Pondok Selera is one of the many stalls inside the Dixon St Eating World food court.
I had a proper camera with me, but I was too shy to ask for a photo and the perfect seat for a sneaky shot was taken. I had to pretend to fiddle with my camera and took this photo with ninja stealth and precision. Well, a drunk ninja.
The literal translation of “Pondok Selera” is “Appetite Hut”. You do need a big one. When I asked for a combination rice plate I got a heap of rice about the size of a full grown sheep.
Any 3 choices with rice: $7.80. So big I can’t fit the whole thing within the viewfinder. I had – clockwise from left – terung balado (eggplant with chilli sauce), stir fried cabbage with egg and tofu and tempe curry. She will ask if you want some chilli sambal. The only correct answer to this is “yes”. Today’s sambal is made with green chillies – in the picture it’s nestled between the eggplant and the cabbage.
I wasn’t kidding about the portion sizes. I think I had half an eggplant. Below is a side by side comparison of the eggplant and my mobile phone (92 x 48 x 20 mm).
Right, so that picture wasn’t really good for a comparison but the eggplant was big, OK? Just trust me on this.
The food there isn’t going to blow your socks off (except the eggplant, which I would happily eat everyday, greasy bits and all) but it’s homely and unpretentious comfort food at its best. They tend to have items that I don’t see very often as well, like deep fried salted fish. So the next time you’re in the city and feel like some Indonesian food, get your ass down there quick smart. And wear pants with a stretchy waistband.