Rempah Kitchen — Restaurant in Bintan Island

I felt sad spending money on lunch here. Thought it might be a good opportunity since it was pouring outside, but lo and behold. We ordered four dishes.

Gado gado was considered the best out of all we had, but it was strange. They had veg wrapped like kueh-pie-tee and placed on a sauce bed. It was ok. Not great. Not enough sauce.

Nusantara platter - the otakotak was dry, small and sad. They stapled the banana leaf. The tempeh, tahu and begerdil were fried in stale oil so .. they came out blackish and stale. See pic of what we left behind. No good. Really. The corn fritters were… soft and gooey inside.

Oxtail soup - mm should be Buntut Bakar and Veg soup cause the oxtail was grilled separately and not found inside the soup. The oxtail was not good. The soup was not good.

Ayam Nasi Goreng - well. Not too bad. Average? The rice was flavourful but the drumstick was very dry.

The crackers they served were stale. So.. help please. Actually, just help yourself and go to Warung Yeah instead. The price is cheaper and food so...

We stayed at Four Points Sheraton Bintan for a few nights and enjoyed dinner at Rempah Kitchen every night. We especially enjoyed the Sup Buntut, Cah Kangkong and Sate Madura. Every dish was tasty and prepared with pride. Even though it is a restaurant, the food has a home cooked feel to it. I highly recommend visiting this restaurant even if you aren’t staying at the hotel - it’s worth the trip!

Kudos also to the staff, all of whom are welcoming, friendly and provided excellent service. Special mention to Chef Joseph, who came out to meet us a couple of times to ask how the food was. It was clear that he takes pride in his food preparation. Also like to highlight some service staff: Nicho, Dwi, Joy, Jeni, and Deswati - who are attentive and provided good service with great attitudes. They always served with a smile. Thank you all for making our time...

Our inaugural meal in Bintan was a delightful experience, with one notable exception: the mac and cheese, which my daughter declared, quite dramatically, the 'absolute worst ever.'

However, the rest of the meal more than compensated. The beef stew was a triumph of tenderness and flavor, the meat practically melting off the bone. A side of pickles would have elevated it to perfection.

The fried rice with ox tails was excellent, a symphony of flavors balanced by a refreshing garden salad.

The ayam aceh, featuring succulent boneless chicken, was complemented by a vibrant array of chili assortments.

And while the satay differed from the versions we're accustomed to in Singapore and Malaysia, it was undeniably tender...