Hidden Star

Its always nice to stumble upon the unexpected... to taste something which you totally expect to be only passable, only to find your tastebuds pleasantly surprised. This was the case when M and I decided to pluck up enough courage to have dinner at Bintang cafe, an very non-descript, slightly rough around the edges Indonesian restaurant in East Vic Park. We are both fans of the slightly cleaner looking Batavia cafe around the corner which serves really spot on Indonesian sotos (or soup) and have often wondered about its poorer cousin just around the corner.

Don't get me wrong - not everything is good here - most of what we had ordered tasted at best ordinary... the pempek (Indonesian fried fish cake) was too doughy and had an accompanying sauce that lacked the tang that normally makes this dish very addictive. The satays here were a little too overcooked and burnt, leaving an unpleasant bitter taste despite being smothered in peanut sauce.

Things were not looking good... until we tasted the home made Mie Ayam (or simply fresh egg noodles with a chicken and mushroom topping). Simple... yes. Tasty... very much so. The texture of the home made noodles was great - firm to bite and perfectly seasoned with the basic toppings. Nothing fancy here... just well made, well seasoned noodles... Coupled with the home made kickass sambals on offer here.. this was unexpectedly delicious.

Our adventure into a meal at Bintang (which incidentally translates to "star" in Bahasa Indonesia) was an unexpected surprise... and this is one hidden star where we'll probably keep coming back to for a cheap noodle fix.

Bintang Cafe
12/910 Albany Hwy, East Victoria Park