Foodie of The Month – Good Indonesian Food

The Novelist’s Top 5 Culinary Destinations

Dwi Retno Kusumawardhani — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 06:00:18 +0000

Ika Natassa is an on-the-up author who has penned quite a few renowned novels including A Very Yuppy Wedding (2007), Divortiare (2008), Underground (2010), Antologi Rasa (2011), Twivortiare (2012), Twivortiare 2 (2014), and Critical Eleven (2015). Among her masterpieces, Antologi Rasa and Critical Eleven are set to be adapted to the big screen.

In her works, Ika tends to insert names of real-life local dining establishments in order to arouse her readers’ curiosity and make them head over to their favourite characters’ stamping ground to try the food there. The following, however, are the five establishments that are closest to her heart and tummy.

1. Restoran Miramar (Medan)
Top of my list of best-loved Indonesian restaurants, it serves Minang-Malay cuisine and my favourite dishes here are Ayam Bakar (grilled chicken) and Ikan Gurame Bakar Bumbu Miramar (grilled gourami with special Miramar seasoning).

Jalan Pemuda No. 11 ABC, A U R,
Medan Maimun, Kota Medan, North Sumatra
Open daily from 10am-9pm

2. Restoran Marco Padang Grill
This is my preferred place to dine in whenever I’m in Jakarta because the food here suits my taste buds to a T. I always go for its Nasi Sayo, which is a rice set with curry, Serundeng (spicy fried coconut flakes), Rendang sauce, Sayur Lodeh (vegetable in coconut milk soup), crackers, and sambal. I always ask for a piece of its savoury Ayam Goreng Kering (deep-fried chicken) and extra crackers to add to my meal.

Plaza Indonesia, Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 28-30,
Central Jakarta
T: 021 2992 4290
Open daily from 10am-10pm

3. Batagor Kingsley
Never have I visited Bandung without stopping by at this joint. It serves the best Batagor (fried fish dumplings in peanut sauce) and Siomay (steamed fish dumplings and vegetables in peanut sauce) ever, despite its limited menu consisting of just the two aforementioned dishes.

Jl. Veteran No. 25,
Bandung
Tel: 022 420 7104
Open daily from 8am-8pm

4. Ketoprak Ciragil
My first encounter with Ketoprak Ciragil was when I was still working at an office in SCBD. I fell in love with its Ketoprak (rice cake, rice vermicelli, vegetables and tofu in peanut sauce) instantly. I always ask for a Telur Dadar (omelette) to be thrown in to my order. My deep fondness for this simple-yet-heavenly dish has led to me including it in a scene for my novel Critical Eleven.

Jl. Ciragil II, Block Q, No. 24,
Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
T: 0856 6515 6117
Open daily from 9am-5.30pm

5. Cafeteria Rumah Sakit Pondok Indah
I know this may sound unusual, but yes, a hospital’s cafeteria has made it on to my list of dearest eateries. Almost every menu item at this place is delightful, and I always make time to drop by for a meal if I have to see a doctor at Rumah Sakit Pondok Indah. I have so many favourites here – from its popular Bacang (glutinous rice with filling wrapped with bamboo leaf) and heavenly Nasi Uduk Komplit (steamed rice cooked in coconut milk) with Sambal Kacang (peanut sambal) and Ayam Goreng (fried chicken) to the many nibbles that are available at the joint, including its pastel and panada.

Jalan Metro Duta, Kav. UE,
Pondok Indah, South Jakarta
T: 021 765 7525
Open daily from 7am-10pm

You also can read the article on The Jakarta Post: Ika Natassa and Her Five Favorite Eateries.

The post The Novelist’s Top 5 Culinary Destinations appeared first on Good Indonesian Food.

A Storyteller’s Favourite Food

Dwi Retno Kusumawardhani — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 05:00:25 +0000

The name Salman Aristo would surely ring a bell for local film enthusiasts. The much-celebrated scriptwriter was born on April 13, 1976 and has been responsible for writing some of the finest Indonesian film scripts known to mankind, including “Ayat-Ayat Cinta”, “Laskar Pelangi”, “Garuda Di Dadaku” and “Sang Penari”. During times when his occupation requires him to shoot a film on foreign soil, the Piala Citra-winning storyteller would always be longing for the five following delicacies that he could only find back home in Indonesia:

Nasi Goreng Taman Menteng
Both its taste and seasoning are perfect for my palate. Furthermore, the tricky part in cooking a good serving of fried rice is to ensure that the rice is neither too mushy nor too stiff – and this is what they excel at here. My favourite fried rice ever.

Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto,
Menteng, Central Jakarta

Gado-Gado dan Ketoprak Ciragil
I love Gado-Gado (mixed vegetables in peanut sauce), and to me, the best Gado-Gado in town is Gado-Gado Ciragil – simply because they add Telur Asin (salted egg) into their concoction. It lends something pleasantly different to the proceedings. I am also a big fan of its Ketoprak (vermicelli and tofu salad).

Jl. Ciragil II, Blok Q, No. 24,
Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
T: 0858 6515 6117
Open daily from 9am-5.30pm

Gulai Kepala Kakap Rumah Makan Medan Baru
There’s only one word to describe this dish: insane. I immediately fell in love with Rumah Makan Medan Baru’s Gulai Kepala Kakap (snapper head curry) from the first time I tried it. It has two branches – one in Pluit and the other in Pasar Baru – but its flagship shop is in Krekot Bunder.

