Makan Spotlight: Nasi Rawon

If you want a quick fix, Gerai Nenek Obek is a popular spot in Geylang Serai Market. Since 1963, the family business has been affectionately known for its nasi rawon, nasi jenganan and nasi ambeng – all made with a special family recipe that’s been passed down from generation to generation (it’s now on its fourth gen!). The nasi rawon here is served with beef gravy, tempe, sambal sotong, paru, begedil, serunding and sambal belacan. It's one of the few places where you can get it for cheap too. 

To make sure you can get your nasi rawon fix during these times, the eatery also offers island-wide delivery where you can order via gerainenekobek.com.

Don’t let its name fool you – Satay Solo dishes out more than just satay. The name is a nod to Solo (aka Surakarta), a city in Java, where the founder Wak Karimin was originally from before he came to Singapore with his satay recipe in 1939. Today, his granddaughter and great-granddaughters man the Bedok Corner stall, serving kampung-style cuisine including its star dish: nasi rawon ($5.50). The rawon gravy served here is slightly soupier with chunks of tendon floating in its beefy bath. The sambal belacan on the side gives the extra kick needed to balance the earthy flavours of the rawon.

A heartland favourite, Kayat Nasi Padang serves pocket-friendly traditional Malay dishes (from $3) with massive portions at the newly refurbished Tampines Round Market & Food Centre. Find favourites like mee rebus, mee siam, mee goreng on top of the nasi padang, but the star of this humble stall is its signature nasi rawon. No one does nasi rawon like Kayat – the gravy is rich and thick, with tender beef chunks. Pro tip: head there early as the dish sells out fast.

Located in an unlikely spot – a nondescript coffee shop in Bedok – Warong Java Nasi Padang has won the hearts of many east-siders with its rich nasi rawon (from $5.80). The rawon gravy served here is slightly more bittersweet yet smoky than the other stalls. It also serves other Indonesian favourites such as nasi jenganan, nasi ambeng, ayam penyet, mee bakso, and gado-gado.

What started out as a makeshift stall in Geylang Serai in the 1960s has now become a permanent resident at the bustling Geylang Serai Market. The daily snaking queues are a testament to its delectable dishes including kapau-style nasi padang, nasi ambeng, nasi jenganan, nasi sambal goreng, and nasi rawon. But get ready for spice as most of the dishes served here pack a punch. Its rawon set meal ($7) comes with a generous serving of rice, rawon, sambal sotong, begedil, paru, tempe goreng, sambal belacan and serunding.

New kid on the block Nasi Padang Indonesia Bandung has been operating at Sengkang for less than a decade, but the dishes here are as good as the long-time hawker favourites. You could say they’re "enak banget" (“so delicious” in Bahasa Indonesia). If you're a fan of meat, you'd love nasi rawon ($5.50) here as it comes with beef trimmings and super soft paru. However, you'd have to wait till the end of the week for a taste as the nasi rawon is only available on weekends and public holidays.