[Review] Nusantara Singapore @ Frasers Tower

Located at Frasers Tower in the CBD area, Nusantara Singapore serves what is called, Nusantara cuisine, made with no msg, no preservatives, less oil and less sugar. Nusantara is the Indonesian name of Maritime Southeast Asia. It is an Old Javanese term which literally means “outer islands”.

When you look at the dishes served at the restaurant, it looks like an elevated version of Nasi Padang dishes, featuring many Indonesia and Malay cuisine.

The restaurant is helmed by Singaporean Muslim Chef Firdauz Nasir who believes in using old school techniques with traditional Southeast Asian ingredients bought fresh from local markets in Singapore. To draw inspiration for his menu, Chef Firdauz revive recipes from his grandmother and mother such as Nusantara’s signature Beef Rendang, Ayam Masak Merah, Belimbing Lamb, Ayam Kicap Buah Keluak and more.

Ordering is done Nasi Padang or Chap Chye Peng style, you pick what you want to construct a rice bowl from the spread of dishes available. Alternatively, you can also order from a list of constructed rice bowl, ranging in prices from $7.90 to $15.90.

The restaurant also offers vegan and vegetarian dishes to cater to a more diverse dietary group.

We were invited to a lunch tasting and these were the items we tried:

One of the cool things at Nusantara is the wide variety of six different sambal condiments which you can order at $2 each to go with your food. This ranges from the usual Sambal Belachan to the less common Sambal Tempoyak (made from fermented durian), Sambal Tumis (Malaysian sambal), Sambal Hijau (made from green chillies), Sambal Bajak (Indonesian sambal) and Kicap Manis (vegetarian option).

Generally, it is a fun place for a quick, casual lunch if you are in the CBD area for work or a meeting. I like how Nusantara attempts to elevate the humble Nasi Padang, adding in some historical context to it, while presenting it in a modern fast casual eatery style.

As a recommendation, it may be good for first-time customers to order from one of the their many curated rice bowl options if yourself at a lost on how to mix and match:

Signature Nusantara Dishes

Belimbing Lamb Bowl $15.90

Charcoal grilled lamb shoulder, lemak belimbing gravy, fried shallots, chilli, lime leaves served with keropok & pineapple achar

Beef Rendang Bowl $10.90

Beef shin slow-cooked in spices, coconut butter, coconut milk served with keropok & pineapple achar

Ayam Kicap Buah Keluah Bowl $8.90

Chicken wing cooked with buah keluak, soya sauce served with vegetables & keropok

Ayam Masak Merah Bowl $7.90

Chicken cooked with fresh tomatoes, local spices, roasted candlenut served with keropok & pineapple achar

Nusa’s Longtong Bowl $7.90 

Rice cake served with sayur lodeh, potato croquette, sambal & spiced coconut serunding

Vegetarian / Vegan Dishes

Nusa’s Vegan Longtong Bowl $7.90

Rice cake served with sayur lodeh, spiced coconut serunding, sambal bajak & keropok

Nusa’s Vegan Rice Bowl $9.90

Blue Pea Rice with two choices of vegetables, sambal hijau, keropok & achar

Vegan Nasi Sambal Goreng Bowl $7.90

Blue Pea Rice with sambal goreng, vegetables served with sambal bajak & keropok

Vegan Nasi Sayur Lodeh Bowl $7.90

Blue Pea Rice with sayur lodeh, served with spiced coconut serunding, sambal hijau & keropok

Nusantara Singapore

Address: 182 Cecil Street, #02-16/17, Frasers Tower, Singapore 069547

Opening Hours: 10am to 6pm