well believe you me, there's a big difference between a good potato cutlet and a not so good potato cutlet - and this one was a good potato cutlet.

Risoles

I'm not sure about you guys but I had never heard of Risoles (pronounced Ree-So-Leys) before our visit to IndoChili so I wasn't sure what exactly we were in for.

Apparently it's a kind of croquette which means you're gonna get a nice crunchy deep-fried potato layer on the outside and some delicious filling consisting of mainly chicken and veggies like carrots and celery in there.

It may be a savoury treat originating from Europe but the Indonesians have definitely made this particular deep-fried goody their own.

Definitely something new that you should try if you have not already done so!

But as delicious as the Perkedil and Risoles were, I simply could not wait to move to the item I was most looking forward to on the Welcoming platter...

Satay Ayam Madura

Indonesian-style Satay is something I definitely have come to enjoy.
There's something special about it... I know we all love Satay but this is something you MUST have.

At IndoChili, they charcoal-grill the chicken satay to tender perfection and it just rips right apart when you take a nice big bite. And if pairing it with the traditional Satay peanut gravy is not enough, they keep it 100% Indon-style with the addition of some sweet soy sauce!

One of the best and most authentic Indon-style Satay that my darling wife and I had was in Jakarta and this definitely brought back memories of that.

The Welcoming Platter comes with 2 skewers of the Satay Ayam Madura so the next time we go back, I'm definitely going to order the full plate of 5 skewers!!

Nasi Timbel ($11.80)

Here's another favourite which I'm sure those of you who have visited Indonesia would have seen being offered everywhere from restaurants to even road-side stalls.

It comes with banana leaf-wrapped white rice, ayam goreng (complete with kremes!), veggies (cucumber and tomato), a piece of salted fish (solid Indon touch!), tahu and tempeh plus a side of fiery sambal to complete this hearty dish.

The fried chicken was the bomb! Especially with the kremes (crunchy fried crumbs) which again bring back memories of eating in Jakarta and Bandung. This dish was really a one-stop for those of you looking something filling and satisfying. And by the way, the sambal was spicy but not too spicy (for those of you who might be a little worried).

Steamed White Rice for Nasi Timbel

Sayur Asem

Unwrap the banana leaf to uncover freshly steamed white rice which is fluffy and simply a delight.

The Nasi Timbel set also come with a nice bowl of Sayur Asem.
For those of you who have read my other reviews, you will know that I am a sucker for Sayur Asem and I'm surely gonna order it if it's on the menu. Luckily for me it came with my Nasi Timbel. Bonus!

The Sayur Asem was excellent and came with the usual goodies like young jackfruit and corn all bathing in the sweet-sour tamarind based broth. And what impressed me most was they include Biji Belinjo in their Sayur Asem. This is a traditional ingredient in Sayur Asem and some places simply neglect to include it but well done IndoChili!

No regrets at all having the Nasi Timbel!

Buntut Goreng Special ($16.00)

I'd actually never had Oxtail Stew before. It's not that I don't fancy it but I guess I just never really had the chance to try it. It's one of my Dad's favourite dishes so I figured this might be a good chance to try it.

A little something different though. This versions is the 'Goreng' (fried) version which sees the oxtail fried and served separately from the soup which they serve to you in a hotpot complete with flame to keep it nice and steamy for you! (As seen on the right)

The soup was tasty and reminded me of a really hearty beef broth with veggies like carrots all stewed to perfection.

But how would I find the actual Oxtail itself?
Hmmmmm....

OMG.
If this is Buntut Goreng then you have got to give me more!

I was okay to just settle for the tasty soup but the Oxtail itself way surpassed what I thought it was going to be like.
I'm sure the onions and sweet sauce played a big part but the Oxtail meat itself was so yummy!

It simply falls off the bones and I could do so with just a fork on my first taste. And for something that is supposedly fried, I didn't find it at all oily. In fact, the tenderness of the meat made me think that this might actually have been roasted in the oven for awhile at least.

Well, whatever they did to it - I approve!

But there is something I might point out...

The Buntut Goreng Special is served with a dish of sambal.
I mentioned earlier that the sambal served with the Nasi Timbel was not that spicy.. well this is a whole different story let me tell you!

I'd like to think that I'm quite a 'Hantu Chili' which means I can definitely handle spicy food (I take after my Mum - the ultimate 'Hantu Chili') but this sambal was way out of my league. Even my darling wife left it aside after a first taste. This sambal really packs a punch!

I'm sure those of you who love super spicy hot sambal will definitely enjoy this.
Maybe I should bring my Mum to test it :)

Sambal Mangga ($4.80)

And speaking of spicy...
We also ordered the Sambal Mangga and Sambal Goreng to accompany our dishes.
This was a nice Indonesian rendition of a mango salad. Definitely perks up your taste buds and gives you an appetite to keep eating I can tell you that.

Sambal Goreng Tahu Tempe ($7.80)

I know we are used to having a drier version of Sambal Goreng but the Indonesian-style includes a little more gravy so this goes really well if you're having a rice dish.

