I love spicy food. Somehow throughout my life, I never really realized how many different ways you could make something spicy. There’s a burn your mouth spicy, a make yourself cough spicy and even a numb your mouth spicy (thanks Szechwan peppercorns!). Simpang Asia provides a wonderful array of Indonesian food, and even though it’s known to be a hub for all things spicy, has an extensive menu of sweet and savory that’ll make your tastebuds jump all over.
We started off the night by grabbing some delicious appetizers. I just love how unique the restaurant’s offerings are, when a wide variety of savory and crunchy options to choose from even among appetizers. I ended up getting this crispy egg-roll type dish filled with meat and egg with a side of pickled veggies. It reminded me of a common Indian street food and literally was something I could eat over and over again and never get sick of it!
Appetizers were filling enough, but entrees are the main attraction to such a creative establishment. We ended up going with the Rames, a basic Indonesian rice plate served with turmeric chicken, rendang (beef stew), rice and noodles and a side of veggies. It was definitely a total hit! Though I was a bit wary of the spice, it actually was not too bad at all (or maybe I’ve just gotten better at handling it haha). I loved that it was served on a traditional banana leaf, just like traditional meals are served at home in West Bengal. Somehow I think it makes the food taste really good too! Definitely felt very nostalgic!
Although I really wanted to try the dessert, I was also too full to even lift a finger. So we settled for a refreshingly sweet coconut milk cendol with little pandan jelly worms. It was honestly the best way to end a night of deliciously rich foods with an amazing ambiance and a good group of friends. Did I entice you enough with the pictures of all my good eats? What food would you explore when you go?