Sambal Oelek

So my updates haven't been as frequent as I liked, it's seriously straying into the 5-7 day mark rather than the 4-5 that I like. Lots of things have been happening in my life. As you probably guessed, I broke up with my Boyfriend, I also started going to the gym pretty intensely and dating guys again on Tinder recently. I've been going out lots, as seem on my Instagram account @ThatSeriousGirl, and not doing much writing. Or bothering to post many pictures on my Instagram either come to think of it.

Anyway, I'm trying to do half as much writing as I do gym work, considering I've been going 1-2 hours a day, I better get cracking! I just wish I was able to write my blog and do stuff at the gym at the same time. I suppose I could type and cycle at the same time but there's not good enough internet at my gym!

So here I was at Sambal Oelek, the new Indonesian restaurant in Brisbane, handily located in Underwood right off the highway besides my favourite butchers Big Gun!

The menu!

Another menu!

The interior is all bright red plastic furniture, nothing too fancy!

Noice

That being said, they did have these lovely lanterns. I like the interlaced pattern.

Pretty!

I got this tea both times I was here, teh kotak, or a strong, sweetened jasmine tea with a mildly bitter aftertaste. I found it refreshing and super sweet, it was also super cheap for only $2 a box! I highly recommend trying this if you're used to the taste of bubble teas and the like.

50% extra? Bargain!

I got the pangsit goreng ayam the first time I went here, basically deep fried chicken mince fritters! The filling was very reminiscent of a chicken version of the filling you get in prawn wontons, that slightly gingery, moussey and green onion flavoured combination. The wrapper was deep fried perfection, it had that immensely satisfying crunch like a prawn cracker. It was so wonderfully bubbly and the crispy exterior melted on the tongue, I took great delight in eating each fritter. It came with some sweet chili sauce that was a good contrast.

Tasty!

I got the sop buntut or oxtail soup as well! All the main dishes come with a side of rice or coconut rice depending on your preference. This was listed as being the famous, hearty and comforting dish of Indonesia, tender slow cooked oxtail with potato and carrot chunks in a clear soup.

Oxtail soup!

It tasted like home, like those thick, slowly cooked bone in soups that you get when you were younger as a meal, or at least I did. I could taste the greasy film from the soup on my lips and it reminded me of a warm winter's day. It was a very basic but comforting dish that was very well made. I quite enjoyed it! It came with a little dish of sambal that was mildly spicy but nothing spectacular.

It tastes like home even if I'm not Indonesian :P

I came back about a week later to try the rendang sapi, a beef rendang done in the Indonesian style. There was a huge dish of the beef stew with a thick but very oily sauce. It had all the sauce mostly absorbed by the shredded coconut but I suspected it wasn't pan fried off because it was put it because it was quite chewy and didn't have the same aroma. As beef rendang goes, its not as good as the one I make at home, two or three pieces were horrifically chewy although most of them were quite soft and tender. As far as restaurant ones go, its probably the best one I've had. Good level of spice, well balanced spices and mostly tender meat. I got coconut rice as my pick this time as well.

Someone at work saw this and said ITS A BOOB

Yum~!

Sambal Oelek
Atmosphere: 5, basic little Asian eatery. Clean with laminated menus hurray!
Service: 8, very friendly service. The first time I was here, the owner walked me through the menu and highly recommended the oxtail soup, fried chicken and beef rendang and they were good!
Food: 7.5, tasty and cheap food! Plus close to where I love, what else is there in life hahaha