What did we do when we arrived in Batam? Eat, of course! Our first stop right after the ferry terminal was at a restaurant across the road. It’s a spacious, airy Kampong house located on a hill. Complimentary plates of tasty Thai coconut jelly and keropok are served as you mull over the menu.
In hot and dusty Batam, Ais Apucat or otherwise known as Iced Avocado Drink is the staple here. Nothing is Singapore comes close to what I've had in Batam.
One of my favourite vegetables – petai. The restaurant cooks it in a sweet, spicy sambal sauce that is sweetened even further by the prawns. Many people don’t like the taste of petai, finding it too strong and pungent. But it goes very well with sambal, and its slightly bitter flavour balances well with the bite of the chilli.
JT and FT wanted some soup, so we ordered a bowl of Soup Buntut or Oxtail Soup. This is a clear soup with fried onions and peppercorn, vastly different from the western tomato-based version.
Ikan Gurame is a must-have in this restaurant (or anywhere in Batam for that matter). The fish is deep fried to the point where every part is transformed into a crunchy keropok, even the bones. When dipped in the sweet black sauce and belacan, the fish tastes like an out of this world cracker.
The waitress recommended the fried beancurd. Even though I’m not really a tofu person, I found the beancurd tasty and light. The Chilli Cuka (or chilli vinegar) that came with the dish was a great dipping sauce.
Ahhhh, the chicken. Don't they look like cute little coconut trees?
You know, there's so much interest about pairing the right wine with the right dish. Here in Batam, they have perfected the pairing between the sambal and the dish!
A good start to the holiday!
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