Indonesian Food House at Aljunied - Incredible Lontong

Being Chinese, I have always wanted to savor more of non-Chinese fare, especially as one gets older and one's palette gets more subtle, and malay food has been something that I been very keen to try.

And I was informed by my foodie veteran that the best Malay food comes from Indonesians who have migrated here, as they cook with real passion and skill.

And one of the malay dishes that has always fascinated me was lontong, and I did never quite get it when I was younger. Finally, I was brought to this market in Aljunied, in a cramped stall that serves what I think is the best lontong around.

It is run by an Indonesian matriarch and her children, and they are warm and friendly anytime you go there. Besides lontong, their other hot sellers are their curry and sardine puffs, which are equally incredible.

Sardine Puffs

Normally I steer away from sardine and tuna puffs, as the flavors usually do not mix well in a deep fried pastry, and more often than not, the fish meat is not that fresh to warrant consumption.

Here, the sardines were just about right, and the acidity of the tomato paste actually helped to balance the flavors within the puff really well. The pastry was also well done, flaky and fresh and not too heavy with the butter.

The potato variant was equally good, if not better. The lovely curry flavors mixed with the chunky  bits of potato combined to make the perfect malay curry puff. Excellent.

Lontong

The dish of the day, the lontong was simply amazing. Rich with spices, and yet never too overbearing, you could taste all the individual vegetables and flavors within the bowl.

The ingredients were also generous, with a whole hard boiled egg immersed in the silky spicy broth, this dish was hearty and delicious. It is especially good on a cold rainy day.

Undoubtedly, the best lontong that I have tasted, and you could really taste the home cooked passion in the dish.

Mee Siam

Another thing to savor is the mee siam here, and it was also very good. More watery than usual, you could clearly make out the dried shrimp flavors infused in the broth.

Again, the owners here have not gone with a heavy handed approach, but instead, to make a mee siam that is somewhat milder, but because of the natural sweetness of the dried shrimp, it was very delectable from start to finish.

They also serve mee soto here, and while it was not as good as the mee siam or lontong, it was still above average and would make a nice alternative if you do decide to come here often.

It is good to see great indonesian food catered for local tastes here, and found in simple surrounding with simple prices. Nothing too pretentious, just the idea of home cooked food at very reasonable prices.

Indonesian Food House

#01-06 Blk 117 Food Market

Aljunied Avenue 2