Sunday, August 26, 2007

Sabar Menanti II: Good things come to those who wait patiently


Ayam Opor $2

Sabar Menanti roughly means "Good things come to those who wait patiently". This is quite misleading because one hardly has to wait patiently for a plate of Nasi Padang unless of course the queue is very long. Even though the stall is called Sabar Menanti II, it is quite different from the original Sabar Menanti just across the road at Kandahar Street. Having tasted the food from both stalls, I would say that this is one restaurant where the offshoot is better than the original.

Now, let's get back to my Chicken Korma trail.

The problem with Chicken Korma is that there are several names attached to this dish so there is a bit of confusion over whether you are really ordering the right stuff. This stall calls the dish Opor Ayam but the gravy tastes like the Ayam Korma that I was expecting. The one at Warong Pariman is simply known as Ayam Pangang. Would our Nasi Padang specialists please enlighten us on the finer aspects of this dish?

Whatever you might call it, I call this dish SHIOK! Oh yes, the gravy here is great and almost like the one I remember at the original Rendezvous Restaurant. Oooohhhh, spoon the gravy over the Bergedil and I would gladly trade my Ribeye steak with you. (NZ Ribeye but not Wagyu yeah?) The creamy, green chilli and tumeric scented gravy is definitely one of the top ten yummiest tastes in my books! 4.5/5


Beef Rendang $2

Now Beef Rendang also comes in many different styles. This one is the dry type with chunks of tender beef coated with a fragrant spicy paste spiked by Kaffir Lime and Tumeric leaves that gives it a nice spicy-citrus flavour. This is great with rice but you get even more ooomph out of it if you put it in pita bread with cucumber raita. 4.25/5



Bergedil 50cent each

Bergedil is one of my favourite food and I can down half a dozen of these especially when I have the Ayam Opor gravy to drown it in. Mak Cik uses the yellow and creamy Holland potatoes to make the Bergedil, so it's real sweet and creamy. Simple dish it may be, but it delivers maximum satisfaction especially if they are served freshly fried. 4.5/5

Conclusion

A plate of rice, half a dozen bergedil and a big plate of Ayam Opor equals max-oooomph for me!

Sabar Menanti II
747 North Bridge Road
(Jn Jln Kledek)
6am to 5pm
Closed on Sundays and PH

15 comments:

zhouzi said...

Wah piang, beh tahan. First thing today, definitely going to beat everyone to it. Thanks for the pics and tip, ieat. *drooling* ;)

Anonymous said...

I can only make the comment that 'korma' means cream in hindi, where the term originated. Chicken korma (in India) is generally made with yogurt. We marinate the chicken meat in garlic and ginger paste, add in turmeric, chili powder and garam masala. This is then fried.

This korma is then used to make biryani, or is eaten on its own.

ieat said...

The Malay version of the Korma is quite different from the Indian version. As with many things, this dish has been adapted for the local tastes by using coconut instead of yoghurt.

Anonymous said...

I tabaoed 5 packs today for my colleauges.. sambal goreng, bergedil and beef rendang. I found the beef tough but the gravy was SEDAP!

pchong said...

Agree...superb padang style food. You should also try the mutton rendang...sweeter thant he beef, and usually more tender as well.

For the beef rendang, I sometimes find the meat a little tough, and slightly sour. But the rendang rempah (thick spices which make up the gravy) is superb.

SCS butter said...

The food is not only good but cheap too. Paid $10 for two meals with 2 drinks. Shhhh dun let ma-chik know la. The chendol is nice. Only thing not nice was the kopi...

zhouzi said...

Visited on 27/8 for lunch. Beef rendang was tough alright. The sambal sotong-sambal nice but sotong not fresh. My makankaki and I agreed that the one at River Valley is better though ex.

hungry_hippo said...

My family and i have been a fan of Sabar Menanti II for the last 5 years. In fact my chidren grew up with their food. I especially love the Ikan Bakar and the Ikan Pais (only available on saturday). The condiments on the ikan bakar is a perfect match and the Stingray Ikan Pais out of the world. Don't forget to ask for their Teh Tarik!

Derrick Chung said...

WOW! I tried the BEST kambeng soup (mutton soup) in singapore man! Drove purposely there with my princess as it was highly recommended by my indian friends. Its located at Blk 17 upper boon keng rd, once you turn into the estate, u will be able to see it. There are 2 stalls there...be sure to eat the one on the left. SUPERB!!!!!!

cactuskit said...

I was told by a seasoned foodie (muslim colleague) that the food from Sabar Menanti II comes from the kitchen of Sabar Menanti. But I find they taste different leh.

ieat said...

No lah, I know the Mak Cik from Sebar Menanti II who does all the cooking. She does not cook for the other side.

cactuskit said...

That explains the different taste. Next week I'll educate him on the facts. ; )

Damien said...

Sabar Menanti's ikan bakar is damn shiok with the dash of lime, kicap, chopped onions and green chillies. Goes very well with a plate of warm rice.

However, the rest of the dishes now taste not as good when they were located at the corner coffeeshop along the current location.

Their price increase has shot up significantly and personally, if given a choice, i would have my lunch at Warong Nasi Pariaman, just located a stone's throw away.

The ayam bakar/opor ayam, which is lightly grilled and served in a coconutty gravy would convert even the fussiest meat eaters. (to me, it has the edge over Sabar Menanti's version as the gray is thicker and tastier)

As with the ikan bakar, similar to Sabar Menanti's, is another must try dish.

Note that due to burgeoning lunch crowd, they usually sell everything out before 2pm.

cactuskit said...

For me, I'll stick to Sabar Menanti's level 2 for some air-conditioned comfort. Otherwise erspire like crazy from the noon heat. I also prefer Sabar Menanti's food, after trying both SM (as in the restaurant lah) and WNP. I feel WNP's crowd comes from the value for money food they sell. SM is costlier I agree, but tastier in my opinion.

Both Ikan Bakar (my must order dish) are wonderful.

YuKi-To said...

Guess this opor is from Indonesia. Back in Indonesia, they usually serve opor in Padang restos. Dun think there's korma in Indonesia and never thought I'd see opor in Singapore ^^;

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