Jl. Krekot Bunder No. 65, Pasar Baru,
Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta
T: 021 385 8992
Open daily from 9am-9pm

Batagor Pasar Dago
It’s a no-brainer that I would have to gobble down on some Batagor (fried fish dumplings with tofu) whenever I find myself in Bandung. There are quite a few excellent joints that offer Batagor in the City of Flowers – most notably Batagor Riri. For me, however, I’d rather go for the Batagor at Pasar Dago.

Jl. Ir. H.Djuanda No. 218, Lebakgede,
Coblong, Bandung
T: 022 250 4827
Open daily from 8am-10pm

Pempek Megaria
I’m crazy about Pempek (fried fishcake) and my Pempek place of choice is Pempek Megaria, which is located right next to Metropole XXI in Cikini. I’ve also got another fave Pempek eatery over in Palembang but I forgot its name. Whenever I go there, I’d always treat myself to a takeaway and bring it home.

Komplek Bioskop Metropole XXI,
Jl. Pegangsaan Timur No. 21,
Cikini, Central Jakarta
T: 021 3192 2249
Open daily from 11am-9pm

The post A Storyteller’s Favourite Food appeared first on Good Indonesian Food.

Listen to The Radio

Fari Febrian — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 05:00:26 +0000

If you’ve ever tuned in to 101 Jak FM during a weekday between 10am to 1pm, then the smooth velvety voice that you’ve been listening to is Ricky Rahim Putra’s – a radio announcer extraordinaire who’s been entertaining sad folks stuck in traffic since 2012. Born in Medan but of Padang descent, Ricky has been living in Jakarta since he was a toddler. Besides his love for action figures, he’s also a big fan of any dish that contains chicken. He took some time off from his busy schedule to dish out his favourite Indonesian delicacies.

Five favourite Indonesian dishes and where to find them

Bakso Jawir
With several outlets stationed across the city, I would usually pay a visit to the one in Srengseng, Kebon Jeruk. Its juicy Bakso is just irresistible, while the hot sambal that comes with it is very distinctive in taste.

Bubur Ayam Barito
A favourite of many, the chicken porridge here is served with cheese sticks, which makes it stand out from the crowd. I also love the fact that they throw in a considerable amount of chicken meat slices into the porridge.

Sate Padang Ajo Ramon
I probably won’t be alone in saying that this joint serves the best Sate Padang (beef satay with coconut milk gravy) in town. Whether its beef, cow’s tongue or cow’s intestine, everything that they offer tastes like perfection. Its dense gravy is just as heavenly. The other reason why I frequently eat at its warung at Pasar Santa is the lovely ladies who would linger around the area (laughs)

Bakmi Tropic
An eatery that sits in between a string of shops in Pasar Baru, the word on the street is that Bakmi Tropic has been around for 50 years now; and it still looks the same inside out. Its delectable Mie Yamin (dry noodles), along with its vintage ambience, is a delight to devour and behold.

Nasi Kebuli Apjay
This place is an affordable yet tasty alternative for those who wish to hang out in Panglima Polim. Its Nasi Kebuli (spicy steamed rice with mutton broth) is well seasoned and very enjoyable. It’s one of my favourite spots to meet up with mates and have a satisfying meal.

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A Labour of Love

Fari Febrian — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 05:00:05 +0000

She has dedicated 36 years of her life to preserve and promote Indonesian cuisine. Now the executive chef of Palalada and Waroeng Kopi – both situated inside Alun-Alun in Grand Indonesia Shopping Town – Widyastuti Hadisoemarto has the perfect platforms to continue her quest. Her passion for the culinary world began when she was 25 years of age while studying in the Netherlands. “My father was running a restaurant before I went to the Netherlands, so growing up in such an environment pretty much catalysed my love for Indonesian food – and then I ended up becoming a chef because of it,” she says.
Her time in the Lowlands as she pursued a degree in management did not prevent her from learning how to cook even further. “Living far from home is not a walk in the park; that I learnt while I was abroad. To survive financially, I decided to take my penchant for cooking to a professional level,” she describes, while explaining that she would spend long hours in the kitchen coming up with various delicious dishes.
Around eight years ago, Widyastuti – along with her associates – founded Waroeng Kopi and Palalada, and she took up the executive chef position. “Waroeng Kopi offers à la carte dishes such as Nasi Goreng and Soto Betawi, while Palalada focuses more on providing a comfortable eatery for people to share a wide range of healthy and home-made Indonesian delights with their friends or family.” She continues, “The main aim for both joints is simply to elevate the level of appreciation that the general public have on Indonesian food.”

Three Favourite Indonesian Dishes and Where to Find Them

Bakmi Boy
Its Bakmi Bakso (noodles with meatballs) is so tasty – I love it. I was a regular customer to this shop when I was a kid, but not anymore as they’re not exactly healthy for me.

Sop Kaki Kambing Kendal
My all-time favourite spot for some Sop Kaki Kambing (lamb’s feet soup) before it shut up shop for good. If I’m not mistaken, it was located somewhere along Jalan Kendal in Menteng.

Nasi Goreng Kambing Kebon Sirih
You probably have heard of its renowned signature Nasi Goreng Kambing (mutton fried rice) before. I have such a fondness for Nasi Goreng Kambing and it’s the reason why I opted to include a healthier and more hygienic version of it on Palalada’s menu.

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