An Indonesian friend brought me here, saying “This is Indonesia’s answer to bak chor mee,” and that the noodles reminded him of home. It used to be a stall in Centerpoint and the queue was notorious, now it has expanded to a full-fledged simple restaurant without much of a decor. Not an easy place to find, it is on the second floor near the end of the shophouses.
The menu is very simple: just bakmie (bak mee, get it?, meat noodles) with a choice of toppings of fried dumpling, wanton, beefball, fishball, and chicken cutlet. I left the ordering to my friend, thinking he could order a few toppings, but he ordered two bakmie with the same topping, fried dumpling ($5.50 for a bowl of noodles). I was like, “Why didn’t you other something else so that we can share?”
He replied, “That’s the only good thing here.” Next time I will do the ordering.
The noodles were not bad. It was a simple version of our bak chor mee without mushrooms and chili. It tasted a lot like Mamee Monster snack with fragrant oil. Although the noodles were quite bouncy, the texture was Mamee snack’s, water hadn’t completely soaked through the noodles. As for the fried dumplings (pangsit goreng), it was an UFO with a tiny miserable bump in the middle known as minced meat. There was just too much dough oozing oil to get through and I gave up and passed it to my friend.
We also ordered prawn toast ($2.50), which was fried dough studded with sesame seeds. “Is this what you eat in Indonesia?”
He whispered, “No, no, we don’t have this there.” HAHAHA.
Anyway, avoid the toast: oozing with oil and not delicious.
I could see the attraction of the noodles, very simple food, but I wish I had tried the other toppings. I actually quite liked the noodles (but not other things) and somehow my friend felt very apologetic and asked, “You don’t like?”
I joked, “Let’s go for our REAL dinner.”
Including drinks, we paid $18.60 for two.
Bakmie Jakarta Singapore
117A Killiney Rd
Singapore 239553
facebook
10am-9.30pm daily
Rating: 2.875/5 stars
Written by A. Nathanael Ho.
Categories: $0-$20, Families, Indonesian, Large Group, Orchard
Tried it a few times. Didn’t blog. U think can survive?
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My Indonesian friend said the queue was very long when it was a stall at Centrepoint and he said that Indonesians will flock to the place.
But it was quiet when I was there leh. No publicity, no one knows it has moved. Hard to say if it can survive but let’s hope for the best for the owners.
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Hey hey, partner and I are big fan of this Indonesian ‘bak chor mee’ (no offence)…used to frequent it at Centrepoint’s Kopitiam and followed them towards the second floor of a shop house along Killiney Rd (price up and presentation a wee bit different too)!Never blogged about it :P I should next time :)
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Are you indonesian? My indonesian friends love it.
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Ah no, my partner is half Indo ;)
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this looks delicious!
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the noodles are delicious by themselves lah. the side dishes so-so.
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nice to hear that the noodles are delicious. :) yummy!
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Indonesia food in singapore not delicious maybe chef don’t know how to cook. They are just anyhow put ingredients. Even soto n beefball soup no taste soooo different. I cooked my own soto more nicer. But in indonesia soto, beefball, satay, bak me is very delicious. The food not nice nobody buy
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