Tasting Singapore: Part Two

After an elaborate seafood buffet and an exciting Taiwanese 'soupy' dim sum experience, what next? Actually, some even more interesting food to write about. Have you heard of Sundanese people and their cuisine? And no, that wasn't a typo; Sundanese are an ethnic group from Indonesia. Also, my first experience of Singapore's Chilly Crab, which many will declare is this country's 'national dish'.

The Sundanese are a people native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They are thought to have orginated from Taiwan and migrated to Indonesia over 3000 years back. About 27 million people speak the Sundanese language today and is the second most widely spoken language in the country today (after Javanese).

The restaurant I visited is called Sundanese Sayang located in City Square Mall. The interior was decorated with local Indonesian artifacts and there was a display of traditional ovens and cookware at the entrance.

They served us an Indonesian sushi roll as we ordered. We sipped on a sweet-sour drink as we waited for our food.

Steamed rice was served in a bamboo basket lined with a banana leaf to enhance the flavor of the rice inside. A number of dishes had made their way to our table by now.

The Ayam Pangang Sunda is a chicken dish in a delightful semi-sweet marinade that was tender and flavorful. The beef Rendang had a thick curry bursting with the fullness of a multitude of spices.


Then came their signature dishes. The Sedap Ikan Bakar is a whole sea bass charcoal grilled in Sundanese style with a unique basting process. Prepared with exotic spices, this dish was amazing and worthy of a feast. The other interesting dish was the Ikan Nila Goreng, Sudanese 'dancing' fish. As you can see from the picture, the whole fish is served artistically with its body sliced through but the head in one piece. The fish was expertly deep fried retaining the juiciness of the fish.


The squids were very nice too, in both presentation and taste. Slowly grilled, this dish is usually had with sambal belachan by the locals.

Finally, we ended with a cup of Indonesian coffee in brightly colored cups.

How could I leave Singapore without digging into their famous Chilli Crab. So, off we went that evening to Jumbo, Singapore most famous seafood restaurant on Dempsey Hill.

The evening was warm and muggy, so we ordered a jug of Tiger beer with our food. All we wanted tonight was crab, so we chose a medium-size one. Now here I must warn my readers from India. These crabs are far larger than the ones you eat back home. A medium sized crab may be good for two, especially if you are ordering desserts or starters too.

Also remember to order some of those (tiny) buns; they are very good with the chilly crab.

The dish, when it arrived, looked suitably imposing, in a large cast-iron skillet. Enough crab and gravy for four people (by Indian standards).

Time to get our hands messy. Thankfully, they give you large bibs to wear before you attack the crab. Even with the implements to crack the shells and pry out meat, there is no avoiding some mess. The crab was delicious. Hard work was rewarded with the most delectible crab meat.

Finally, we cleaned up and ordered the mango pudding for dessert. The dessert was simply wonderful. By now, every table was full in the restaurant. We were able to get a seat without a reservation only because we arrived very early. Keep that in mind if you want to eat here. Also, if you have already tried chilly crab, you may want to try the Black Pepper Crab, which is also a speciality here.

Singapore has the densest poplulation of restaurants I have seen anywhere. It seems everyone loves eating out and often. The shopping malls are filled with numerous choices and then there are the excellent food malls in addition to the speciality restaurants and the outlets in the hotels. And nowhere do you get the variety, all within a few minutes drive or in walking distance from wherever you are.

Previously in this series: Tasting Singapore