This is also a great choice if you're looking for a veggies-only dish!

Jus Alpukat ($6.80)

If you love Avacado Juice, this is the beverage of choice for you!
Delicious avocado and iced up and refreshing! And the best thing is that this not the watered-down type you might get at some places so this means this will probably last you for the whole meal.

And here's an interesting thing my darling wife spotted first.
Normally you'd get Avocado Juice topped off with some Gula Melaka (brown sugar syrup) to give it a hint of sweetness. Well, what you see above is... Chocolate syrup!

It's not conventional I know but it's actually not bad!
Well for those who still prefer the traditional Gula Melaka, don't worry you can still request for it when you place your order with the friendly staff. :)

Citron Soda ($4.80)

You guessed it! Some citrus (lemon and orange) syrup and fruit bits with soda water for a refreshing beverage to wash down all the yummy food!

They also had Jus Durian! Hmmm... maybe next time!

And you would think that after all that we would be full-up right?
Well we saw the desserts on the menu and couldn't bear to leave without sampling!

Es Cendol ($5.80)

My darling wife is a Cendol fanatic so we all know what she's gonna have am I right?

Pandan jelly, kidney beans, jackfruit, Gula Melaka and coconut milk all atop a bed of shaved ice...

I think we can tell by the look on her face that she's enjoying her Cendol! :)
And that was her first spoonful mind you.

Special mention about the shaved iced that was so finely shaved that it melts so smoothly when you devour a whole spoonful.
Simply delightful when it blends with the coconut miles and gula melaka.

If you like Cendol - try this!

Es Teler ($6.80)

Let me start by saying this - THIS WAS THE BOMB!

Finely shaved ice with jackfruit, avocado and coconut all covered with condensed milk!
Sinful maybe but definitely worth it I'm telling you. If you have a sweet tooth like me, this is perfect!
I finished every last thing in that dish.

I really saved the best for last on this one. I'm even going as far as to say that this is probably...
THE BEST DESSERT I'VE EVER HAD!

Adam's Verdict: 4.5/5

Maryah's Verdict: 4/5

There are still so many items on the menu that we are simply dying to try.
Rawon, Tahu Telur, Tumping Mini (which was sold out when we visited!) and assorted Ikan Bakar among other things.

This is a great place to come and enjoy great food. The staff is really friendly and the ambiance is just lovely.
Thanks to IndoChili for having us! We're definitely coming back!

IndoChili

54 Zion Road

www.indochili.com
www.facebook.com/IndoChili
Tel: 6445 1766 / 8168 4958

Operating Hours: 
11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

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***Special Ramadhan Promotion***

From now til 7 August 2013, enjoy a FREE Ramadhan Dessert when you visit IndoChili!!
(Limited serving per person while stocks last)

You will also receive a 10% discount vouched which you can use on your nest visit to IndoChili!
Make your reservations today at www.indochili.com

Check out The Halal Food Blog's FB page for more information on a special Ramadhan Contest where you stand a chance to win IndoChili dining vouchers!!

KL Sedap Part 4: Nasi Kandar Pelita

My parents started driving up to KL for short trips since we were kids.
And the routine was almost always the same - leave the house at 6am, drive up to KL, makan Nasi Kandar and then finally check-in at the hotel.

We would literally drive straight to the Nasi Kandar and have lunch first. Kind of like a tradition.
Our Nasi Kandar place is actually Mohd Yaseen Nasi Kandar (along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman) which my darling wife and I have had in a recent trip there.

But since her trip up to KL with a friend, she's been raving about the Nasi Kandar from Pelita.

I remember having it once but I can't really remember much.
And since our hotel this time was nearby a rather famous Pelita branch, Razali, Azim, my darling wife and myself decided to have a hearty lunch before heading out for shopping.

So what exactly is Nasi Kandar?

Apparently, Nasi Kandar actually originated from Penang and is basically mixed rice with an Indian influence. That means you'll get a wide spread of dishes including seafood (fish head, squid, crabs, prawns), meat (chicken, beef, mutton), vegetables and other assorted side dishes.

You'll normally also get a serving of veggie mix (normally cucumber, pineapple and carrot) as an accompaniment.

So far like normal right? But what makes Nasi Kandar unique?

Well just give the guy dishing out your food the 'word' and you'll find out.
Say 'kuah campur' and he'll put a little bit of each type of curry/gravy on display for you including the special 'kandar' gravy which is dark and tasty.

Don't worry he's not going to drown your rice in gravy until it becomes a soup.
But just how many types of gravy are we talking about here?

Well it's normally at least 5 types and mostly curry.
Crab curry, prawn curry, chicken curry, meat curry and Kandar gravy. If there's more then he'll put more.

So common things to have with your rice?
Chicken is a popular choice like fried chicken for example. They also have a special dish of chicken which is basically the chicken with the Kandar gravy. (RM6.00 per piece of chicken)

You can also have seafood. Prawns will cost between RM5.00-RM15.00 depending on size.
Squid will be about the same. And trust me - they have some pretty big prawns and squids.
You can even get a Fish Head (Curry) for about RM30.00.

