There’s a new Indonesian spot in the Bugis area that’s turning all the heads at the moment: Warung Leko.
With more than 40 outlets in Indonesia, the brand is known for its iga penyet, AKA smashed beef ribs. That’s right, the ribs here are “smashed”, much like ayam penyet.
The Iga Penyet ($15) comes with several pieces of beef ribs, along with tempeh, tahu goreng, and sambal. You can choose the spice levels of the sambal—we went with the medium option, and it was quite manageable, with an addictive tanginess that complements the beef well. Of course, if you want to turn up the heat, there are two levels above medium to choose from.
The ribs themselves were fall-off-the-bone tender, and we mean that literally—we could pull the bones out with no resistance at all. And thanks to the smashing technique, all the flavours and spices were packed into each bite. The cherry on top was the glorious sambal, which we couldn’t stop soaking up with the ribs.
Warung Leko also offers other types of smashed meat, including Fried Chicken ($10), Marinated Beef ($15), and Oxtail ($15). Speaking of oxtail, the Sup Buntut ($15), AKA oxtail soup, was superb as well.
Beefy and fragrant, with notes of pepper and other spices permeating each sip, this soup really hit the spot. The succulent and collagen-rich oxtail was also nice to chew on, though the ones we got were a little on the fattier side.
As for sides, Warung Leko has the likes of Omelette ($2), Beef Balls ($8), and Stir-Fried Kangkung ($8). An interesting alternative is the Crispy Fried Kangkung ($8), though the dish was not available at the time of our visit.
You can get a variety of Indonesian drinks here as well, such as Ice Cendol ($5), Ice Bandung ($3.50), and Soda Gembira ($4).
For grilled beef ribs, ayam penyet and more at Marina Square, read our Makan Makan review. For a popular Indonesian restaurant at Great World, read our IndoChili review.
Address: 162 Rochor Road, Singapore 188437
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 10pm, Sat-Sun 10am to 10pm
Website
Warung Leko is in the process of getting halal-certified.
Photos taken by Nabila Malek.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.