22-05-2025
Food Picks: Home-style flavours at Palapa Indonesian Fast Food
Opened in June 2024 by Mr William Luimenta, 35, and Mr Timothy Santika, 34, Palapa Indonesia Fast Food offers a tight selection of chicken (fried and grilled), lamb and beef. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
SINGAPORE – If you think Indonesian food is just ayam penyet or nasi padang, Palapa Indonesian Fast Food wants to change your mind.
Opened in June 2024 by Mr William Luimenta, 35, and Mr Timothy Santika, 34, the fast-casual eatery offers a tight selection of chicken (fried and grilled), lamb and beef. Both co-owners, originally from Indonesia, are Singapore permanent residents. Mr Luimenta is from Medan, while Mr Santika is from Jakarta.
The standout dish is Coriander Fried Chicken With Signature Lime Rice ($8.90).
Coriander Fried Chicken With Signature Lime Rice at Palapa Indonesian Fast Food.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Chicken leg is marinated overnight in garlic, shallots and a blend of ground coriander with crushed coriander seeds – a recipe from Mr Luimenta's mother – then deep-fried twice for extra crispness. The savoury rice, green from the use of Thai lime leaves, has a gentle citrus perfume.
The dish comes with a piece of battered tempeh and bakwan sayur – a vegetable fritter packed with cabbage, carrot, Chinese celery, spring onion and chilli.
For $10.40, customers can swop the rice for Indomie – the Indonesia-made version, which the duo insist has more robust seasoning. Palapa takes care to drain the noodles properly, avoiding sogginess and allowing the seasoning to coat the springy strands evenly.
Add on a Balado Egg for $1.50. The battered hard-boiled egg, coated in a housemade sambal that skips belacan, delivers a chilli-forward punch.
While the Grilled Chicken With Indomie ($10.40) and Grilled Lamb With Signature Lime Rice ($9.90) disappoint – both meats carry strong, off-putting odours and the sliced lamb is overcooked – the Sayur Asem Soup ($3.50) shines in an understated way.
Sayur Asem Soup at Palapa Indonesian Fast Food.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The vegetable tamarind soup – chock-full of chayote, cabbage, baby corn and long beans – has aromatic warmth from galangal and torch ginger flower. Tangy and mildly spicy, it is a comforting way to round off the meal.
Where: 02-28 City Gate, 371 Beach Road
MRT: Nicoll Highway
Open: 11am to 8.30pm daily
Hedy Khoo is senior correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers food-related news, from reviews to human interest stories.
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