Nasi Kandar with Ayam Kandar, Ladyfingers and Salted Egg

Nasi Kandar with Fried Chicken, Cabbage, Ladyfingers and Salted Egg

 The average price per plate for the servings above is about RM9.00.
And it may not look like much in the photos but believe you me that's a full meal right there.

For my Ayam Kandar though, it was a little different from what I usually have at the other Nasi Kandar place. It seems that here, they fry the chicken here first which mean they just put it in the gravy later.
This kinda makes the outer skin have that Kandar taste but the meat is completely clean.
Definitely a minus for me.

And apparently, Azim had the fish and he wasn't really impressed either.
Only the Fried Chicken seemed to be okay. Maybe because it was just simple.

And another thing. He may have put all the different curries and gravies for us but somehow it still turned out to be only a little bit of gravy on our plates. A case of stingy-with-the-gravy?
Normally at other (Pelita) outlets they apparently are a lot more generous and dish out the kuah the way it should be in Nasi Kandar.

Sotong Goreng Tepung (RM15.00)

We also decided to have the Sotong Goreng Tempura.
As this is only made to order, this would mean it was supposed to be fresh and hot and crispy but unfortunately this was not the case. I'm guessing it was sitting on the counter for awhile before the server finally picked it up and sent it to our table.

Anyways, don't expect much in the flavour department. The batter was completely tasteless.
But at least the squid itself was not overcooked.

Adam's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2.5/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2.5/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 3/5

Razali's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 3/5

Azim's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2.5/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 3/5

Pelita is actually a very famous Nasi Kandar chain in KL so I have no doubt that it's actually a nice place to have Nasi Kandar. Maybe we just went to the wrong outlet on the wrong day. Maybe next time other outlets might be better.

Oh. Any by the way. Avoid going during lunch hour unless you're okay with a large crowd.

Nasi Kandar Pelita

No 149 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 3 21625532
www.pelita.com.my

Operating Hours:
24 Hours Daily (Closed between 1pm til 2pm on Fridays)

KL Sedap Part 1: Grand Seri Garuda Emas

So we're going to begin our KL Sedap series!

I know a lot of us probably travel overseas to KL more often than any other city.
It's convenient, not too far away and is a modern city but still rich in history and culture.
AND HAS PLENTY OF MAKAN!

Let's face it, whenever we go to KL, confirm plus chop plus guarantee we're definitely going to spend a good amount of time eating. There's just so much to eat! From the street stalls to the restaurants, there's simply no end I tell you!

Well anyways our adventure begins at a place that my darling wife went to on one of her previous visits.
She kept raving about this dish she had called 'Ayam Pop' which was apparently the BOMB!
We tried a version in Singapore but it was a complete disaster so we've gone to the original source of my wife's fascination with this dish.

And since this was a family trip, my trusted brothers-in-law (and fellow foodies) Razali and Azim were along for this makan adventure in KL. Read more about them at our Bio page!

So Restoran Grand Seri Garuda Emas actually serves authentic Minang-style food.
We're talking about good old 'put everything on the table and we charge you for what you eat' kinda thing.

As you'd expect, they have the usual Padang favourites like Daging Salai, various seafood and vegetables.
They even have otak (brains)!!

And let's not forget the favourite Cabe Hijau (Green Chilli)!!!

Yeah we all know about Nasi Padang (or Minang) but what about this Ayam Pop eh?

Ayam Pop

 So what's so special about Ayam Pop anyways?
Apparently, the chicken is marinated then boiled in coconut water.

So the coconut water does nothing much for the flavour of the chicken but it surely makes the chicken meat very tender while retaining a moist texture. And let me tell you something else. Another thing it doesn't help is the appearance! But appearances aside, this chicken is really super tender and you DO get a hint of the coconut water and when you bite into it.

Well, anyways Azim wasn't buying into any of the coconut water talk and says it doesn't make much of a difference. But both he and Razali agree that.. it.. doesn't.. look.. appetizing....

They give you this special sambal to go with the Ayam Pop.
It's basically a mix of petis (fermented shrimp paste) and chillies. It's actually pretty spicy but the petis definitely kills any chance of it being overpowering.

I love me some petis so this was definitely a hit.

But for those of you who aren't interested in any boiled chicken...

Ayam Goreng

Great news! They also some pretty good Ayam Goreng!
(It definitely looks better doesn't it?)

Adam's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 3/5 -- Ayam Goreng 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 4.5/5 -- Ayam Goreng 3/5

Razali's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 2/5 -- Ayam Goreng 3.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 2.5/5

Well besides the Ayam Pop and Ayam Goreng, the rest of the dishes are really good too.
I really enjoyed the fried beef dishes and the vegetable dishes like 'Terung Sambal'!
Worth the trip if you're in the area and hankering for some Nasi Padang!

Restoran Grand Seri Garuda Emas

No 176 Jalan Raja Abdullah
Kg Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 0322027170
www.garuda.my

Operating Hours: 10.00am til midnight Daily