SINGAPORE: The first thought of Indonesian food, Beef Rendang or Tauhu Goreng with peanut sauce, come to mind. However, when you talk about Chinese food, you can't help but imagine a communal setting where dishes are placed in the middle, and each diner will enjoy the food with a bowl of rice.
Kota88 is both and more. Not only you can get the famous Indonesian fare like Mee Goreng, Nasi Campur with Chinese ingredients; you also get classic Chinese dishes like roast duck, roast pork belly and fu yong egg with an Indonesian twist. Kota88 serves Masakan Tionghoa Indonesia (Chinese Indonesian Cuisine), whose heritage is traced back to Glodok, Jakarta’s Chinatown.
Located along East Coast Road, this open-air restaurant has a bar on the left and pieces of 70s theme art on the right, giving you a very casual vibe. Even without the air-conditioning, there is a constant breeze flow throughout the restaurant, transporting you back into a 1970s coffee shop.
Every meal here must start with their Sate Babi, which is pork satay. This is not the usual Singapore satay, but they are satays made from all parts of a pig.
Sate Babi (Mix n’ Match 10 Sticks) S$15.88
For the 10 stick combi, you will get 2 of each made from Savoury Pork, Sweet Pork, Pork Skin, Pork Liver and Pork Intestine. All of them are covered in an unmistakable sauce made from Kecap Manis.
While they have a fancy Nasi Campur, which you can opt to have with chicken rice, their Bakmi (Noodles) and Bihun Goreng (Fried Bee Hoon) are simply out of this world.
Babi Komplit Special S$9.88 (Pork Noodles)
House specialty minced pork, char siew, roast pork, fried wanton and vegetables, served with a side soup and steamed wanton
Bihun Goreng Spesial Kota88 S$9.88 (Fried Bee Hoon)
Special fried vermicelli noodles with beef, chicken, pork, Chinese sausage, chye sim and bean sprouts
For sharing, these are standard Chinese fare that you can never go wrong
Bebek Panggang (A Quater of duck) S$15.88
Roast Duck
Ngo Hiang S$9.88
Fried prawn beancurd roll
Fu Yung Hai S$12.88
Indonesian crab omelette served with homemade sweet and sour sauce
Cap Cai S$11.88
Stir-fried mixed vegetables with a mix of chicken, pork, prawn, fish ball and beef ball
You cannot end an Indonesian meal without an Indonesian classic dessert, and it must be Cendol.
Es Cendol S$6.88
Pandan jelly, jackfruit, coconut milk and Indonesian palm sugar
Address: 907 East Coast Rd, #01-02, Singapore 459107