If you’re a Siglap Natureland lover, you might have walked past this funky restaurant many times. I’ve always thought Kota88 was a bar that served food, and only recently found out on (none other than) Instagram that it is a pretty decent Chindonesian (Chinese-Indonesian) restaurant that comes with an elaborate bar.
According to the website, Kota means ‘City’ in Bahasa Indonesia but refers to the Jakarta Chinatown where the restaurant started, and 88 because it sounds like ‘Fortune’ in Chinese, or 發發. Very huat indeed, as we had to make a super advanced booking (2 weeks!) for our weekend lunch with friends. There were 8 of us so we split into two tables and ordered separately. #SocialDistancing!
Decor in Kota88
The restaurant design gave me mixed vibes (in a good way!) with its nostalgic furniture and wall decor, as well as the neon lights at the bar that say 吃得满足 (Singlish translation: eat until satisfied). Well, I guess that’s what drew us in the first place!
Did I also mention the beautiful accordion windows which double up as seats? 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Apparently the design of the place was inspired by Chinese-owned coffee shop in Indonesia.
The wall of Chinese-style calendar was pretty neat as well.
Kota88 Menu
Unlike other Indonesian restaurants in Singapore, Kota88 specializes in Chinese Indonesian cuisine. Hence there’s a strong emphasis on pork, a meat seldom used in Muslim-majority Indonesia.
We took a look at the A3 laminated menus which were pretty extensive and interestingly ended with a .88 for every item. Consistency! Each of us decided on an item to share amongst four of us.
There was another menu for their special items – Mie Keriting. Looked really delicious from the images.
They also have an extensive drinks’ list and the alcohol prices seem reasonable.
Food in Kota88
The drinks were served soon after we placed the orders; we had to wait for a little while longer for the food.
Jus alpukat (Avocado juice with chocolate condensed milk) – just nice for me; not too sweet.
Iced coffee
Petak sembilan (whisky & ginger ale) – in our friend’s words, this drink reminded him of his clubbing days.
The first food item to arrive: Kombo Cha Sio and Sio Bah. Quite decent but not the best. The sio bah skin was crispy enough but both types of meats weren’t piping hot. We agreed that there are better ones out there.
Ngo hiang or fried prawn beancurd roll – this dish is always a crowd favourite.
Tauhu goreng asam manis or fried tofu in sweet and sour sauce
Satay – Unlike other places with other types of meats, Kota 88 only has pork satays. They are sold in sets of 10 and it’s possible to go for pork liver and pork intestine satays. We just opted for the regular ones; five of which marinated with savoury sauce and the other five with sweet sauce. While both were good, the sweet marinade won out for me.
The two staples were ordered: mie goreng (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice). Mie goreng came with a generous serving of seafood.
We can always trust the nasi goreng (fried rice) from an Indonesian restaurant to be good.
The fried rice came with a bowl of pickles.
Service in Kota88
The restaurant was full when we visited and the staff were busy throughout. It took some time before we could get their attention but they were all very accommodating with our requests.
Final Words
Kota88 is definitely worth a re-visit with its food and affordable drinks. It has an extensive menu and there are other items that we are keen to try. We overheard Bahasa Indonesia spoken at several tables and it showed that the food is definitely authentic enough.
Visit Date: 15 August 2020 (Lunch)
Good for: Family, group of friends, affordable alcohol
Cost: Approx. 100 SGD for 4 pax (include drinks)
Location
Address: 907 East Coast Road Singapore 459107
Phone: 6242 2645
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm (last order 10.30pm)
Check out the rest of the #FEastCoastRoad reviews here.
