Nasi Padang @ Sari Nusa, Dubai

indonesian food is the closest thing to malay food here in dubai. we’ve tried betawi restaurant not too long ago, and now, ‘sari nusa’, carrying the tag, ‘the best indonesian cuisine’. were they right on the mark? a mysterious ‘foodie’ dropped a comment the posting on betawi restaurant and suggested we try this place.

 

 

located in satwa, it’s in the same row as ‘noodle bowl’, a popular chinese restaurant among malaysians – why? one of its chef is a malaysian from ipoh, perak! read my review on ‘noodle bowl’ here.

it’s bold, red signage ‘SARI NUSA’ will be hard to miss. however, it’s located along the main road, so it’s hard to find a parking space right in front or opposite. so just make your way to the back of the building for more parking space.

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comparatively speaking, it’s way more spacious than betawi restaurant. for us with a stroller and 2 boisterous boys, it was certainly more comfortable. there were no curtains, so it was very bright inside –but i love it! though i wonder how hot it can go during the summer days…

 

 

 

there were large lovely paintings of kampung scenes (village) with tha paddy fields, wooden houses and fishermen. there were also green plants at the corners and a big tv up on the wall.

overall, a clean, comfy family-friendly place to eat in.

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the food at betawi restaurant is delicious, but sari nusa actually provided the real nasi padang.

well, nasi padang is actually steamed rice, served with a few different dishes (lauk). while the nasi padang at betawi do come with a few different lauk, but the choice stops there. you can’t choose your lauk. it comes in a set on a plate, with the steamed rice. sedap, tapi takde pilihan.

at sari nusa?

 

 

but in sari nusa – well, you need only look at the menu to see how many lauk they offer! and this is just the first page. now THIS is what they call nasi padang – steamed rice with a LOT of different lauk which we can choose from.

well, actually we don’t need to look at the menu. like any typical nasi bungkus stall or restaurant in malaysia, the lauk or dishes were all lined up in metal containers at one side of the restaurant. we only need to pick up a plate, scoop some rice and add whatever lauk that takes our fancy.

 

 

choose from an assortment of spicy gravy (which they call gulai), many types of chicken, fish or beef dishes and fried foodstuff too like pergedil – potato nugget – fried mashed potato with vege in flour.

for malaysians in dubai who miss nasi bungkus, these lauk are heaven-sent!

one tip – if you come in groups or even a pair, it’s cheaper to scoop some lauk and put separately in a bowl or plate, rather than taking a lauk in your own personal plate with the rice. sharing is caring, ok! hihi.

 

 

 

finally this was what mr. khairul scooped for us – everything looked so inviting, and taste as delicious! the right amount of spice, the right amount of taste.

 

this is ayam rendang. normally i dislike eating rendang with plain rice. i mean, i LOVE our malay rendang with lemang and such, but not with rice. but the indonesian rendang is slightly different in taste, and texture as well. it’s like a thick ayam masak merah. delicious!

 

this is gulai ayam.  the gravy is not thick – a little spicy, a little sweet. just nice.

 

this is sayur nangka. this is my first time ever eating this dish. i’m really not a fan of fruit-turn-savoury-lauk like pajeri nenas, or sayur betik but this is really good.

 

 

 pergedil (potato nugget?) and sambal hijau. don’t be a hero and lump a whole lot of that spicy sambal with your rice. you’ll be pumping the whole niagara falls into your throat – the green sambal is super spicy, but that’s what makes it such an appetizing condiment.

 

for drinks, we had my favorite drink cincau – which was disappointingly too sweet! khaleef ordered orange juice which tasted like any other regular orange juice. verdict – should’ve just settled for bottled plain water instead!

 

 

overall, i would say that my lunching experience at sari nusa was A plus! the lauk was fresh even though it’s pre-cooked, the ambiance was comfy and bright, the space large enough for kahfi to run around, the staff friendly and the price affordable and so worth it.

betawi restaurant offers one dish set of nasi padang comprise of steamed rice and a few lauk on a plate. delicious, but you have no choice over the lauk. so for a real taste of nasi padang with a much wider choice in lauk, i suggest you try sari nusa instead.

we would definitely come again!