Hut & Soul

Aloysius Yeow and Adrian Li took over the old Pondok Bali Indonesian restaurant in January 2016, and have been dishing up a blend of Malay, Indonesian and Singaporean cuisines ever since.

While Li takes care of front of house, Yeow’s in charge of the kitchen. He combines recipes from his family’s restaurant in Malaysia with a few lingering favourites from Pondok Bali.

Pondok’s old hut remains, but the walls have been decked out with modern paintings showcasing Asian street life. Paper-lined tables await colourful splattering from the hawker-style menu, which offers small bites such as chargrilled chicken satays, flaky murtabak (puff pastry filled with spicy potato), and char kway teow (wok fried noodles) to start.

Bigger bites include the heady beef rendang curry and flaming pork, the latter served in flame with a sweet and tangy sauce. Everything’s prepared with fresh sauces and spice pastes made from organic herbs grown out the back.

Desserts includes green pandan pancakes with shredded coconut and a fusion bread and butter pudding with pandan, coconut and kaya.

Keep the meal authentic with a frothy teh tarik (Malaysian pulled tea) or milo dinosaur. Otherwise there’s Bintang and South Australian wine.