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Gerai Nenek Obek
Photograph: Gerai Nenek Obek

Makan Spotlight: Nasi Rawon

The rice dish hits the spot with its aromatic, buah keluak-based gravy – no wonder it's always sold out

Cam Khalid
Written by
Cam Khalid
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Growing up in a Malay home, there’s never a day that goes by without rice. Malay-style chicken rice, nasi lemak, nasi goreng – you name it, we have it. Rice is life. But there’s one rice dish that holds a special place in my heart: nasi rawon. Whether bought from a nasi padang hawker stall or cooked from scratch with my grandmother, I always look forward to indulging in this special dish.

Originating from Surabaya, rawon has been described as “one of the oldest historically identified dishes of ancient Java.” In Indonesia, it is served as a main course or as a soup with salty egg, small bean sprouts, shrimp crackers and sambal belacan (chilli paste). But in Singapore, it is served a little differently – steaming hot rice, paru goreng (fried beef lung), sambal sotong (squid in spicy relish), begedil (potato patty), serunding (spiced grated coconut), sambal belacan, and soaked in gravy seasoned with buah keluak, which gives its almost-black hue and earthy flavour.

For a taste of the good stuff, we’ve listed the best places to get your nasi rawon fix. As it’s usually sold during breakfast time, so we recommend hitting up these stalls before the clock strikes noon, or you’ll miss out.

RECOMMENDED: The best nasi padang restaurants in Singapore and the best halal restaurants in Singapore

  • Restaurants
  • Malay
  • Geylang

If you want a quick fix, Gerai Nenek Obek is a popular spot in Geylang Serai Market. Since 1963, the family business has been affectionately known for its nasi rawon, nasi jenganan and nasi ambeng – all made with a special family recipe that’s been passed down from generation to generation (it’s now on its fourth gen!). The nasi rawon here is served with beef gravy, tempe, sambal sotong, paru, begedil, serunding and sambal belacan. It's one of the few places where you can get it for cheap too. 

To make sure you can get your nasi rawon fix during these times, the eatery also offers island-wide delivery where you can order via gerainenekobek.com.

  • Restaurants
  • Indonesian
  • Bedok

Don’t let its name fool you – Satay Solo dishes out more than just satay. The name is a nod to Solo (aka Surakarta), a city in Java, where the founder Wak Karimin was originally from before he came to Singapore with his satay recipe in 1939. Today, his granddaughter and great-granddaughters man the Bedok Corner stall, serving kampung-style cuisine including its star dish: nasi rawon ($5.50). The rawon gravy served here is slightly soupier with chunks of tendon floating in its beefy bath. The sambal belacan on the side gives the extra kick needed to balance the earthy flavours of the rawon.

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  • Restaurants
  • Malay
  • Tampines

A heartland favourite, Kayat Nasi Padang serves pocket-friendly traditional Malay dishes (from $3) with massive portions at the newly refurbished Tampines Round Market & Food Centre. Find favourites like mee rebus, mee siam, mee goreng on top of the nasi padang, but the star of this humble stall is its signature nasi rawon. No one does nasi rawon like Kayat – the gravy is rich and thick, with tender beef chunks. Pro tip: head there early as the dish sells out fast.

  • Restaurants
  • Indonesian
  • Bedok

Located in an unlikely spot – a nondescript coffee shop in Bedok – Warong Java Nasi Padang has won the hearts of many east-siders with its rich nasi rawon (from $5.80). The rawon gravy served here is slightly more bittersweet yet smoky than the other stalls. It also serves other Indonesian favourites such as nasi jenganan, nasi ambeng, ayam penyet, mee bakso, and gado-gado.

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  • Restaurants
  • Hawker
  • Geylang

What started out as a makeshift stall in Geylang Serai in the 1960s has now become a permanent resident at the bustling Geylang Serai Market. The daily snaking queues are a testament to its delectable dishes including kapau-style nasi padang, nasi ambeng, nasi jenganan, nasi sambal goreng, and nasi rawon. But get ready for spice as most of the dishes served here pack a punch. Its rawon set meal ($7) comes with a generous serving of rice, rawon, sambal sotong, begedil, paru, tempe goreng, sambal belacan and serunding.

  • Restaurants
  • Indonesian
  • Sengkang

New kid on the block Nasi Padang Indonesia Bandung has been operating at Sengkang for less than a decade, but the dishes here are as good as the long-time hawker favourites. You could say they’re "enak banget" (“so delicious” in Bahasa Indonesia). If you're a fan of meat, you'd love nasi rawon ($5.50) here as it comes with beef trimmings and super soft paru. However, you'd have to wait till the end of the week for a taste as the nasi rawon is only available on weekends and public holidays.

Makan Spotlight

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