Restaurant Review: Nusantara Singapore Serves Up MSG-Free Indonesian Comfort Food in Tanjong Pagar
PUBLISHED April 13th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED April 18th, 2021 09:45 pm
Not five minutes’ walk from each other in Tanjong Pagar lie two similarly named restaurants, each a simple homage to the cuisine at their heart: Nusantara. But you can hardly mistake them for two peas in a pod. One, a frills-free stalwart in a Telok Ayer shophouse, has dished up a homely array of nasi padang for nearly four decades. The other is a fresh face in Frasers Tower, and it’s giving time-honored classics something of a modern repackaging – think healthy rice bowls in a space of tropical-hued chic.
‘Nusantara’ is the ancient term for maritime Southeast Asia, and it can refer to both the islands of Indonesia alone and the Malay archipelago that spans Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Its cuisine is a spice-forward mishmash of what we know and love as Indonesian and Malay staples, passed down in diverse renditions throughout the region. At Nusantara Singapore, chef Firdauz Nasir draws on recipes from his mother and grandmother to serve up comfort food made healthier – no MSG, less oil and sugar, yet plenty of old-school flavour.
There’re no less than six kinds of hand-pounded sambal to spice up your meal, beginning with your familiar belachan. Sambal hijau packs a fresh, tangy punch with green chilis; sambal kicap features a sweet dash of soy sauce. Durian lovers can follow their noses straight to the sambal tempoyak – made with fermented D24 durian for a funky, creamy flavour bomb.
These sambal condiments (S$2 each) come generously dolloped alongside Nusantara’s range of build-your-own rice bowls. For S$7.90 onwards, you get a wallet-friendly set of one meaty main and one side, heaped on a bed of blue pea rice and topped off with keropok. The Ayam Masak Merah Bowl (S$7.90) is an easy-to-like choice, with chicken pieces simmered in a tangy, spicy sauce. Fresh tomatoes lend it a lively sweetness, thickened nicely with roasted candlenut.
If you’re game for some gaminess, it’s worth splurging on the Belimbing Lamb Bowl (S$15.90). Fork-tender, charcoal-grilled lamb shoulder comes drenched in a creamy belimbing gravy, whose tartness balances the lamb’s satisfying hint of gaminess. Another bold offering we had was the day’s Chef Special, starring clams bathed in a fragrant gravy of coconut, lemongrass, and lime leaves – it isn’t too often you find shellfish in Indonesian fare here. Complete your meal with sides like sayur lodeh and gado gado, and add on a Bergedil (S$1.50) for some crisp-fried potato goodness.
Besides the hearty lunch fare, they’ve got treats to kickstart your workday right too. Swing by from 7.30am to pick up snacks like Sardine Curry Puff (S$1.80) – a buttery crust stuffed with sardine cooked in sambal tumis – and Mashed Banana Fritters (S$2), which might look like misshapen blobs beside the more familiar goreng pisang but are smooth, sweet, and fluffy. And for your morning pick-me-up, the Kopi Kelapa (hot S$1.90, cold S$270) is a must. A version of bulletproof coffee amped up with coconut oil, it’s fragrant, creamy sin in a cup.
Nusantara Cuisine is located at Frasers Tower #02-16/17, 182 Cecil Street, Singapore 069547, p. +65 9003 9510. Open Mon-Fri 7.30am–7pm.
