Waroeng Sambal Pojok, Cheras: Indonesian Heat That Makes You Want More Rice

If you're craving spicy, bold-flavoured Indonesian food, Waroeng Sambal Pojok in Cheras is one of the places we recommend. The shop is at lot G-37, ground floor of Residensi M Vertica on Jalan Cheras, so it's easy to drop by whether for lunch with colleagues or dinner with the family. The vibe is relaxed, not noisy, and comfortable for sitting a while.

We started with the ayam geprek set. The chicken is fried till crispy, then smashed with sambal so the heat seeps into the meat. The word geprek itself means pounded or smashed in Javanese, and that's exactly how it looks on the plate. With hot rice, one set is plenty filling.

The dish we remember most is the sapi salai cili api set. The smoked beef is tender and smoky, soaked in a rich, spicy bird's eye chilli coconut gravy. The iga bakar Pojok is tender beef ribs coated in a sweet grill sauce with a slightly smoky finish.

For fish lovers, try the tilapia dancing Pojok. The tilapia is fried till crisp and arranged so it looks like it's arching mid-dance, crunchy outside but still tender inside. We also ordered emping melinjo, a traditional Indonesian cracker made from slightly bitter melinjo nuts, great for munching while waiting for the mains.

To cool the heat, order soda gembira, a classic Indonesian drink mixing soda, syrup and condensed milk that's sweet and creamy. We also tried the light, refreshing melon juice. Overall, the cooking is consistent and reasonably priced for a city-centre area.