Must Try Signature Minang Dishes @ Natrabu Xpress, Putrajaya
Natrabu Xpress
G66, 12012, Nadi 15, Jalan Perak P15
Presint 15, 62000 WP Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tel : 6010-378 1343 (Putrajaya)
FB : Natrabu Minang Restaurant (Malaysia)
Business Hours :
Mon – Sun 12 noon – 10 pm (last call 9:30 pm)
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Thanks to the wonderful invitation, I recently went to Natrabu Xpress for their grand launch of Putrajaya outlet around the area of Presint 15.
Natrabu is a Minang Restaurant founded by Haji Rahimi Sutan in 1958 in Jakarta as a travel agency. Natrabu is an abbreviation from National Travel Bureau. Started small with 5 tables that can only accommodate 20 guests, Natrabu opened its door to serve Minang cuisine in the centre of Jakarta in July 1967.
Famous for their signatures like Rendang Daging, Dendeng Balado, and many other Minang or Padang delicacies, each hearty creation come with its own distinctive taste. The outlet interior of Natrabu Minang Restaurant is adorned with Minang songket fabrics, full-on wedding decoration, as well as complete with the bride and groom mannequins wearing traditional Minang wedding attire.
Perkadel (RM3), also known as potato croquettes, is one of the most popular street foods in Indonesia that uses firm mashed potatoes as base and mixed in other ingredients of your preference.
Taste the delicious Minang cuisine with their Ayam Gulai (RM25 for 2 pieces), a yellow curry chicken cooked with authentic bumbu kuning and coconut milk, one of my favourite dishes at Natrabu Xpress. Bumbu Kuning also means yellow spices, a mixture of different spices seasoning created by the chef.
You definitely do not want to miss out this specialty at Natrabu Xpress, Dendeng Balado Cabe Merah Kering (RM8), deep fried beef tenderloin marinated in coconut water with shallots, garlic, and coconut oil. Served with ground red chillies, I can’t get enough with its thin super crisp texture and addictive spicy taste.
Feast on masterfully cooked authentic Minang delights, this Rendang Daging Beef (RM18 for 3 pieces) that features soft tender beef knuckle was stewed in coconut milk for 8 hours long until all the flavours out.
For seafood eaters, you can opt for Udang Kentang Pete Balado (RM15) at Natrabu Xpress, where the pan fried prawns were served with cube potatoes, petai and ground red chilli sauce. I like it a lot, such an appetizing dish to eat with a plate of warm white rice (RM3), which comes together with crackers and fragrant fried shallots.
No doubt, this Ayam Goreng Rempah (RM23 for 2 pieces) was the crowd favourite during our lunch at Natrabu Xpress. Be it adult or kid, no one can resist this traditional aromatic deep fried chicken. Juicy on the inside and crispy on outside, it is just nicely done to my liking.
A common dish served in many restaurants, this Sayur Daun Singkong (RM6), steamed cassava leaves (daun pucuk ubi) with creamy yellow curry was everyone favourite too in traditional Minang cuisine.
There are 8 Natrabu restaurants, in addition to 3 in Malaysia. Besides Nadi 15 Putrajaya outlet, you can also visit their other branches at Jalan Maarof Bangsar (603-2201 4498) and Jalan Kuching EcoSky (603-6242 2420).
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More photos at FOOD Malaysia facebook page, a Malaysian food and lifestyle blogger since 2010