This restaurant is so near my home that I should be coming regularly. But not doing so has been my loss. Bumbu is a Peranakan restaurant that serves both Indonesian and Thai cuisine in a retro setting that takes you back to the 1960s and 70s, where you feast on comfort foods in the presence of doting grandparents. With its historical Peranakan / Straits Chinese decor, you feel you are not in Singapore but somewhere in Penang, Malacca, Medan or even old Phuket town.
Bumbu's original restaurant is on Kandahar Street in Kampong Glam (Arab Street precinct), and this outlet on Queens Road, by Farrer Road, is its second restaurant. It is also my brother's favourite entertaining spot, and we have caught on this habit as well to the delight of our regular dining kaki Mrs Tan. Something familiar, like her mother's cooking, is always appreciated. The old furniture and fittings bring one back in time.
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| Bumbu's colourful historical menu. |
Nostalgia is strong and so are the dishes, which carry the authentic flavour of spices without being cloying or overbearing. On this occasion, we opted for the Indonesian dishes, served with plain rice, which were both delicious and nutritious.
Simple dishes like ngoh hiang with sweet sauce should not be dismissed, and the tahu telor (tofu with fried egg white) with kecap manis (Indonesian sweet sauce) is always savoury. We skipped the rendang but not the ayam buah keluak (chicken braised in buah keluak nut) which melted in the mouth and was never overdone.
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| Not quite a tok panjang (long table), but that will do! |
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| This looks like what you see in a Peranakan museum. |
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| Ceramic tiles you want to take home! |
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| More retro exhibits. |
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