Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House

Orchard Towers has always got a reputation stuck behind its name but it does seem that the recent clean-up did bring about quite a bit of change in the building. Located at the second floor of Orchard Towers would be Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House; these folks occupy the shop unit that was previously occupied by a bar that is located right beside the escalator landing as one enters the building from its frontage along Orchard Road. Opened for slightly more than just a month when we had made our visit to the dining establishment, it seems that Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House had already done quite a fair bit of work to make the space theirs — Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House takes up quite a large-sized shop space. The entire space seems to be decked out much like a cozy living room with a bar counter fitted to the front of the shop unit — the entire dining hall is decked with mismatched furnishings amidst a lacquered, cemented floor and walls that are painted in shades of green and red; there is an attempt to spruce up the space with the use of various plants, while wooden furnishings such as side tables and shelves are also filled with books and other ornaments to create a warm and welcoming space despite the dim, yellowish lighting within the establishment. These folks had also included a stage for live music stage where the folks running the space will also perform to create the atmosphere that they desire for the space. The dining tables at Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House are configured in a way that is suited for those visiting in pairs to groups of up to six (6) pax; some tables being round tables though the majority of the tables are either square / rectangular Being an establishment that serves up Indonesian cuisine, Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House’s menu is split across various categories such as Lunch Menu, Dinner Menu, Signature Dish, Asian Breakfast, Soup Selection, Seafood, Egg, Rice, Vegetables, Sides and Dessert; whilst most items on the menu would work well for communal dining, it is worth noting that the Lunch Menu, Dinner Menu and Asian Breakfast items does seem to cater for individual diners patronising the establishment. Beverages that Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House offers includes an extensive selection of teas, concoctions like the Wedang Jahe (i.e. Spicy Ginger Drink), Es Bandung, juices, soda and coffee.

One of the items that has caught our attention whilst skimming through the menu at Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House would be the Nasi Bakar — this is an item that is listed in the Rice section of the menu, and is described on the menu to come with elements such as charcoal-grilled rice with spiced chicken and fish that is wrapped in banana leaf. Apart from the items that are being described in the menu, the dish also does seemingly come with other elements that are not mentioned such as that of Bakwan, Belinjo Crackers and Sambal Matah. True to its menu description, the Nasi Bakar comes wrapped in banana leaves; hidden beneath the layers of banana leaves would be fragrant rice grains that are distinguishable to the grain that seemingly also carry a hint of fragrance of the banana leaves and a light aroma from the lemongrass. Hidden inside would shredded bits of fish and chicken that does carry a reasonably moist texture for a bit of a meaty bite — the only qualm here being how the rice wasn’t as smokey as we had thought that it would be. The accompanying Sambal Matah (i.e. Balinese Raw Sambal) came with a spicy kick that should do fairly well for those whom have moderate tolerance to spiciness; the sliced shallots also providing a refreshing crunch that really went very well with the Nasi Bakar itself as well. The Bakwan is essentially a crispy vegetable fritter where a cluster of flour holds the different elements together as one entire circular piece; these do seem to have been deep-fried for a while before being served considering how they were served being closer to room temperature; slightly chewy and not too greasy, though lacking the crispness that one would expect from freshly-fried items. The Belinjo Crackers did were served crisp and fresh without having become soft and limp despite us dropping by Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House during a weekend dinner service; all that whilst carrying a bitter undertone and does seem to pair up with the Sambal Matah quite well as well.

We also had given the Dendeng Sambal Batokok a go during the same visit to Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House; the item being one of the items being featured in their Specials section of the menu which can also be otherwise found in the Beef section of the menu as well. The Dendeng Sambal Batokok is described to be “thinly-sliced beef simmered in spices, pounded for tenderness and flavour”. Dendeng can be somewhat described as a dish that is similar to that of the local Chinese meat jerky (i.e. Bak Kwa) — Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House does not describe much about the sambal being served with the Dendeng Sambal Batokok, but this does seem to be pretty similar to Sambal Balado to say the least. Considering how the beef has been pounded here, the Dendeng does come with a mix of slightly thinner meat as well as thicker cuts with the latter providing a bit more of a meaty chew, though our favourite were the crisp ends and loose meat that gave a good textural contrast. The Sambal Balado that came atop does hint of notes of fresh chili padi and definitely comes with a stinging note of spiciness that would even tickle the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness — you have been warned!

Giving the Gulai Cumi from the seafood menu a go, Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House describes this dish on its menu as one that comes with “tender squid ima fragrant, creamy curry and spices”. The curry here does seem to come all rich and thick in an orange and red hue — all that whilst coming with the squid that is hidden beneath all of that curry gravy. The curry is definitely creamy and rich in terms of its consistency — its aroma also carrying a rather complex flavour profile where it is not just simply from the hint of curry spices and the addition of coconut milk that gives the gravy a thick consistency, but one where there is some sort of tanginess that keeps one going on with the dish. One can also observe the bits of chili padi that has been included in the preparation of the dish all within the curry gravy itself, giving the Gulai Cumi a piquant spiciness that really tickles the tastebuds for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness; the addition of coconut milk does make things deceptively manageable at the start, though the spiciness does really kick in at some point a while after. Whilst squid is generally expected to come with a rubbery texture, the squid that came with the Gulai Cumi were actually very well-executed being fresh and surprisingly easy to chew.

We ended our meal at Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House with the Coconut Klepon which is most similar to what we know locally as the Ondeh Ondeh. These do come with a slightly firmer and chewier exterior than the Ondeh Ondeh that we are more familiar with, providing for quite an impactful burst of Gula Melaka as it squirts when one lands a bite into it. The Gula Melaka does give that familiar earthy sweetness that one would expect from the typical Ondeh Ondeh, while the Coconut Klepon is also similarly covered in desiccated coconut as well. We also had the Coffee Gula Melaka (Iced) to pair up with all the food that we had ordered during our visit to Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House; the coffee served up at Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House is mentioned to be brewed using premium coffee beans being sourced from Indonesia. We did feel that the Coffee Gula Melaka (Iced) does come with a bold body with a good kick of caffeine, though the coffee did come being a little fruity and tangy where the notes of the Gula Melaka infused weren’t quite as evident as what we had expected it to be.

Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House Had certainly impressed us more than what the typical F&B setup seems to be like in recent times; the environment of the entire space is already a draw for us considering how they have decked out the space to be much like a welcoming abode that is refreshing as compared to how most other establishments serving up Indonesian fare tends to be; we also liked how they aren’t following the usual norms of the more simplistic and minimalistic styles that are popular with hipster cafe these days. Deep down in the soul of Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House are the fun-loving folks running the space who seem to be genuinely concerned about the needs of their patrons — hoping that they are all settled down comfortably in the space that they have created, all whilst diligently serving up authentic Indonesian-style cuisine that holds true to its roots; always seeking feedback from their patrons to understand the preferences of their patrons to better suit the palates of their clientele. There is also quite a deep character inbuilt with the space with the inclusion of the live music stage — the music performed by their very own team members to try to create a bond with their patrons though music and allows for engagement with their patrons at the same time. There is definitely a unique character that Ibu Sarah Kitchen and Tea House is trying to bring, and the positive vibes that they are bringing are heartfelt – full of sincerity through both in its food and its hospitality; a little surprising and ironic for its location considering all that which have happened that made Orchard Towers so infamous in the first place until the closure of nightlife outlets there. A space that definitely deserves a visit for the difference that they are bringing into the F&B scene especially along the increasingly commercialised Orchard Road!