D'Penyetz & D'Cendol Burwood (Halal) — Restaurant in Sydney

We got there at 2.30pm thinking the crowd will die down by then. Wrong. We waited for an hour for a table of two.

While we waited for the table, I ordered 2 cendol for takeaway as we were starving. 45mins had passed and no one called my name. Further 15mins, we got our table and no sign of cendol still. I told the waitress to make it for dine in. She then proceeded checking the order and was still clueless to where the cendol are, she asked when was the order being placed. By this point I was getting a bit frustrated and answered “an hour ago”. Then finally came the cendol and she apologised saying that all takeaway items were supposed to be collected at the counter. Numerous takeaway order were being called out at the door but they expect me to queue for 15mins to check if my order is ready or not at the counter. Get your act together. Set a system and stick with it. Announce it to the customer on what you expect the customer to do.

We requested one cendol to come with cubed ice but it came with shaved ice instead and missing the extra durian. If options are not available, it would be appreciated if they notify the customers before they proceed making the order.

The space was very tight and no way for my friend to get out. We had to pull the table out for her to exit. Manager can probably stick two tables together instead of having 10cm space in between tables. Waitress were carrying plates and dishes way to close for comfort because there are people queuing as well. One mistake of being bumped by others, those food or scraps will fall on my head for sure.

There are definitely a lot of staffs but some are pretty clueless. Most of them are all rounder and have no specific duty. I had to ask 3 staffs for extra plate and cutleries.

Now the food. They are on the small side for the price we pay. Cendol w durian. Cendol was hard and texture was doughy and very unpleasant. Small portion of durian and I got the skin layer mostly. 1/10 Grilled chicken Solo. No chilli option on the web order. You need to write your choice on the note. 8/10 Tofu scrambled egg. The menu shows a bowl of peanut sauce or some sort. Nada. Very little sauce. 1/10 Grilled fish Aroma. Now I have been craving grilled fish and it came fried. Tastewise it was good but I am not happy that I was not informed about it being fried. As a customer paying $25.90 for something that is not according to what is being specified on the menu, then why bother selling it. 5/10 Smashed chicken w green chilli. My friend was happy w the chilli. She ordered extra crumbs for $2 and it is the size of 1 tablespoon, flat not heaped. Pretty sad really. 5/10

Maybe they can focus on certain items and perfect it during this opening week instead of digging their own hole.

For others, best to wait for another month to dine in there if you dont want to be...

Today's weather forecast: Spicy. And not just any type of spicy. We're talking the rich, intense, funky and fermented sweatbeads on your nose type of spicy that is Indonesian sambal 🥵 my Indo friends Vivian and Ant have been quite excited to show me the smashed fried chicken at D'Penyetz & D'Cendol since their opening in Burwood last year. Apparently there was a lot of community excitement when news came of their first Sydney store because of how widespread and popular the brand name is in Indonesia. They've since opened another outlet on Sussex St. (That block's a super cool nook of the city that has almost become an Indo-town by the way. Worth the walk-around if you're ever up that way!). D'Penyetz & D'Cendol actually has around 130 stores across Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Brunei and Myanmar. Their signature is the ayam penyet - Indonesian smashed fried chicken. I've tried ayam geprek before, where fried chicken is smashed up completely before being mixed in sambal. The difference here is ayam penyet only features a light 'smash'. If anything, it's more like a squeeze. After frying the chicken, a pestle is used to lightly squeeze down the chicken, cracking through the skin slightly to release the juice and soften the meat for tearing apart (supposedly). By itself, I like the chicken a lot. It has hints of garlic, galangal and turmeric. I love those crispy bits on top. When you add sambal into the mix though and eat with white rice.. oooo baby that's good! There's 5 different levels of spice you can get. The level 4 (sambal terasi) is their most recommended and the one I chose, but it does pack a punch. You can tone it down with level 3, a green chilli sambal, or go up a level if you're a daredevil. The level 4 was nice for me personally! Would also recommend their kangkung terasi, water spinach stir-fried with shrimp paste chilli sambal, and their tahu telor special, scrambled egg on a bed of tofu with that glorious Indonesian peanut sauce on top. I didn't try their cendol on this occasion though feel I should have. It's in the name after all. Maybe next time 🙂 📍D'Penyetz &...

As a food blogger always on the hunt for bold, authentic flavours, D’Penyetz & D’Cendol in Burwood delivered a truly memorable Indonesian feast.

We kicked off with the A/P Sambal Mercon (Level 5) – this smashed fried chicken dish is not for the faint-hearted. The sambal was fiery, fragrant, and layered with chilli heat that builds with each bite, yet still allowed the crispiness and juiciness of the chicken to shine through. A must-try for serious spice lovers!

For something more herbaceous, the A/G Cabe Hijau offered a delightful contrast. The green chilli sauce had that signature Minang freshness with a punchy, slightly tangy heat that elevated the tender chicken fillet.

The Ikan Bakar Bali was a standout—perfectly grilled fish, tender on the inside with a beautifully caramelised surface, drenched in a sweet, sticky Balinese sauce. It had that great balance of savoury, sweet, and smoky.

One of the surprises of the night was the Cumi Salted Egg, a newer dish on the menu. The squid was well-cooked, tender, and coated in a rich, creamy salted egg sauce that was indulgent without being overpowering—comforting and addictive.

We added the Terong Penyet, which was perfectly fried eggplant served with their signature sambal. The smoky bitterness of the eggplant paired beautifully with the vibrant chilli paste.

The Special Omelette came with a mild in-house sauce and was fluffy and satisfying—great for those who prefer gentler flavours. To end on a sweet note, we had the Iced Cendol Durian—creamy, rich, and topped with real durian for that unmistakable Southeast Asian decadence. It was the perfect way to cool down after all the spice.

Service was quick, friendly, and the atmosphere casual yet lively—ideal for a family meal or casual catch-up. If you’re craving Indonesian food with bold, unapologetic flavours, D’Penyetz & D’Cendol is the real deal. Highly...