5 Best Indonesian Restaurants in Singapore Right Now

Written by Sarah Ong | June 19, 2024

Image: Bara Food

Indonesian cuisine has a strong presence in Singapore, with many restaurants offering a diverse range of dishes that showcase the country’s unique flavors and culinary traditions. From classic favorites like Nasi Goreng and Satay to lesser-known dishes, Indonesian cuisine in Singapore is sure to delight food lovers with its bold and spicy flavors.

Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a hearty meal, there are plenty of options to choose from and explore among the recommended Indonesian restaurants on our list.

1. Tambuah Mas @ Paragon

Image: Tambuah Mas

Loved for

• Tahu Telor
• Cendol

Prices

S$20+ per pax

Address

290 Orchard Road #B1-44 The Paragon, Singapore 238859

Phone

(65) 6733 2220

Opening hours

Daily 11:00 - 22:00

Website

Tambuah Mas

Tambuah Mas offers classic Indonesian fare in a clean, air-conditioned environment. Founded in 1981, it is considered the Indonesian restaurant with the longest history of catering the best Indonesian food for locals and tourists in Singapore.

Highlights:

Indonesian home-style cuisine from Padang, Sulawesi, and Java: As one of the oldest Indonesian restaurants in Singapore, Tambuah Mas has won people’s hearts by serving up all the basic dishes from Padang, Sulawesi, and Java. These dishes are prepared by native Indonesian chefs using guarded family recipes to maintain authenticity.
The best version of Tahu Telor: Tambuah Mas’s Tahu Telor (S$12.50) is a dish to die for, featuring fried cubed beancurd and eggs topped with a spicy-sweet dark sauce. Despite its simple ingredients, this dish turns into a wonderful culinary experience in the hands of the chef. Its crispy and soft texture, combined with its light and sweet taste, makes diners feel like they’re in heaven.

MENU: Tambuah Mas’s menu is of decent size, covering 10 food categories, including salads, soups, satay, chicken, beef, seafood, vegetables, rice, desserts, and drinks. All of the dishes are of high quality and well-presented. Set menus for large groups are also available.

RECOMMENDED DISHES

Tahu Telor (fried beancurd and eggs)
Rendang Lembu (beef rendang)
Ikan Pedas (grilled seabass in banana leaves)
Kepala Ikan Istimewa (fish head simmered in spicy-sweet-sour asam sauce)
Sop Buntut (spicy ox-tail soup)
Udang Belado (fried succulent prawns in chilli gravy)
Gado Gado (mixed vegetables with tofu, crackers and spicy peanut dressing)
Kangkong Belacan (stir-fried water spinach with chilli shrimp paste)
Sayur Lodeh (cabbage, long beans & beancurd in spicy coconut milk)
Es Chendol Kacang (green bean jelly & red kidney beans in coconut milk)
Air Seri (homemade lemongrass drink)
Young coconut

PRICES:

Satay: S$10.50
Vegetables: S$5.50 – S$14.50
Chicken: S$8.50 – S$15.50
Beef: S$8.50 – S$11.50
Rice and Noodles: S$10.00 – S$17.00
Salads: S$5.50 – S$7.00
Soups: S$6.50 – S$14.50
Seafood: S$20.00 – S$37.00

NOTES:

Reservations are highly recommended.
It is possible to place an order while waiting in the queue to reduce waiting time after being seated.

2. Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant

Image: Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant

Loved for

• Grilled squid
• Chicken satay

Prices

S$20+ per pax

Address

66 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088487

Phone

+65 6220 6619

Opening hours

Mon - Sat 11:30 - 14:30, 18:00 - 21:30
Sun 18:00 - 21:30

Website

Cumi Bali

Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant is a casual Indonesian restaurant with a rich history of serving authentic Indonesian cuisine. This old-school restaurant is traditionally run by a family who has been successful in maintaining the high quality of their food for decades.

