Ayam Penyet Ria Grand Batam Mall

When you think about Indonesian food, Ayam Penyet is one of the dishes that come to mind; while this dish is also available in Malaysia, the ones sold in Indonesia are slightly different

I was at Grand Batam Mall looking for a place for lunch when I spotted Ria with many locals dining inside. The restaurant was covered up as I visited during Ramadan which is the month when Muslims observe a month of fasting so while the restaurants were open, the curtains were put up as a show of courtesy to people who were fasting

The restaurant was cosy and bright with wooden and white furnishings and warm lighting throughout the space. The space was also decorated with some fake plants to make it better for pictures

The menu has a variety of Indonesian dishes like ayam penyet, grilled meat, fried rice, noodles, soups, and snacks. We did not ask for an EN menu as we were pretty sure about ordering the ayam penyet

We ordered a few snacks for sharing as well and the first to arrive was the chicken satay. Served on a wooden plate with banana leaf, the satay came with 4 pieces of ketupat rice and a generous drizzle of peanut sauce. Different from the satay in Singapore, the sauce is more watery and gravy-like without any peanut chunks and the taste of peanuts is also minimal. It was more like a savoury sauce. The chicken was tender and succulent with a light charred flavour but the sauce was not really up my alley

The next snack served was the gado gado which is very different from the Malay version we get to eat in Singapore. The dish was piled with keropok and drizzled with the same satay sauce. Below the keropok were loads of raw cabbage with potato, french long bean, tempeh, egg and tofu. We ate the majority of the crackers but the rest of the ingredients tasted bland since the sauce did not fit my palate

The next snack we had was the bakwan jagung (corn fritters) which was very nice as it was served hot and crispy with a savoury batter and natural sweetness from the corn

As my friend was feeling full, she ordered only the ayam soup which is a clear chicken soup with vegetables. Sprinkled with coriander and spring onions, the soup was very lightly flavoured so those who want a tinge of flavour can add the lime juice served together with the soup

Lastly, the ayam penyet was served on the same wooden plate on a banana leaf. The ayam penyat came with cucumber, raw cabbage, deep-fried tofu and fried chicken drumsticks and a serving of balachan chilli. We had to order a serving of rice separately as it was not included in the ayam penyat order. The chicken was very tender but surprisingly not smashed up as much as the usual ayam penyat I have eaten in Singapore. The tofu also has a nice crispy skin and is perfect with the chilli as it adds an additional savoury layer to the otherwise plain-tasting tofu. The chicken when eaten with the crisp and chilli and rice was very delicious but on the spicy side. I was enjoying the chilli very much but at the same time my tongue was burning

Overall, the dishes were traditional Indonesian fare and can be found in many restaurants. I personally found the ayam penyat nice but also not one of the best I have tried

Address: Grand Batam Shopping Centre #03-15/16, Jl. Pembangunan, Batu Selicin, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia

Operating hours: 10 am to 10 pm