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I may sound like a tortoise living on a mountain, but when I first saw Indonesian Food House at Geylang East Market & Food Centre, I was expecting dishes like nasi padang, gado gado, and ayam penyet to be offered there. But, the stall owners, Mei Ling and William, can be considered ‘rebels’ who march to the beat of a different drummer. Dishes like mee siam and mee rebus, more commonly found at Muslim stalls, are being sold here instead.
I first got to know about the couple while scouting hawker stalls for my best mee siam guide in Singapore. Their rendition left such an impactful impression that I had to return to find out if their other dishes were just as delicious. Oh, by the way, my mum had purchased a couple of Mei Ling’s curry puffs on a previous visit and turned an instant fan. Imagine her devastation when we arrived at 9.15am to discover that they were already sold out.
The business was first launched by Mei Ling’s mum, Mdm Lai, who set up shop at Orchard Midpoint. No one had expected the former seamstress to enter the F&B industry. “She adopted her cooking skills from all the helpers who had worked in our house!” Mei Ling shared. The couple opens the stall at 6.30am, and Mei Ling starts prepping her famous curry puffs. The noodle dishes will usually be available by 7am (do take note).
What to order at Indonesian Food House
Naturally, I’m going to be biased and get the ball rolling with the Mee Siam (S$4.50). The ingredients are simple — bee hoon doused in gravy, a hard-boiled egg cut in half, tau kwa pieces (yes, not tau pok), a dollop of sambal, and chopped chives.
Don’t judge too early if you notice that the consistency of the gravy looks watered down. It’s actually well-balanced and delivers a tangy, vibrant flavour without overwhelming your palate. The fine strands of bee hoon act as vessels for the broth, which delivers just enough oomph to fire up my appetite. The couple doesn’t add calamansi to the dish, and frankly, it is not required.
I really enjoyed the larger chunks of tau kwa, as they offered more substance compared to the usual mini cubes of tau pok, which, to be honest, doesn’t give much impact to the dish.
The sambal was quite the character — spicy and robust. We even found tamarind bits that gave it some acidity.
Next, we gave the Mee Rebus (S$5) a try. The yellow mee was accompanied by the usual supporting cast — hard-boiled egg, pieces of tau kwa, spring onions, and sliced green chilli. And for those who are tau geh haters, you’ll be glad to know it doesn’t make an appearance here.
After a thorough toss to bring everything together, the gravy managed to remain thick without being overly gooey — a tell-tale sign of perfection. Mei Ling shared that she uses sweet potato for the gravy, the true-blue method of preparation that we learnt from the owners of Mee+, which we covered a while back. The green chilli slices and spring onions added depth and texture to the dish, while the boiled egg and tau kwa completed the whole experience.
The piece of homemade Begedil (+S$0.50) that we added, as recommended by Mei Ling, was scrumptious and deliciously fluffy. My dining partners didn’t mind the taste, but I just wished there was a little use of spice to make the flavour stand out more.
We concluded with the Lontong (S$5) with extra Begedil as well. First impressions — the gravy looked rich and substantially ‘gao‘, completely hiding the rice cakes and tau kwa. It was crowned with boiled egg, carrots, long beans, and cabbage.
For my first spoonful, I decided to go all in and combined the rice cake, all the veggies and broth into one huge spoonful. Guess what? All the elements complemented each other to perfection. The rice cakes were fluffy, the vegetables were cooked till soft, and the gravy was incredibly robust and lemak. I didn’t even mind the absence of serundeng (spiced grated coconut), though I suppose that’s a little contradictory of me.
Who Indonesian Food House is best for
It’s ideal for noodle fans who are looking for a substantial breakfast. If you’re one of the lucky ones who are able to purchase her curry puffs, then the crispy morsels make a great light snack to have in the morning or during the afternoon.
How to get there?
The nearest MRT stations to the Geylang East Market & Food Centre are Aljunied (EW9) and Paya Lebar (EW8/CC9), which are around a 10-12 minute walk away. If the weather is insanely hot or if you don’t wish to walk that far, there are a few bus services that will take you to the following bus stops: Geylang Polyclinic and Opp Geylang Polyclinic.
Do we recommend Indonesian Food House?
Easiest yes I’ve said so far. Every dish executed by Mei Ling and William taste authentic and I have not much complaints. Prices are also rather wallet-friendly to cater to the nearby residents who are mostly elderly folk. The couple is all smiles and warm service, and they absolutely need more support, since they aren’t on social media.
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