Highlights:

Impressive house specials: Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant presents diners with a dazzling array of house specials, including Sate Madura (chicken satay), Cumi Bali (grilled squid), Ikan Bakar (grilled fish), Kambing Rendang (lamb rendang), Sapi Rendang (beef rendang), and Cendol (a dessert). These delicious dishes have drawn a loyal following for more than two decades.
Sate Madura is a standout: The chicken satay at Cumi Bali is grilled to perfection, leaving it smoky and tender with a wonderful sweet and sour taste from the Kecap Manis marinade. A chicken satay stick costs S$7 and is generous enough to be a main course for one person.

MENU: Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant offers a decent-sized menu with all dishes freshly prepared after the order is placed. Food portions are generous and suitable for sharing.

PRICES:

Meats: S$18 – S$28
Vegetables: S$6 – S$20
Soups: S$16 – S$28
Fried dishes: S$5 – S$36

LOOK & FEEL: Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant is a small, casual restaurant located in a shophouse along Tanjong Pagar. Ground-level seating is quite limited, while there is more space upstairs. The restaurant features a simple and basic interior with plastic-covered tables.

GETTING THERE:

Buses: Bus 80 and 145 (Walk 1 min from bus stop B05271)
Nearest MRT station: Tanjong Pagar MRT (EW15) (Walk 5 mins from Exit A)

3. Bara Food Tanjong Pagar

Image: Bara Food

Loved for

Grilled Indonesian food

Prices

S$15 - S$25 per pax

Address

Altez / Icon Village Extension
16 Enggor St, #01-10
Singapore 079717

Phone

+65 8182 6876

Opening hours

Daily 11:00 - 22:00

Website

Bara Food Tanjong Pagar

Bara Food, located at Tanjong Pagar, features flavorful Indonesian dishes, particularly grilled rice wrapped in banana leaves. The restaurant’s name, ‘bara,’ literally translates to ‘coal’ in Bahasa, so you know you’re in for the ultimate Indonesian grilled food experience.

With a well-rounded menu, this restaurant has a little bit of everything, whether you’re in the mood for something light or a filling meal with plenty of sides.

Highlights:

Rich, authentic Indonesian grilled flavors with Nasi Bakar as the star: Bara Food recreates some of Indonesia’s most common and loved street foods that are typically grilled over charcoal. While it offers the usual satay and fish, the star is actually a side dish, Nasi Bakar, which is rice wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over fire. The smokiness from the grill elevates the flavor of the rice, which goes well with so many things, from chicken to veggies.
A galore of spicy sambal: Sambal is a staple of Indonesian cuisine that can uplift any recipe. Bara Food uses spicy red sambal and sambal matah in many dishes. If you like spice, Bara is the place for you. Order any of its dishes with red sambal for that extra kick of spice.
Modern space with a welcoming atmosphere: While you’ll enjoy traditional Indonesian flavors, you’ll be sitting in a small and beautiful space, lit with modern lights and lots of greenery.

MENU: Bara Food boasts a simple menu where diners can find

Bara Sets (7 items) that combine proteins with rice and side dishes to make a hearty, complete meal
an a la carte section with 16 items of protein, veggies, soup, and salad
a drink menu with traditional Indonesian freshers like Lemongrass Drink, Ice Calamansi, and Teh Botol.

MUST-TRIES:

Ayam Goreng Serundeng
Ayam Bakar Bara
Sate Lilit
Sambal Udang Ketang
Soto Betwai
KangKung Belacan
Nasi Bakar
Perkedel

PRICES:

Sets/Bento: S$13 to S$18.50
Salad: S$10 to S$13
Mains: S$8.50 to S$13
Side dishes: S$3 to S$5
Drinks: S$3 to S$4.5

LOOK & FEEL: The restaurant is located in Icon Village Altez and has a seating capacity of under 20. This self-service restaurant has a very casual vibe, with pictures depicting life in the Indonesian islands. There are loads of plants that add greenery, perhaps inspired by the jungles of Sumatra.

4. Rumah Makan Minang

Image: Rumah Makan Minang

Loved for

Beef rendang

Prices

S$10 per pax

Address

18 & 18A Kandahar St, Singapore 198884

Phone

+65 6294 4805

Opening hours

Daily 09:00 - 19:00

Website

Rumah Makan Minang

Rumah Makan Minang has been in business since 1954, founded by a passionate family from Indonesia. Since then, it has become one of the best places in Singapore to enjoy a plate of Nasi Padang.

