Pepes

This is a review of dinner at Pepe’s Indonesian in Ngee Ann City/​Takashamaya.
After a little shopping, we were wandering around the mall looking for a place to eat. We saw Pepes and both thought, by the name, that it was a Mexican restaurant. While I was up for Mexican, she was not. So, we passed on by.
Instead, we went to the Korean BBQ place. However, my legs simply did not fit under their tables.
So, we wandered back out in the mall. She acquiesced and we decided to head to Pepes. Upon arriving, we discovered it was an Indonesian restaurant. Now, that was something we were both truly up for. Two happy campers had just found their perfect campsite.
First, I can not review the food on authenticity. I can only review based on whether i enjoyed it or not. I did.
We were quickly greeted and seated. The service was friendly, professional, and polite.
The ambiance is clean, basic, modern, and functional.
The food ranged from good to very good.
Tahu Telor (Fried Tofu Dish) — It is no secret that I am not the world’s biggest fan of tofu. This was a unique take on it. While it wouldn’t make my last meal on earth list, I quite enjoyed it. Well, in a that isn’t bad for tofu sort of way.
Ayam Pop (Chicken with peppers) — I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The mild flavor of the tender chicken and then the occasional pop of biting into a pepper. It was A-​Ok for me. This was not as true for my dining companion. She is simply not a fan of peppers. She carefully ate her way around them.
Cumi Bakar (Grilled Calamari) — This is another dish I enjoyed. I had never really thought of calamari with tomatoes like this. It worked quite well. My only complaint is the calamari was a touch on the rubbery side.
Sambal Kangkong — This was a very good dish of greenery. Lots of great flavors combined with the fresh crispiness of the greens. If my mum had access to sambal, she might of been able to get me to eat my veggies.
The staff was friendly. While nothing special, the ambiance is nice. The food was consistently good. This is not what I would call a destination or first date restaurant. But if you are shopping at Takashamaya and need a bite to eat, Pepes is certainly a good option.
(btw — as we found out later, it would appear the fish head curry is their signature dish. as it kept passing by on the way to other diners, it looked pretty impressive.)