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Riverside Indonesian BBQ – Best Grilled Ayam of All Time

Rating:

By Veron Ang

My, that’s one bold statement to make, and I make it with utmost confidence. (Ayam is chicken.)

The Riverside Indonesian BBQ food stall is located at the innermost corner of the Kopitiam food court at Plaza Singapura. It is positioned at the worst possible spot in the entire food court. Yet at any one time, it also has the longest queue of customers. Doesn’t that say a lot? Normally, I would have to queue behind a dozen people before I finally get my ayam panggang (grilled chicken)!

If you’re thinking “whoa! This is one sinful looking plate of calories”, well, you are absolutely right! But really, this dish is so good that it is totally worth every calorie and every gram of saturated fat! If you look around, most of the people seated in the 20-metre radius of the stall would be eating out of a green banana leaf lookalike plate.

Ayam Panggang (grilled chicken)

Ayam Panggang (grilled chicken)
S$~~4.80~~ 5.30
Rating:

For this set you get the rice, a bowl of soup, a triangular slab of omelette, and a large, juicy chicken thigh. To be honest, the rice, soup and omelette are just meh. But the chicken thigh is one of the best things ever! If there was a kingdom of food, this chicken would be wearing a crown (or a tiara).

You get the option of whether to have curry ladled over the rice. I always say no, and ask for more black sauce instead. The black sauce is a sweet concoction that tastes so perfect I can find no fault with it. Believe me, I’ve tried! And for the past 5 to 6 years, not once have I been disappointed. In fact, the consistently plates of awesome grilled chicken is one of the very few constants in my life. (whoa!)

Ayam Panggang (grilled chicken)

Of course, all this wouldn’t be complete without a good chilli sauce. You get to scoop as much of it as you would like out of a large metal tin. It is extremely tasty and has just the right amount of spice!

This stall is so popular, most of you may have already been there. But each time I go there with a different person, I would realise that he or she has never heard of this place before. That’s what this glowing review is here for: to make sure that none of you (in Singapore, at least) would miss out on this delicious goodness!

You can also find other dishes such as curry chicken, breaded prawns, chicken satay (meat skewers), calamari, etc. But obviously the grilled chicken is the bestseller, and for good reasons too.

Riverside Indonesian BBQ
Plaza Singapura Kopitiam
68 Orchard Road #06-15/20
Singapore 238839

Tags: Dhoby Ghaut, dinner, food court, Indonesian, lunch, Plaza Singapura, steaks & grill

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About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

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Responses Leave a comment

sylv
5 comments

i agree that it’s suuuupppperrr delicious :D
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 12:20 am
G
1 comment

NUS Engineering canteen serves the same food at much better prices. If I’m right, they were set up a few months before the PS stall.
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 1:02 am
Veron
3438 comments

Same kind of food, different kind of standards. Case closed.
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 1:09 am
denise
3 comments

i think the PS outlet is a branch of the restaurant. you should try the riverside indo restaurant someday. they have some sort of a alacarte dinner buffet for 6pax and above. and of course, some dishes good some dishes average. but the grilled chicken still rules supreme.
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 1:41 am
Veron
3438 comments

I walk past the restaurant all the time but have not realised it’s actually related to this stall. I will definitely check it out. Thanks!
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 1:46 am
Fernando
29 comments

ooh Ive tried this too! sinful is right! especially that caramelized, charred bit on the top. Its not terribly glamorous, but dear me, its fantastic! The cues usually put me off, but i have been known to exercise patience, just to indulge in something this yummy! Im always amazed at how daring and open minded you are, to all kinds of food. Good on ya mate!
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 2:47 am
pkchukiss
82 comments

Oh my goodness, I’ve visited the restaurant itself, and the chicken is absolutely Sedap! The skin itself is crunchy, and with the soy sauce slipping down the back of your throat with the thick, sweet taste, you’d be begging for NOTHING else!
And all that is if you can get past the calmari. It’s that good! Gosh, I’m fantasising about it right now even as I type! Wheeeee for good food!!!
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 7:41 am
Aristocrat
31 comments

I see the pasyon and ferocity someone has in defending a stall that she has frequented for 5-6 years! Insist on Eng’s stall being better and soon you will feel her black and sweet sauce wrath!
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 9:20 am
Glittery
1 comment

hi Veron,
i came across your blog a few days ago.i must say that u are really amazing and talented.lolx i guess u seen lots of compliments like this.i really luv ur blog.hope to see more of your artistic charms etc….really appreciate that u put in so much hard work to keep updating despite of being so bz.cheers all the best to u!!
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Milton
1 comment

I am dying of Hunger!!!!
I need to go back to Singaport one of these days. I have not been to Singapore for more than 15 years.
For Food..I must go! Thanks for wetting my appretite in the middle of the nite half way across the Ocean!
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Jacelyn
29 comments

I’ve tried before :) And yes, it’s really what you had described. I don’t think it’s related to riverside indonesian restaurant? But have you tried the food there? It’s really nice :)
Reply
Posted April 14, 2007 at 3:22 pm
mervkwok
38 comments

I used to eat the ayam panggang at PS so often that I just got sick of it after a while :P
Lesson I learnt: Dont overdo things hehe
Reply
Posted April 15, 2007 at 9:15 pm
lucas
5 comments

at $4.30, what a bargain that is for such a delicious sinful fix. a wonderful grilled spiced tender chicken… once I discovered this gem in P.S., that’s the only dish I’ll go for if I am dining at P.S. foodcourt. you’ll need to try it to die without regret!
Reply
Posted April 16, 2007 at 2:33 am
Jasmine
23 comments

Hello!
Reading your blog all the way from China right now.
I miss the food in Singapore. Especially this stall in PS! It’s like a must for me everytime I go there. The sauce is superb!
Try the squid one. The sauce is the same as the chicken one if I’m not wrong. Both are just as nice.
oh man, I miss that stall a lot.
Reply
Posted April 17, 2007 at 10:59 am
Veron
3438 comments

Awesome! I’m so, so glad I’m not the only die-hard fan that goes for this one dish whenever I’m at PS!
Jasmine: You’re in China! I sure hope you would be able to come back soon to enjoy all the Singapore food!
Reply
Posted April 17, 2007 at 12:32 pm
lucifer81
1 comment

Yeah.. i gonna admit that the food is always the same since i tried it bout 3yrs back. Newly open branch is at wisma atria food republic. Can go try, standard almost the same bah..
Reply
Posted April 23, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Mag
2 comments

It was huge and I couldn’t finish it lol.
Reply
Posted April 24, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Veron
3438 comments

I had this again today! Usually I would finish the chicken and leave the rice almost completely untouched.
Reply
Posted April 25, 2007 at 1:34 am
lancelot
4 comments

Hi! remember me? Its been long…the same occasion again. i was looking for food to dine with my family…and came across your site again! Its hard to find great halal food around…In the end, I ended up eating at “Mad Jack’s”. Its along Bukit Timah Rd somewhere. Its not that great, but considering its Australian meal size…how can I resist. Reminds me of when I visited Adelaide. Now, it has been our family dinner spot. Its unhealthy…but as you always did…excercise and dieting would help!
About the neckless I bought from u…she kept it somewhere as I predicted…Argh!!! Love your new upgrading, gal! U rock!
Reply
Posted July 26, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Veron
3438 comments

lol doooood, I was wondering where you’ve been all this while! Mad Jack Cafe sounds groovy. I should probably check it out when I drop by the area!
Reply
Posted July 26, 2007 at 11:31 pm