Bumbu Desa

My family meant to have dinner at the Novena Square 2 outlet of Ayam Penyet Ria, but it has closed and had since made way for another Indonesian restaurant. It's still in the middle of its soft opening but everything on its menu should be made available by tomorrow.


Speaking of the menu, the food certainly looks promising and seems to have that authentic Indonesian touch to it. Business went about smoothly with a regular stream of customers, though I realised that most had asked about the disappearance of the previous restaurant first before they decided to step in.

Ayam Panggang Bumbu Desa: 3.25/5


This is definitely spicier than the usual curries that we eat and I thought it was quite good. However, the portion (and cut) of the chicken leaves much to be desired, and I would really prefer having potatoes instead of deep-fried beancurd in a chicken "curry" like this.

Ayam Goreng: 3/5


The little sister got this, but she didn't quite like it as compared to her favourite ayam penyet, the latter of which is crispier and more flavourful. This dish is just as its name suggests, fried chicken, and didn't inspire much. Served with an Indonesian coleslaw, which I found quite interesting.

Ayam Panggang Makasa: 2.75/5


The other sister didn't really like what she had. She found the chicken a little too dry for her liking and certainly not worth paying $7.90 for.

Sate Madura: 3.5/5


The satay ("sate" in Indonesian) set that my father got turned out to be the best of the lot, though it would have been better if there was a proper portion of steamed rice rather than those little pieces of lontong. The meat was well-grilled and marinated, and certainly chunkier than the typical satays, in part to justify its $7.90 price tag.

Soto Banjar: 2.75/5


My mother didn't like this at all and I think the combination of bland-tasting chicken, boiled egg and tang hoon (thin rice vermicilli) was just not good enough.

Es Cendol


Something sweet to complete the meal. This is one of the other things (other than the satay that is) that we didn't have complaints about. Overall, I think Bumbu Desa is just having some teething problems, and to be fair we've not tried the rest of their dishes. I'm willing to give them a second chance next time.

Service
Good and friendly, but one minus point goes to the cold coffee that they serve. We returned it and asked for a hot one.

Price
$7.90 for the ayam panggang bumbu desa
$7.90 for the ayam goreng
$7.90 for the ayam panggang makasa
$7.90 for the sate madura
$6.90 for the soto banjar
$3.00 for the es cendol

* Prices subject to 10% service charge.

Place
Novena Square 2, #B1-01.