Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal Review: Ayam Penyet and Balinese Donburi at Amoy Street Food Centre

The friendly owners informed us that they noticed the popularity of Japanese food and rice bowls in Singapore, and thus wanted to incorporate those concepts in their dishes. Ayam Penyet and Balinese Donburi at Amoy Street Food Centre Food at Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal We started off with their ¼ Cut Fried Chicken Penyet ($5.50).

Any ayam penyet with tough meat is an automatic failure for me, as it invalidates the point of flattening the bird in the first place. While it did have a layer of sweetness, umami from belacan and sweat-inducing heat were more prominent, adding a new dimension to the chicken’s savour profile. Rice is usually seen as a sideshow or vehicle for the ayam, but these grains were enjoyable in their own right.

Their trademark fusion element came through in the side salad, which was dressed with a house-made concoction of sesame, honey, and mayo. Marked by a Balinese-Japanese bloodline, we were intrigued to see how the flavours in our Balinese Egg Bowl With Honey Glazed Char Grilled Boneless Chicken Thigh ($7) meshed. Cumin was most prominent in the blend, and its punchy taste gave a distinctly South-East Asian accent to our bowl.

Kinobe Review: Legit Gyudon and Butadon At $6 Or Less In Amoy Street While the bowl’s Japanese flair often took a backseat to the more assertive Indonesian components, those effects were always playing in the background, like a drummer setting the rhythm in a rock band. The gooey omelette did its familiar dance with Japanese rice, creating a satisfyingly moist and sticky foundation for the more dynamic Balinese star to take centre stage. Greater smokiness would have added another element to the savour fiesta that was already raging in this bowl.

With that in mind, I forecast a similar, gratifyingly unhealthy experience in our Bami Goereng With Cajun Spice Black Pepper Beef ($6). They were adequately sauced, but had a gentle, sweet flavour in place of the heavy and oily calling card of maggi goreng. I’m not sure whether it’s the cut of beef or the psychological effects of our previous dish, but I felt a Japanese touch in this too.

Its generally sweet savour and the return of lengkuas for gingery notes created flavours reminiscent of gyudon, albeit with a completely non-Japanese cast of elements. Ambience at Rayyan’s Waroeng Upnormal Right smack in the middle of the CBD, Amoy Street Food Centre is a favourite lunchtime destination for office workers in the area.

Their dishes are original and well-prepared for the most part, with savour combinations that work. Amoy Street Food Centre and its surrounding area has a massive array of food options.

For more great eats in Telok Ayer, check out our review of Daily Noodles as well as our guides to Amoy Street Food Centre and Telok Ayer Cafes . Daily Noodles Review: First Japanese Hawker Stall Serving Maze Soba At Amoy Street Food Centre Let us know your favourite Amoy Street Food Centre stalls in the comments below!