Highlights:

Halal Indonesian restaurant specializing in Padang food: When it comes to Indonesian food, there are many well-known styles. Among them, Padang-style food, the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia, is one of the most famous styles. In Singapore, diners can find the best Padang food at Rumah Makan Minang restaurant, established and run by a multi-generational family that migrated from Padang.
The most authentic version of Beef Rendang: Not many of us know that Beef Rendang was invented by the Minangkabau people. If you want to taste the most authentic version of this dish, you should try the one at Rumah Makan Minang. Their spicy rendition features tender beef that is cooked until slightly chewy, allowing all the flavors to gradually burst in the mouth.

MENU: Rumah Makan Minang’s menu is quite small, with around 15 non-vegetarians and 5 vegetarian dishes. Despite the small-sized menu, this restaurant still serves up some specialties like Botok-Botok (fish marinated in a variety of grounded spices then steamed in banana leaf) and Paru Belado (fried marinated cow’s lung served with chili slices).

RECOMMENDED DISHES:

Beef Rendang
Paru Belado (fried marinated beef lung)
Tahu Telor (large fried tofu mixed with eggs)
Sayur Lodeh (mixed vegetables in spicy coconut milk)
Bagedil (mashed potato patties, coated with egg and fried)

LOOK & FEEL: Rumah Makan Minang is a two-storey shophouse restaurant located in the heart of the Malay heritage district, next to Sultan Mosque. The ground floor is an open-air area with outdoor seating that offers a scenic view of the mosque. Upstairs, diners can enjoy air-conditioned comfort in the dining room, away from the heat. The restaurant has a simple interior design with basic decorations.

5. Pondok Jawa Timur

Image: Pondok Jawa Timur

Loved for

Signature Rice Platters

Price

S$20++ per person

Halal

Yes

Delivery

• GrabFood
• Deliveroo
• foodpanda

Address

Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road #05-22/23
Singapore 228213

Phone

+65 6884 5853

Opening hours

Mon to Thu 11:00 - 20:00
Fri to Sun 11:00 - 21:00

Website

Pondok Jawa Timur

Pondok Jawa Timur is a famous Indonesian restaurant in Singapore dedicated to Javanese food.

The restaurant’s proprietor, Madame Indah, opened the first Pondok in the Indonesian Embassy in 2006. She expanded it to other locations, offering a taste of East Java, home to cities like Surabaya and Yogyakarta.

This certified Halal restaurant uses fresh ingredients to create a rich flavor profile that will transport your tastebuds to the island of Java.

Highlights:

Beautiful, filling spreads of Javanese staples: Pondok Jawa Timur serves traditional Javanese food with a large selection of dishes on its menu. You can always find your favorites in the sections of soup, meat, seafood, rice, noodles, and vegetarian dishes. Plenty of side dishes, such as boiled eggs, tofu, and sambal, are available to complement the meal.
The Signature Rice Platters are the stars of the menu: Their signature rice platters, such as Nasi Kuning Komplit, Nasi Kuning Ayam (Chicken), and Nasi Kuning Rendang (Beef), are among their best-sellers. Imagine delicious plates of yellow rice served with meat (fried chicken and/or beef rendang), omelette, fried potato balls, sweet and spicy potato chips, and Pondok’s sambal belacan.
A homage to Indonesia with traditional arts and crafts: The restaurant uses arts and crafts from Java, like masks and paintings, to celebrate Indonesian heritage and culture.

MUST-TRIES:

Nasi Kuning Ayam
Nasi Campur Surabaya
Pecel Kederi
Soto Ayam
Ayam Penyet
Kare Ayam
Udang Pete Balado
Mie Goreng Jawa
Es Campur

PRICES:

Rice Platter: $15.44 to $18.04
Vegetables: $7.85 to $11.77
Meat: $10.57 to $13.93
Seafood: $11.77 to $40.66
Rice & Noodles: $1.94 to $12.96
Side Dishes: $3.56 to $12.96

LOOK & FEEL: Pondok Jawa Timur has recently been renovated to feature contemporary seating and tables in a brighter space. However, it still maintains that air of tradition with subtle marks of Indonesian culture.