You know, if there be one thing about Indonesian food that I've come to love and appreciate, it is that they do their dishes with heartfelt oomph, and they don't shy away from reminding you just how abundant their (food) resources are.
How some of them manage to stay so skinny, I don't know, but as far as I've had it, there's never been a plate of Indonesian food that didn't look like it was overflowing with rice, or chili, or sauce, or something.
Whether it be at this place in Lucky Plaza, whether it be this other place that I used to go to but cannot remember where now, when it comes to their national cuisine, Indonesians take great heart in quality, aesthetics and taste.
That being said, there's something about Dapur Penyet at Centerpoint that strikes different.
It might be the same at their sister outlets, of which they're also at Jewel, Funan, and the Geylang Serai enclave of City Plaza.
But the one here, at where I sometimes think is the annex of Centerpoint, holds a hint of difference that I probably would not find elsewhere.
Some say it's the soup.
Others say it's the belacan.
I'm not sure.
If you ask me, I think it's the belacan.
Packs a punch ("power sia") this one, even if it be medium sized portion evenly distributed over your piece of fried chicken.
How good it is, whether it is better than others elsewhere, that, however, I won't know.
I'm not very much a chili eater, and, in all sincerity, don't know the difference between the bombz of one chili versus the other.
But even if you're not a fan of red chili, there's something about the way they've done it that makes you curious and want to try.
Maybe it's the marination.
Maybe it's the way they're so generous with the chili, and how it lies so comfortably over the chicken that makes you want to savor the meat with this red power-packed vegetable.
I've had the chicken with the chili.
I've also had the tofu with the chili.
People who know me would be surprised if I told them I find the tofu good.
I'm not usually a fan of bean curd (save for the round eggy ones), but this one was crisp, well-fried, and had a bounciness to it I didn't think tofu would have.
How I normally eat this fried cube is to cut it up in little cubes, dip a side of it into the heap of chili, and munch it from there.
I don't leave the chili on top of the chicken though.
It gets hard to see what I'm eating.
So what I do is to sweep it to the side, then tear, or cut through the poultry with fork and spoon.
One thing I like about the chicken here is how tasty the meat itself is.
No surprise if the skin is tasty- most fried chickens have fantastic tasting skin- but if the meat has a flavor all on its own, that's another matter altogether.
I'm always delighted by the slight saltiness that rolls over my tongue every time I take a bite.
Same way too I'm always delighted by the tenderness of the meat, even if it be the breast part.
Seldom is it- in fact hardly never- that the breast meat here is dry, tasteless and inedible. There's a bit of chew, yes, of course, that's how that part of the cooked chicken is, but never has it been that I've found myself chomping through the flesh with sheer discipline and a want to not waste money.
The rice here at Dapur Penyet is good too.
Some will say it's nothing to shout about- it's just a bowl of rice- but the warm rice isn't meant to just be eaten on its own.
Trust me, it hits different when eaten spoonful by spoonful with either the chicken, the crackers, the chili, or the tofu.
And it's just as good when eaten with a bit of soup.
What's more, their colors are so pretty.
I've come to appreciate Indonesian food a wee bit more than I used to.
Maybe one day I'll try their Ayam Bakar. The description on their website says that the chicken's served with honey sauce, so it should be good.
Or I might try their fish.
Dayur Penyet serves a surprising variety of fish cooked various ways.
There's Pomfret Fish, Sundanese Dancing Fish, Tilapia Fish, Catfish, and Kembang Fish. The first two fishes are served fried, so are the Catfish and the Kembang fish, but you can have the Pomfret grilled, as well as the Tilapia.
Seeing the pictures I think I might want to try the Tilapia one day.
It's not everywhere that serves up a whole grilled Tilapia at the gorgeous price of $16.
But then there're other dishes too.
Like the Beef Ball Noodles, like the Beef Ribs Soup, and then they've got a variety of sides, like Gado-Gado, Fried Tofu and Eggs and Batagor.
It is a fairly extensive menu they have here.
Fish, and Chicken, and Soup, plus Beef, Vegetables, and even Duck.
Maybe one day I'll come to have the Smashed Fried Duck and the Smashed Fried Beef, or I might have their Fried Beef Ribs, which I doubt I've ever had before.
If I'm in the mood for vegetables I'll go for eggplant.
I love eggplant.
Don't care whether it's spicy or not.
But you know what'd be nice?
A full feast of meal, with chicken, beef, vegetables and fish, then drinks, and dessert.
They've got a huge glass of Iced Chendol.