Dining

Pondok Jawa Timur – Indonesian Javanese Restaurant

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A friend and I were at Plaza Singapura scouring for a dining spot. There were plenty of options. Within the shopping mall there’s already the Manhattan Fish Market, ichiban sushi, indonesian BBQ at kopitiam and many more. And of course there’s Giraffe Bar across the road at Istana Park.

I wanted to visit someplace new and so we tried our luck at the atrium (an extension wing of Plaza Singapura). That’s when a restaurant with a tropical island theme caught our eye…

pondok jawa timur, an Indonesian javanese restaurant — just my kind of thing! There were some Indonesian customers so we thought that the food must be really good!

Es Kelapa Muda (Iced Young Coconut)

Es Kelapa Muda (Iced Young Coconut)
SGD3.50++

This cute-looking pink drink contains several slivers of coconut flesh. It’s very rich and refreshing. Plus, it’s pretty in pink! Oh yeah, the first time I had this drink was at Ayam Bakar Ojolali, another Indonesian eatery at Lucky Plaza. It was pink too. Is that just food coloring or what?

Gado Gado (Mixed Vegetables in Surabaya Peanut Sauce)

Gado Gado (Mixed Vegetables in Surabaya Peanut Sauce)
SGD7++

Gado gado, a traditional Indonesian dish that came with keropok, greens and egg. The peanut sauce dressing was actually pretty good, but there was simply too little of it for us to thoroughly enjoy the dish. Also, at $7, I found it to be a tad expensive.

Sate Ayam Madura (Maduranese Chicken Satay)

Sate Ayam Madura (Maduranese Chicken Satay)
SGD8++

Just a few days ago, I had blogged about best satay at Lau Pa Sat which has the local Muslim version of satay.

In this Indonesian version, the meat is chunkier and marinaded quite differently. The peanut gravy, while not as sweet, is certainly packed with flavor. If you ask me, this is one dish worth coming back for! But do be prepared to wait 15 to 20 minutes for it to be served.

Ayam Kare (Chicken in Curry Sauce)

Ayam Kare (Chicken in Curry Sauce)
SGD6.50++

When we asked for recommendations out of the rather limited menu, the waiter had recommended the curry chicken. ayam kare, if you might. The curry gravy tasted quite good and would have been better if the spice factor had been upped a few notches. Perhaps it had been toned down to cater to foreigners.

Es Cendol (Iced Cendol with Coconut Milk)

Es Cendol (Iced Cendol with Coconut Milk)
SGD4++

Finally, the colorful cendol makes a great dessert. Or drink, whichever. Aren’t those green jelly wormy bits fun to eat? Yummy!

Overall, I found that I really enjoyed the satay and the drinks. But that’s about it. I wouldn’t be jumping up and down to pay another visit. The menu is rather limited and we were hard-pressed for options. They have another branch at far East plaza too.

Still, the satay is really something to die for. I think I would want to have it again!

Pondok Jawa Timur (

Halal certified)
The Atrium @ Orchard
60B Orchard Road
Tower 2 #01-16 Singapore 238891
(65) 6884 5853
Service:

www.pondokjawatimur.com

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and WordPress development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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12 responses

Leave your comment

Miccheng
September 17, 2007

The satay looks good. Glad its worth the wait… :)
Reply
pkchukiss
September 17, 2007

I know that I’m comparing apples to oranges, but I’m still trying to get my mind around spending $8 for 5 sticks of satay…
Reply
Veron
September 17, 2007

Miccheng: Yeah! Actually, we didn’t even have to wait too long.

pkchukiss: While we were eating it did occur to me that we were paying 8 bucks for half a dozen sticks of satay. But well, they weren’t just any regular ol’ satay you find at a satay stall. These satay were huge! Plus, they were good too. So… no complaints there!
Reply
Jayson
September 17, 2007

that satay picture is making me hungry right now!!
grrrrrrrrr

oh yah and the chendol drink is full of coconut milk,
dont drink too often … high cholesterol
Reply
Veron
September 18, 2007

Believe it or not, that was my first time sampling chendol, ever! I liked it, but yeah I ain’t gonna have it too frequently.
Reply
Shakilah
October 3, 2007

It looks really tempting. But it is Halal plus what are the price range? Does it seve individual main courses or just dishes like you’ve mentioned? Notify me!!!
Reply
rika
February 18, 2009

The other branch is in Far East Plaza, not Lucky Plaza :)
Btw, I like reading your blog. Keep posting!
Reply
- Veron
  February 18, 2009
  
  Thanks! I have made the correction. Keep reading too! :)
  Reply
Chef Dj
March 3, 2010

Wow …it looks delicious …I will go there some day.
Reply
Tina
April 6, 2010

the first restaurant I found and halal is guaranteed.
at first, I think the taste is like in indonesia, but, because the location is in Singapore, the taste is too sweet..;D
for indonesian its kind of shocking, so different with indonesian food.
quite impressing
Reply
Orange Lotsabubblelis
June 5, 2010

i went there for dinner wif my family jus last mth. i wasn’t impressed wif the food there. m a fan of indonesian food. my personal faves wld be Pepes @ Takashimaya (used to be Sanur), Pagi Sore and Tambuah Mas.

the a MUST dish for me to try out at indonesian restaurants definitely wld be Tahu Telor. It can be found on almost every table i see when dining. n the MUST dessert gotta be Avocado.

my personal best faves for BEST Tahu Telor gotta be fr Pepes. It’s crisp n neat. as for the BEST Avocado, Pepes & Pagi Sore wld be a tie. Pepes’s is the rich, thick kind n coffee-fragrant like while Pagi Sore is ice-blended
Reply
- Veron
  June 6, 2010
  
  Oh, I have heard rave recommendations for Tambuah Mas, too. Pagi Sore also happens to be a favorite Indonesian restaurant of mine. Check out our review of Pagi Sore. Their steamed fish with otah is memorable!
  Reply