Best eats: Abang Batman’s pomfret penyet, oxtail soup and other Surabaya specialties
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Best eats: Abang Batman'south pomfret penyet, oxtail soup and other Surabaya specialties
In this calendar week's Makan Kakis, GOLD 905 DJ Denise Tan gets enchanted past Indonesian street food favourites served up past a superhero and his wife at Impian Wahyu in Kelantan Road.
Impian Wahyu's oxtail soup and pomfret penyet. (Photo: Abundant Productions)
26 Aug 2022 07:05AM (Updated: 26 Aug 2022 eleven:12AM)
At its previous location, this stall was affectionately nicknamed Batman Ayam Penyet by regular customers – but Impian Wahyu serves up and then much more than just their popular Indonesian-style smashed craven.
Intrigued past the superhero moniker and promises of killer sambal and mouthwatering soup, I followed the recommendation of my Makan Kaki Juwanda Hassim of The Fabled Bakery Boy and paid the stall a visit at its current location in Kelantan Road.
There, I was greeted by a vision in Batman logos. From his songkok to his crisp shirt to even his facemask, Abang Batman was fully adorned with the familiar stylised design, as was his storefront and signage.
"I'm dressed specially for Fri prayers," he told me with a smiling, explaining that he earned his nickname because he grew upwardly watching Batman on TV and before he got married, he loved dressing all in blackness, but like his favourite superhero.
Pointing to the Batman paraphernalia hanging in a higher place his epok-epok display, he added: "Those are souvenirs given past my customers. I withal have a whole box I haven't put up yet."
Mayhap he hasn't had the fourth dimension, equally it'due south been a tumultuous few years for the affable owner of Impian Wahyu, which ways Wahyu'southward Dream.
Together with his wife Madam Wahyu Ning, Abang Batman (whose real name is Abdul Rahman bin Mahadi) has been in the nutrient business organization for over 20 years. Regulars might recall their previous location along Jalan Besar, where they were for almost eight years, until concern was badly affected by MRT construction works. What started as a dream had turned into a nightmare.
Property back tears, Abang Batman said information technology was thanks to nutrient reviewers who helped go word out that concern eventually picked up. He's now happy to have moved just a stone's throw away, so his sometime customers don't have to travel too far. At this cosy corner of Kelantan Route, he also has four HDB blocks of new customers to cater to.
Well-nigh every sign at Impian Wahyu is emblazoned with whimsical statements that tell their story, like "Arek-arek Suroboyo" which, co-ordinate to Abang Batman, means "Children of Surabaya", a reference to where his wife is from and where their three daughters are based, running the bigger Indonesian branch of Impian Wahyu.
So there'due south "Diiringi dengan taburan ayat-ayat cinta", an Indonesian moving-picture show reference that also means "accompanied by a scattering of dearest verses". I assumed that primary chef Madam Wahyu Ning wants customers to know that she cooks everything on their extensive menu with love, and so I hurried to put this to the gustation examination.
I started with their bestselling ayam penyet (S$6) and added an extra order of bawal penyet (battered, deep-fried and smashed black pomfret for Due south$10). Abang Batman proudly revealed that while nearly of their ingredients come from suppliers, he personally goes to the market every morning time for quality seafood. "The fish and prawns for the penyet, I must choose myself," he insisted.
As expected, the ayam penyet was succulent. The chicken had been boiled in broth for three hours to soften the bones, before being dilapidated and deep-fried. The result was well-seasoned, crispy nonetheless tender meat.
Only the bawal penyet was even more than delightful for this pomfret lover. A whole fish had been lavished with batter, then immersed in a jacuzzi of bubbles-hot oil till gold and crisp, without compromising its moistness or fresh taste. It was then served on bed of lettuce and sliced cucumber, forth with two triangles of fried tau kwa (house tofu).
"And at present for the ayat-ayat cinta," proclaimed Abang Batman, festooning the fish with the penyet prerequisite – fluffy, fried batter topping. With one dramatic expression, he had transformed the crunchy-crumb garnish into a sprinkling of love.
But the all-time expression of dear came through the accompanying sambal, made-to-club from scratch by Madam Wahyu in her large batu ulek (pestle and mortar).
Living upwards to its reputation, this freshly-ground sambal was indeed killer – its spicy, red chilli warmth mellowed by sugar and the natural tangy sweetness of tomatoes. Garlic, salt and fried belacan (fermented shrimp paste) added savoury, fragrant depth to the exciting, deep-orange paste. It was mesmerising to lookout Madam Wahyu slowly piece of work her wooden pestle through the ingredients for the perfect mesomorphic consistency.
Eating the peppery, seed-dotted sambal was sheer masochistic please. It had to be slathered over everything and enjoyed with copious amounts of rice. Fellow "hotheads", be sure to also ask for their other sambal, made from red chilli, salt and oil. It had a fresher flavour and the oil added smooth richness to whatever it was drizzled on.
Another bestseller not to be missed is Impian Wahyu's sup buntut. Besides known equally sup ekor in Malaysia, at S$9 per portion information technology was a deceptively simple oxtail soup that surprised the palate with every sip.
The broth appeared obviously and clear, but packed spicy heat and pure beefy flavour. Potatoes floated in the broth, thickening it forth with sweet carrots and sliced fresh tomatoes that had been added in at the final moment. A handful of fried shallots added more than natural sweetness and crisp texture.
As for the oxtail, chunks of meat-ringed bone yielded meltingly tender beef and gelled tendon that added a luxurious mouth-feel to the dish. Taking things over the top was the fatty, unctuous marrow, which I happily and messily sucked straight out of the bones.
Eaten with rice and their spicy-sweet kicap manis and chilli padi sambal, the apprehensive-looking dish astonished with its carousel of intense flavours.
The warm comfort of the sup buntut, paired with the crispy, crunchy naughtiness of the deep-fried fish and chicken fabricated for a wonderfully varied and satisfying meal. Abang Batman disclosed that they previously but managed to sell 5kg of oxtail per day, but now they're up to 15kg daily and business has improved threefold.
"Customers go along coming back and they say it tastes different from other stalls. My wife has the magic fingers from Surabaya! You lot know the Malay saying 'air tangan'?" he asked.
Literally pregnant "mitt water", information technology took a little research on my part to decipher Abang Batman'southward quirky assertion. Air tangan refers to the h2o from a mother's hands, which is why that homecooked touch always tastes best.
If Abang Batman is the face and personality of the stall, surely its namesake Madam Wahyu is the eye, soul and hands behind its scrumptious success. And together with that Surabaya magic, they are making culinary dreams come up true. So even if travel isn't possible during these pandemic times, there's always Impian Wahyu for a taste of authentic Indonesia.
Impian Wahyu is located at Block 28 Kelantan Road, Singapore 200028. It'south open 11am to 9pm, closed on alternate Sundays. Take hold of Makan Kakis with Denise Tan every Thursday from 11am on GOLD 905.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/best-local-food-singapore-oxtail-soup-pomfret-penyet-impian-wahyu-abang-batman-277121
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