If you've been following us, you'll know that a while ago I went to visit the Yahoo! SEA Office in Singapore for a short one-day editorial training. For lunch we all walked a couple of blocks over to an Indonesian restaurant named Warung Lele.
The restaurant claims to offer authentic Indonesian cuisine, but as I'm no expert I can't judge :) I can say, though, that Indonesian joints seem to serve the best appetizer crackers. Especially with that chili/lime dip - need to control otherwise you end up eating too much and getting stuffed :)
We go for the Four Pax Set B (SGD75.00), which starts off with Gurame Sambal. Gurame is a type of carp - I'm not sure if there's an exact equivalent english name. I liked the taste and the kick of the sambal, but the fish itself was deep fried and hence ended up with very little meat.
Udang Bi'jian (Cereal prawns) is up next. It's somewhat similar to the Chinese 'butter-style' prawns with some crushed cereal added in to the mix. Sadly the cooking was let down by the prawns which were clammy and lacking in freshness. The best chef in the world couldn't have saved these prawns.
Moving on to my favorite dish of the afternoon - Ayam Bakar (BBQ chicken with special sauce). The gravy/sauce makes this dish. If you find yourself here definitely give this a try.
Tahu Fantasi (Palembang prawn beancurd) was a bit forgettable. It tasted remarkably like something you'd get at a HK-style dimsum place. Like an oversized prawn siew mai.
Other than what's above, the set lunch includes rice, dessert, and Kangkong Taucu (Kangkong belacan with bean sauce). Didn't feel that the belacan had enough kick, both taste-wise and chili/spiciness-wise.
Overall the restaurant has some interesting flavors but is let down a little by the (lack of) freshness of the ingredients. Reservations are recommended for lunch as the place gets very, very full. Open Lunch and Dinner, Mondays to Saturdays (closed Sundays).
Warung Lele Restaurant
8 SHENTON WAY, #01-16 & #01-19
(Opposite MAS Building & CPF Building, if coming by Tanjong Pagar MRT use exit D)
Tel: +65 6423 1552
heh, i'd have ordered the tahu fantasi simply for its name! am a sucker for catchy names :D
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