Warong HJH Kamisah • Friendly Three Generation Indonesian Food Stall @ Sims Vista

I asked my Facebook community for help on where's a nice nasi ayam penyet stall and Hong Liang Jing recommended Warong HJH Kamisah at Sims Vista Food Centre. Thank you very much 🙏

Stall name: Warong HJH Kamisah

Address: 49 Sims Place, Singapore 380049 (stall #01-13, Sims Vista Market & Food Centre)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Aljunied station

Hours: 8:00am - 2:30pm (Fri off / ayam penyet available only after 11:30am)

The stall has a steady stream of customers who, from the friendly banter, seemed like regulars.

I was kaypoh curious, so I asked who is that gentleman in the old photo. "That's our grandfather" came the reply. Where was he from? I asked. "Solo" a voice inside the stall said. Solo is the colloquial name for the city of Surakarta in Central Java, Indonesia.

In the third generation now, Warong HJH Kamisah serves the familiar Javanese staples of lontong, mee rebus, mee soto, soto ayam, nasi sambal goreng, nasi ayam penyet, and nasi ikan penyet, all at very affordable prices.

But, no satay.

The ayam penyet set for $4.50. The huge fried chicken thigh was smacked just before serving. I asked for more sambal and the lady generously obliged. There was no fried tempeh but is available for another 50 cents.

The chicken thigh was boiled in a spiced stock, set aside and deep fried to a golden crisp outside on order. I can taste a bit of spice and savoury flavour on the golden crisp skin but not in the tender moist meat.

The rice was average quality (there were some chipped grains) but nicely cooked to just the right moistness and nutty tenderness for me.

The sambal was nice! It has pronounced anchovy savouriness, sweetness, followed by a hot, lingering spicy sting. The sambal helped boosted the taste of the fried chicken and boiled rice.

They provided another sambal of raw onion and chili pepper held together with kicap manis (sweetened soy sauce).

The set came with a small bowl of spice and fried shallot flavoured soup.

I want to try their nasi ikan penyet next and hopefully their original Satay Club satay one day.

Ayam penyet in Johor 👈 click

The fabled Alhambra Cinema near where the original Satay Club was located. Alhambra Cinema was built in 1907 and demolished in 1969. It became Singapore's first air conditioned cinema after renovations in 1938.

Alhambra Cinema was located along Beach Road across from Middle Road and Liang Seah Street. The original Satay Club was along Hoi How Road which was the southern extension of Middle Road leading to the beach. When the site was demolished in 1970, Satay Club moved to the old Esplanade. Today, the site of Alhambra Cinema and original Satay Club is occupied by Shaw Tower. (Image courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.)

Alhambra Cinema is gone but its memory and name are still seen at some satay stalls (which assumed its name).

       

                     

             

             

               

               

             

           

           

           

                         

           

             

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            A post shared by Tony Boey Johor Kaki (@johorkaki)          

       

     

            

Written by Tony Boey on 2 Nov 2021