Warung Ijo (4.8 out of 5☆)
Address: 337 Beach Rd, Singapore 199565 (Google Maps here)
Contact No: +65-88578600 | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SGWarungIjo/
Payment: Cash, GrabPay (Not sure if they accept NETS/ Visa (Please FB/ Call them to find out)
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11.00am to 09.00pm. Closed on Monday. Except 1st & 15th day of the Lunar Month & Public Holidays. Closed on the next day.
Vegan’s Notes: Vegan options available here. Please inform when ordering.
Warung meant “Place/ Hut” and Ijo meant “Green” and Warung Ijo, in my own guess, meant “The Green Place” or the owner is trying to bring out the meaning of a place that embraces green food (vegetarian).
Warung Ijo is the new kid on the block that serves authentic Indonesian vegetarian cuisine. I know the difficulties to hunt for yummy Indonesian vegetarian cuisine in Singapore that won’t break the piggy bank and fits the local taste buds and finally, we have Warung Ijo to curb our Indonesian food cravings.
I first chanced upon this from a friend’s Instagram when she posted pictures of the insta-worthy place and aesthetically good looking food and I googled further on the place and ta-da, here I am.
Location wise.
It’s ~ 10 minutes walk from Nicoll Highway (CC5) MRT Station. You can walk via the bridge to City Gate Commercial & Residential development from the Nicoll Highway MRT Station then cross over to the shophouses where Warung Ijo is located.
Otherwise, one can park at open-air Aliwal Street Carpark (limited lots) or along the roads near Baghdad Street.
Ambiance wise.
Chic and hip. They have baby seats for the young ones and I feel it’s quite kid-friendly. Outdoor and indoor seatings available.
Food wise.
It was indeed an authentic Indonesian that fits into the local taste buds, a little tad spicy but for non-spicy eaters like me, I still can accept the taste. We ordered quite a few items on our first visit. There seem to be limited choices (maybe due to the fact that they just open their doors) but it was good enough for the varieties. There is a photo-wall near the counter that showcase the majority of the items on the menu. The only keynote is there is no kids menu available. I just managed to get hold of the Team @ Warung Ijo. THERE IS KIDS MENU available however it’s not stated in the Menu itself, one had to order via the counter. On the kids’ menu — there is Olive Fried Rice and Egg Fried Rice.
The food that I’ve ordered:
- Khalasan Fried Chicken
- Nasi Lemak Fish
- Fried Gyoza
- Orh Luak
- Kombucha Hibiscus Kiss
- Kombucha Hibiscus Kiss
The portion was just nice for me. The Orh Luak was a little less crispy but the texture is smooth and soft. Chilli for Ork Luak is good. Same for the Fried Gyoza. It was crispy on the outside and fulfilling within. The main dishes were good. Spicy yes but within the tolerance level of mine, after all it’s authentic Indonesian cuisine. 😛
Service wise.
Superb. I think the lady boss (WQ) is the one serving over at the counter (my personal guess). Super chirpy lady and she speaks Indonesian. OMG. Super humble and nice peeps.
Costs wise.
I find it reasonable for authentic Indonesian cuisine. 🙂 It cost us S$44.50 for the items above. There is no GST & Service Charge at the moment. GrabPay accepted which is a plus for me.
Improvements wise.
- More choices for the non-spicy eaters and perhaps more soup-based dishes. 🙂
Ratings wise.
- Overall I would give them a 4.8/ 5.0 stars. 🙂 Their nasi dishes did/ will not disappoint and 0.2 for rooms to improve.
UPDATES (27 Aug, 06.00pm):
I made a return trip on another day with my BFF. This time round, we ordered different food from the first trip.
The food that I’ve ordered:
- Nasi Lemak Fried Chicken
- Lontong Sayur
- Rendang Fried Rice
- Satang Padang
- Orh Luak
- Gyoza Soup (6 Pieces) with 1x Nasi (We didn’t manage to take a picture of this)
- Cold Brew Gryphon Tea: The Pearl of Orient with Lychee
- Kombucha Lemon Lime & Mint (Decide to try another flavour)
We didn’t manage to snap a picture of the Gyoza soup but I understand it was that day’s special and not on the menu itself. Finally! A non-spicy and soup-based dish. And to my surprise, I realized they sell out their Lontong Sayur quite fast. We went on a Friday evening around 6.15pm for dinner and were told that there are only 3 bowls left. Being a typical Singaporean, I ordered one to try. The soup was thick and flavoury. I can taste the freshness of the coconut milk and the ingredients that they used. Spicyness is within the control. Both the Rendang Fried Rice & Nasi Lemak Fried Chicken did not disappoint us and the taste is soooooo good. The Satay Padang is not spicy, crunchy and soaked with the unique thick gravy (which I still couldn’t figure it out…) To my surprise, the Orh Luak on that day was crispy and flavourful.
Special mention for the Cold Brew Gryphon Tea – The Pearls of Orient with Lychee. LOL. Nothing can go wrong with Lychee. HAHA
The BFF mentioned that Indonesian cuisine is always stronger in taste and a little salty (Because I dislike sodium to the max. Less oil, less salt, less seasoning and no sugar theory.) True that but it was acceptable on my sodium scale for all of the above.
One should really check this place out for the savory authentic Indonesian Vegetarian cuisine. Reservations can be done prior via Facebook PM or a phonecall (See above for info) and do note on the operating hours mentioned too!
Updates (01 Sep, 11.45am): I’ve got in touch with the team and they will progressively introduced more dishes. Do CHECK OUT and LIKE their Facebook page for more updates!~ They will announce new dishes via Facebook. I heard that they are launching MEE SOTO soon! YAY for all soup-based dish lovers.
On another note, after the dinner, one can get their bubble tea fix over at Nine.Tales.Tea @ City Gate. Please support my primary school friend on his venture. #SupportLocal
P.S: This is not a paid review. I paid for my own food. Photos taken using Huawei Mate 10 Pro & Huawei P20 Pro. 🙂
WILLYNN (@hueyytingg) 