A spontaneous dining decision made at Amoy Street Food Centre led us to queueing up at Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal — the stall being one of the many which sees a pretty healthy queue during weekday lunch hours. Located at Level 2 of Amoy Street Food Centre, Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal does seem to be quite a popular spot for Indonesian fare; we noticed most of the people in the queue were ordering their Ayam Penyet with Rice, as well as their Bami Noodle with Jumbo Penyet. That being said, Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal does serve up quite a number of interesting fusion items; a good example would be their Honey Glazed Boneless Chicken that is part of their Penyet Set Menu — something that sounds less adventurous to those whom might perhaps prefer something less “Indonesian” from their menu. The highlight on the menu at Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal would however be their Balinese Donburi Eggbowl; their take on a fusion between Japanese and Balinese fare which is a pretty fresh and unique take that one would likely be unable to find elsewhere — this includes items such as the Kuta Oyakodon (featuring chicken chunks in special sauce), Tempura Prawn Eggbowl and Eggbowl Cheesesteak (available in beef or chicken meat options).
We were pretty spoilt for choice when it came to which of the Balinese Donburi Eggbowl to go for; we eventually found ourselves going for the Balinese Gyudon since it does sound like a signature offering on the menu. The Balinese Donburi Eggbowl is said to have come with elements such as beef in special sauce, spring onions, chilli flakes and rice. It is pretty evident how the Balinese Gyudon does come with a unique Balinese take as per its namesake — the item does come with the sambal as well as the fried crumbs that usually comes with Ayam Penyet as well. Digging in to the Balinese Gyudon, the beef slices included is akin to the same found in Japanese Gyudon — the beef slices being sliced thinly; retained the juices of the meat within and being easy to chew whilst also especially tasty from the savoury sauce that it was cooked with, carrying just the right balance of gaminess that helps to ante up the flavour profiles of the dish just about rice. The inclusion of the fried crumbs from the Ayam Penyet helps to add a crunch factor to the Balinese Gyudon — similar to the way how some places would serve their Gyudon with garlic chips; the only difference being how the fried crumbs add a lighter crunchy texture without the garlicky notes as opposed to garlic chips. Whilst one would typically prefer a fried egg with a molten egg yolk to come alongside any dish, the fried egg is interestingly done with the yolk partially broken here — perhaps their way of emulating the Oyakodon’s egg component with a more “Indonesian” approach; this worked well when one mixes the egg with the sambal and the bed of rice beneath that is drenched with what seems to be kecap manis (i.e. Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce). The beef, caramalised onions, egg, sambal and rice all comes together to provide a mostly sweet, yet savoury flavour with a slight kick of spiciness that is a harmonious blend of flavours of its own — one that we thought was really tasty and interesting to have.
It did take us quite a while to give Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal a go, and I guess it is always because we do have a reluctance of making a beeline for anything. That being said, the stall does have seem to have a reasonable crowd patronising it during lunch hours — one that isn’t quite as excessive as compared to the the more popular stalls, and actual does have quite a fair patronage as compared to most other stalls in the same food centre during weekday lunch hours. Most of the time spent waiting would be when one is waiting for their turn to order — the food is actually served rather quickly once one is at the front of the line. Prices at Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal are also pretty competitive; the prices for mains such as the Regular Ayam Penyet and Chicken Cutlet Penyet starting from $5.50, while the Jumbo “Amsterdam” and the Eggbowl Cheesesteak the priciest dishes at $8.00 — the lower-priced items being fairly suitable as an everyday lunch option for the office workers in the vicinity of the food centre. Indonesian fare has always been in a class of its own; for a hawker stall, Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal does showcase how they are able to successfully integrate the very best of Japanese and Indonesian cuisines to be served at an affordable price point – at least this would remain three for the Balinese Gyudon which we had opted for. We would definitely be back to give their usual Ayam Penyet as well as their other Balinese Bowls a go another time!