food
Authentic Padang dining at Restoran Puti Bungsu Batam
Even if we had a variety of dishes, we still found the final bill of RM127 to be expensive. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Yap Pik Kuan, December 22, 2015.My only experiences with nasi padang were at Kedai Makanan Capital on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Restoran Berjaya in Bangsar, both of which were excellent.
And I'm happy to report that my recent visit to Restoran Puti Bungsu Batam on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng did not disappoint!
The restaurant had, by far, the most authentic vibe of the three eateries I've dined in.
Housed in an open-concept bungalow, you find a variety of dishes precariously stacked on top of each other. The waiters would carry stacks and stacks of dishes to hungry patrons like a circus feat!
The traditional way of having nasi padang would be to have an entire spread brought to your table. Pick the dishes you like and you'll only be charged for the ones you've eaten.
Since it was just me and my dining partner, it was easier to go to the counter to pick out the dishes that piqued my interest.
One of the dishes Restoran Puti Bungsu Batam is popular for is their ayam pop (pic, right) at RM18 for two portions.
Sizeable pieces of chicken are first boiled in a tangy lime juice with aromatics like onions and garlic. Once you make an order, the chicken will be thrown into a vat of boiling hot oil without any batter. That's how you get a lightly crisped skin and tender meat that was bursting with meaty juices.
Along with a chilli dip which was only mildly spicy, it was one of my favourite picks of the meal! This was a much better bet than their usual fried chicken (RM8) which was disappointingly tough and dry.
The rendang daging (RM18) here proved to be a beloved classic that you can't go wrong with.
The dark, thick gravy was on the dry side but it was chock-full of the delicious aromas of chilli, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass and all the good stuff!
It's an absolute wonder how one waiter can carry so many dishes! – The Malaysian Insider pic by Yap Pik Kuan, December 22, 2015.The meat was tough but once I broke it apart, it had soaked up all the delicious sauces and was just a pleasure to eat. You'll definitely want a lot of rice to go with this.
We also had the ikan bakar (RM18), a large piece of tilapia slathered in a fragrant chilli rub. It wasn't quite as crisp as I liked it but the meat was soft and sweet and the marinade was tasty.
As for drinks, Indonesian favourites like avocado chocolate and teh botol are available. Our soda gembira was too sweet for us to handle, so if you're going to order it, ask for "kurang manis" (less sweet).
Nasi padang is characterised by its variety, so I'd suggest getting a large group together for a meal. The spiciness of the dishes were well controlled, so rest assured you won't be sweating your face off.
Food at Restoran Pati Bungsu Batam can be expensive but that is par for the course given its location. – December 22, 2015.
Restoran Puti Bungsu Batam | Address: 4, Lorong Yap Kwan Seng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. | Tel: 03-21711197 | Opening hours: 11am - 10pm daily | GPS coordinates: 3.162791, 101.713427 | Halal
* All of The Malaysian Insider food reviews are incognito and reflect the personal opinions of our merry band of foodies. If you know of any restaurant serving awesome grub, share it with the rest of the world and drop us a line with details at [email protected].
Please note that you must sign up with disqus.com before commenting. And, please refrain from comments of a racist, sexist, personal, vulgar or derogatory nature and note that comments can be edited, rewritten for clarity or to avoid questionable issues. As comments are moderated, they may not appear immediately or even on the same day you posted them. We also reserve the right to delete off-topic comments