Addictive 50 Cent Goreng Pisang At Hole-In-The-Wall Indian Muslim Eatery At Adelphi

The menu is pretty extensive with affordable prices. You can get a freshly fried plain prata for $1.50 and a plate of mee goreng starts from $5. But the star at the joint, it seems, is their goreng pisang, which is a very wallet-friendly 50 cents. Only available around 3pm, the banana fritters are not listed on the menu, though you can spot pics of it on the wall.   

Customers often queue 30 mins before they’re ready

A regular customer tells 8days.sg that usually patrons — herself included — would start waiting outside the shop from 2.30pm just so they can grab the goreng pisang fresh from the fryer. “It’s very good and only 50 cents. I don’t think you can find it any cheaper, especially in the CBD area,” she says. 

It must have been our lucky day as the shop was relatively quiet when we visited on a weekday. There were only a handful of customers coming to tapow the goreng pisang as it was being cooked. We were told business is generally slower in December as office workers are on leave and travelling. “Plus, it’s been raining non-stop since this morning,” reasons Chennai-born Hidayatulla, 30, one of the cooks at the shop. Well, more piping hot goreng pisang for us.

According to Hidayatulla, on a regular day, the eatery usually makes 400 to 500 goreng pisang on weekdays, which is usually sold out around 6pm. They sell around half the amount on weekends.

Same price for five years

The friendly cook says goreng pisang was only offered at the eatery around five years ago and despite inflation, it has always been sold at 50 cents, “Boss says it’s okay, just keep the same price.” 

There are four other King Umar Prata Hut outlets in Singapore, including two in Hougang and one in Pasir Ris, and goreng pisang is also available there at the same price.

Goreng Pisang, $0.50 for half a piece

The shop uses decent-sized (around 10cm) halved bananas — instead of whole ones — which are lightly coated in a simple rice flour batter. This is so it cooks more thoroughly and gives it more crunch with every bite, says Hidayatulla.

While he isn’t sure what variety of bananas are used, they appear to be pisang kepok, which is flattish, sharply faceted and stubby.

We’re not fans of overly thick, hard and crunchy batter, so we like that the crust here is thin, crisp, and is not too greasy. The pale flesh is creamy and mildly sweet with a slightly tart flavour. Not as gooey and caramelised as we’d like, but at 50 cents, we’re not complaining. We wolfed down three pieces in one sitting. Note that two pieces are equivalent to about one regular goreng pisang.

Vadai, $1 each

Also popular is their plain vadai, a classic Indian fried fritter. Hidayatulla's family runs a street stall in Chennai and they are made with his family's recipe. 

The plain vadai is made the traditional way with urad dal (split black lentils) flavoured with aromatics like onions, green chilli, curry leaves and ginger for at least an hour. Each doughnut-shaped fritter is crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, accented with hints of spices. Very moreish. If you want more kick, add 20 cents for a whole fresh green chilli to eat on the side. Get them first thing in the morning, around 7.30am or just after 3pm, when they are freshly fried.

Teh Tarik, $1.50

We like a frothy teh tarik with a robust tea flavour and the one here hits the spot. It is fragrant, full-bodied with just the right amount of sweet and milky.

King Umar Teh Tarik Cafe is at #01-08, The Adelphi, 1 Coleman St, S179803. Open daily, 7am to 7.30pm. Goreng pisang is also available at King Umar Prata Hut outlets including Blk 435A, Hougang Ave 8, S531435.

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Photos: Pyron Tan