We were at Bayewood Collection when childhood friend, Tong Leng, felt like having something spicy for dinner. There are several options in the area but Pagi Sore immediately came to mind. I have eaten there many times and have never once been disappointed.
The restaurant was started in 1989 in a shop house along Duxton Road. It is now finally settled, after moving around for a while, at 88 Telok Ayer Street, Far East Square. 20-year old Pagi Sore has received numerous awards including the Excellent Food Award in 2002 and is listed among the Top 50 Restaurants in Singapore by The Straits Times.
Its signature dishes are unmistakably the popular Cumi Bali, Petai Udang Pedas, Ikan Otah Kukus and Ayam Bali.
However, I thought we should try something different and so our parade of dishes included Rendang Sapi, Ikan Assam Pedas, Ayam Gulai, Terung Tau Chio, and Asparagus Udang Belacan. For dessert we had pudding lapis mangga, alpukat and sirsak sorbet.
The rendang sapi was tasty but lacked the fragrance of fried coconut. Also, I found the beef to be a little on the rough side - perhaps the meat was too lean. I prefer it to be stewed longer until the meat is tender and streaky. Those who enjoy thick sauces will definitely appreciate this dish which is drowned in its own gravy.
For the ikan assam pedas, red snapper was used which was a good choice since the meat of this fish has a firm texture and a sweet, nutty flavor that lends itself very well to everything from hot chili to subtle herbs. The gravy has a combination taste of sweet, sour and hot which is how a good assam pedas should be.
We had originally planned to order petai udang pedas but it was sold out. So, we settled for the prawn stir-fried with asparagus in sambal belacan. I didn't think asparagus went very well with sambal belacan and therefore did not enjoy this dish. When ordering this dish, indicate to the waiter whether you prefer your prawns denuded.
As there were three of us, we decided to order one dessert each to share. The pudding lapis mangga was pretty to look at but tasted ordinary. My alpukat or avocado cream had a good creamy texture but that was the only good thing about it. The gula melaka was too sweet although it looked diluted! However the sirsak sorbet was very good. The soursop pulp was blended very fine before chilling which made it very smooth.
Over the years (from its Duxton days right up to the present), Pagi Sore has managed to maintain consistency in standards which is why I keep going back there. It is one of my favourite Indonesian restaurants.
The restaurant was started in 1989 in a shop house along Duxton Road. It is now finally settled, after moving around for a while, at 88 Telok Ayer Street, Far East Square. 20-year old Pagi Sore has received numerous awards including the Excellent Food Award in 2002 and is listed among the Top 50 Restaurants in Singapore by The Straits Times.
Its signature dishes are unmistakably the popular Cumi Bali, Petai Udang Pedas, Ikan Otah Kukus and Ayam Bali.
However, I thought we should try something different and so our parade of dishes included Rendang Sapi, Ikan Assam Pedas, Ayam Gulai, Terung Tau Chio, and Asparagus Udang Belacan. For dessert we had pudding lapis mangga, alpukat and sirsak sorbet.
The rendang sapi was tasty but lacked the fragrance of fried coconut. Also, I found the beef to be a little on the rough side - perhaps the meat was too lean. I prefer it to be stewed longer until the meat is tender and streaky. Those who enjoy thick sauces will definitely appreciate this dish which is drowned in its own gravy.
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| Beef rendang |
For the ikan assam pedas, red snapper was used which was a good choice since the meat of this fish has a firm texture and a sweet, nutty flavor that lends itself very well to everything from hot chili to subtle herbs. The gravy has a combination taste of sweet, sour and hot which is how a good assam pedas should be.
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| Ikan Assam Pedas |
To make the perfect accompaniment for the terong tau chio, the kitchen staff prepares the special sauce daily. The main ingredients of the sauce includes preserved soya beans, diced chili and garlic. The eggplant is blanched in boiling water and very quickly taken out to prevent it from getting overcooked. The cook succeeded in preventing the eggplant from becoming too soft and soggy or undercooked and raw, for that matter.
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| Terong tau chio |
Ayam Gulai is a watery version of kari ayam and normally less milky, hot and spicy. Unlike curry which uses thick coconut milk, diluted coconut milk is used in gulai and therefore not so jelak. The chicken was very tender yet remained as a whole piece and not disintegrated. Overall, this was a satisfying dish.
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| Ayam gulai |
We had originally planned to order petai udang pedas but it was sold out. So, we settled for the prawn stir-fried with asparagus in sambal belacan. I didn't think asparagus went very well with sambal belacan and therefore did not enjoy this dish. When ordering this dish, indicate to the waiter whether you prefer your prawns denuded.
 |
| Prawn stir-fried with asparagus in sambal belacan |
As there were three of us, we decided to order one dessert each to share. The pudding lapis mangga was pretty to look at but tasted ordinary. My alpukat or avocado cream had a good creamy texture but that was the only good thing about it. The gula melaka was too sweet although it looked diluted! However the sirsak sorbet was very good. The soursop pulp was blended very fine before chilling which made it very smooth.
Over the years (from its Duxton days right up to the present), Pagi Sore has managed to maintain consistency in standards which is why I keep going back there. It is one of my favourite Indonesian restaurants.
Pagi Sore
88-90 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 048470
88-90 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 048470
Ambiance: 7
Service: 7.5
Food: 8
Pricing: $$
Pricing: $$
Recommendations: Ikan otah kukus, petai udang pedas, cumi bali, sirsak sorbet, ikan assam pedas, ayam bali
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