Pu3: Eating in Trays for 4 at the Restaurant

At the mention of “Nasi Padang”, I am sure most of us are more than familiar with this term. But how about “Nasi Ambeng”, especially one where you can eat as a group of 4-5 in a big tray! Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

Nasi Ambeng is a traditional Javanese cuisine that is not easily found here in Singapore (at least to me!). The special thing about Nasi Ambeng is that the fragrant rice and about 7-8 dishes are traditionally served in large trays and eaten in groups of about 4-5 people. This becomes sort of a feast culture in the Malay community.

I had a chance to try out Nasi Ambeng with my family for dinner at Pu3 Restaurant. We did an advance reservation even though it’s a weekday night. I appreciated the fact that they had already prepared our table with the 2 high-chairs that I requested in advance. So, when we came, all we had to do was sit and eat! J Usually, restaurants wait for you to arrive and then they will start bring out the high chairs, and you have to stand and wait for them to prepare the chairs.

The food was already waiting for us when we sat down. Truly appreciated too! The service was good and the staff was very helpful with our requests. As it was already around 7pm, there was not much crowd in the restaurant when we were there.

The rice came with dishes such as:

• Sambal Goring
• Ayam Lemak Cili Padi
• Prawns
• Mixed Beansprout Vegetables
• Potato Cutlets
• Beef Rendang
• Serunding
• Kacang Ikan Bilis
• Paru

What more can one ask for? We also ordered an extra Tahu Telor, Asam Pedas Ikan Duri and Ayam Goreng Bumbu.

Now to review the dishes, well what can I say? Firstly, I must say that it’s a good deal for money as the portions are generous and for SGD$44.80 nett for 5 people, that’s a real good deal. The rice was soft and the dishes were tasty. Just one thing I must add here, the asam pedas and Ayam lemak cili padi sure is very spicy. So, for those of you who do not take spicy food, you might take a pass on the asam pedas.

However, the chicken and other dishes are simply amazing. The chicken or Ayam goring bumbu is very crispy and I really enjoyed it. Well, after all, it’s a nice setting to eat with your family for dinner! J

I also tried the éclairs which was super nice and soft! It’s like in a packet of 8-10 pieces at SGD$5.50. Good deal huh? The Pu3 restaurant not only serves Nasi Ambeng as it also offers other Malay traditional cuisine as well. Check out the website to learn more about the numerous menus it has. Not only that, the restaurant also does catering!

Oh by the way, it is always better to call in advance and reserve and the Nasi Ambeng set is at SGD$44.80 and if you walk in the Nasi Ambeng is at SGD$48. Would I go there again? The answer is yes! To try out the other dishes!

Suryanie Ismail
Suryanie Ismail is a freelance writer who graduated from Bachelor of Arts in Mass communication. As an avid traveler and gourmet food aficionado, she writes articles on food reviews, children and any other topics of interest!