Dancing Fish Signature: Tahu Telur, Jungle Fern & From KL Malay-Indo Restaurant’s First SG Outlet At TANGS

If you enjoy the fragrant spices and rich flavours of Indonesian cuisine, then here’s a new restaurant you simply have to check out.

Dancing Fish Signature is an award-winning Malay-Indo restaurant from Kuala Lumpur with mildly spicy dishes to set your palates tingling.

The airy and modern interior wasn’t what I expected of an Indonesian restaurant, but it definitely added to the elegant atmosphere. The natural lighting also made it more conducive for those Instagram snaps!

Recently opened in TANGS @ Tang Plaza, this restaurant has received numerous accolades – and for good reason, as we would soon find out.

We started off with the Chicken Satay (S$12), which came with four skewers of chicken thigh meat chunks, a generous amount of satay sauce and artfully placed cucumber slices.

Meaty and juicy, the chicken chunks had just the right amount of smoky flavour which went well with the slightly spicy marinade. At Dancing Fish Signature, they only use chicken thigh meat for the satay dish, which meant that each bite was succulent and bursting with flavour.

If you’re looking for a meaty treat on the gamey side, the Buntut Belado Enak (S$36), or beef oxtail, is a good choice. Lightly charred and crispy on the outside, each bite was full of smoky and sweet flavour.

The secret to these tender meaty morsels? The oxtail chunks are braised before grilling, to retain that soft texture with fats that simply melted in my mouth. I recommend trying the dish with the chilli, for that pleasant kick that elevates the dish.

Another starter for sharing is the Cumi-Cumi Bakar (S$15), which came with a sweet and spicy marinade. Seafood lovers will enjoy the fresh and chewy calamari pieces! It’s a jaw workout, and each bite was full of bouncy seafood goodness.

One of my personal favourites was the Tahu Telur (S$12), a tower of fluffy bean curd cubes fried to golden-brown perfection. The huge portion makes it perfect for sharing, and I couldn’t get enough of the egg floss!

I loved how the outer layer was superbly crispy, but biting into it revealed a soft tofu bean curd centre. You’ll definitely want to zhng each mouthful by drizzling the sweet sauce that came with the dish.

Of course, I also really loved the star of the show: the Dancing Fish (S$38). The whole Ikan Nila, fried in a dynamic pose, came with an option of different dipping sauces and sides (Mango Kerabu, Belimbing Salad, Sambal Dabu-Dabu, Sambal Cobek Merah).

Psst, from 15 October 2018 onwards, you can enjoy even more sauces (Asam Kedondong Pedas, Gulai Tempoyak, Sambal Taucu Pedas) with this dish!

Aside from the bony spine in the middle, the rest of the fish can be eaten. Of course, you’ll still need to watch out for the smaller fish bones.

I really enjoyed the flaky texture and the firm bite. I could easily cut the fish with my fork, and each bite was flavourful and soft. The crispy skin and fins also added a contrast in texture!

If you prefer something meatier, the Bebek Goreng Bali (S$26) is the dish for you. Like the beef oxtail, the duck is also braised and marinated for 24 hours.

This infused the lemongrass and turmeric flavours into the meat, so that each bite was deeply flavourful. You can choose from three sauces: Sambal Merah, Chilli Vinaigrette or Sambal Hijau.

Don’t forget to get your daily dose of greens! Drenched in yellow curry, the Gulai Pucuk Paku (S$13) is one veggie dish I’m sure most will enjoy. This dish isn’t commonly found in most Indonesian restaurants in Singapore, as the jungle fern isn’t found here. Moreover, only the young shoots are used for this dish. Talk about effort!

The best way to enjoy this mound of fragrant ferns is to pour the curry over a mix of turmeric rice and white rice, then chomp on the ferns and rice together. The fluffy rice and springy strands of fern went really well together. Mmm, who knew veggies could taste so good?

We had to end our meal with a dessert, so we tried the Sweet Potato With Coconut Scrappings, Palm Sugar & Vanilla Ice Cream (S$10). The first thing I noticed was how Insta-worthy this dessert was! The vibrant purple hues and the flowers looked so lovely. The flowers are edible, though we were the first to actually munch on those pretty blooms.

I thought the purple sweet potato was oddly mushy. It turns out that Dancing Fish Signature actually mashed the sweet potato first, before reconstructing it into its original shape! The contrast in textures and temperature from the soft sweet potato, coconut shavings and vanilla ice cream created a balanced and sweet ending to a hearty meal.

So if you find yourself craving Indonesian food, head over to Dancing Fish Signature in Tang Plaza for really authentic cuisine.