Tenda - Haymarket, Sydney

A new-ish Indonesian restaurant just a teeny tiny bit outside Chinatown (I honestly have no clear idea of the exact boundaries of Sydney's Chinatown - as far as I'm concerned the whole Sydney City CBD is in fact, Chinatown) LOL. Anyway, I really think that the term "Chinatown" should be gradually phased out and changed into "Asiantown". It's kind of unfair to call them all Chinese since there are so many Asian ethnicities in Chinatowns...LOL

Any new Indonesian restaurants in the City should be warmly welcomed, IMO. Most Indonesian restaurants in Sydney are concentrated in the Randwick-Kingsford-Kensington-Maroubra area (also known as the Indonesian Colony or Indonesiatown). Kind of make sense, really, since most Indonesians live in those 4 suburbs in Sydney. However, for us City / downtown kids (what the...how corny and ostentatious) it's such a hassle if we have to travel 30 minutes just to grab a bite of ridiculously overpriced, somewhat fake-tasting Tempe (soybean cake). Note: Tempe in Sydney costs a whopping 15 - 20 times more expensive than in Jakarta.

Gado-Gado
Steamed vegetable salad with peanut sauce dressing

-> Words cannot describe how BAD this Gado-Gado is. I'm really sorry, but even I can make a much better Gado-Gado. Heck, even my servant in Jakarta (who's notoriously bad at cooking) makes a better Gado-Gado. To make things worse, this dish costs 9 bucks. Oh well, I guess rent in the City is expensive.
BTW, this is a Gado-Gado Siram (a type of Gado-Gado in which steamed vegetables are arranged on a plate, then splashed / covered with dressing) as opposed to the IMO superior Gado-Gado Ulek (the whole dish, including the sauce, is prepared on a large stone mortar and the sauce is made from fresh peanut & herbs / ingredients ground with a pestle)

Rating: 2/10

Mie Ayam
Indonesian Chicken Noodle

-> A quintessential Chinese-Indonesian dish. The original fusion food that preceded any fusion Indonesian food. Whatever. Served with a tiny bowl of bakso (meatball) soup. Funny thing: on the menu, this dish is described as "Indonesian Ramen". What the?? Well, even though it's TECHNICALLY correct, I don't think they should use that description. Kind of SAD, really - Indonesian food is so unpopular in Sydney they have to use that sort of description to attract customers.

Rating: 7/10

Bakso & Pangsit Goreng
Fried meatballs & fried wontons

-> Comes with the noodle set. My foreign friend was so reluctant to try the meatball thing because it resembles nothing he's ever eaten before.

Rating: 6/10

Sate Ayam, Sate Sapi, Sate Kambing
Assorted satay (chicken, beef, lamb)

-> Ah, finally a decent dish. Averaging at around $1.70 per stick, I STILL think it's a tad pricey (sizes are small-ish). But it's good nevertheless. I especially like the lamb satay - I almost NEVER eat lamb in Indonesia because for some people...Indonesian lambs can be very strong in aroma (or should I say odor). That's why some Indonesians consider lamb as 'dirty' meat.

Anyway, that's not the main point. The main point is, Australian lamb comes from those cute fluffy and not-so-odorous-depending-on-the-situation SHEEP. Indonesian lamb comes from those skinny, dirty, catastrophically-odorous GOATS. Sheep's meat tend to be more tender and less odorous than goat's meat. Also, Indonesian goats have bad image compared to Australian sheep, and let me explain why. You see, the only chance you can see a live goat in Jakarta is around the Eid-al-Adha, which is an important festival in the Muslim calendar. During this celebration, people would buy a hewan qurban, which are live animals for offering, usually goats (for the middle-class people) and cows (for the moneyed). These livestocks are displayed on various spots in the city, usually near market complexes or open fields transformed into makeshift livestock display areas. Every Eid-al-Adha, whenever I'm driving around the suburbs passing at those poor goats waiting for sembelih (to be slaughtered), I can't help but feel terribly sorry for them. I can't bear looking at those melancholic eyes, and looking at their skinny bodies, it's not like they've had a GREAT life, they should just die naturally, I reckon.
Whereas in Australia, the only chance I get to see live sheep is at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, a festival in which farmers from around Australia compete to show their fattest, greatest, cutest, plumpest, stoutest, most beautiful and prized livestocks. Looking at those cute, fat, smiling sheep makes me feel hungry. They've had a great life. It's okay to eat them.

Rating: 7.5/10

Ikan Goreng
Fried fish

-> Someone please ID this fish...this...overpriced tiny fish. It tastes okay, but look at that face! So annoying...

Rating: 6/10

3 Mama Chef's - Haymarket, Sydney

Thai-Style Chicken Satay

-> I can't remember the last time I ate Thai satay (or any other non-Indonesian satays from Southeast Asia because my patriotic pride insists that peanut sauced satay is originally from Indonesia, other countries just COPY), but it's nice to have other Southeast Asian satay for a change. Actually, Thai satay is quite good - unlike other Southeast Asian satays. Of course, Indonesia is still in my opinion THE place to eat satay - we've got tons of regional varieties of satay within the country - my favorites being: Sate Padang (Spicy curry-sauced ox tongue satay, Minangkabau-style - from West Sumatra), Sate Lilit (minced pork / beef satay from Bali), and traditional, national-style Javanese satay (the usual one with peanut sauce).

Rating: 6.5/10

Chicken Pad Krapao

-> Yummy. Highly addictive. It's not hot enough for my tongue, though. Actually, I was addicted to Pad Krapao a few years ago (I eat it almost 2 - 3 times a week!), but then I got sick of it, and now, my addiction has reached a plateau (stabilizing - only one or two occasions of craving per month)

Rating: 7/10

Anyway, this newly-opened restaurant on Pitt street is quite good - selections are broad, service is friendly. Will definitely come back for lunch or late dinners.

Urban Kitchen - Senayan City, Jakarta

Urban Kitchen is rapidly becoming my favorite foodhall in Jakarta. Meanwhile, silly tourists are put-off by the food, which according to them, is too 'sterile' and obtainable in street peddlars at a price which is 10 times cheaper.

All I can say is - screw them. Contrary to popular belief, not all street food trumps restaurant food in Indonesia. Urban kitchen rocks.



Nasi Bali
-> A cornucopia of tumeric rice served with balinese satay, shredded balinese chicken, eggs, empal, vegetable relish, and rempeyek (peanut cracker)




Sate Ayam Jogja
-> Yogyakarta-style chicken satay, served with lontong (rice cakes)

Bogor Permai Restaurant - Bogor

It's true what is printed on the menu cover - "Terkenal di bogor sejak 1963" (Famous in Bogor since 1963).
Bogor is a small city an hour drive away from Jakarta. It's been on the media spotlight recently because George W. Bush met Indonesia's President Yudhoyono over there some time ago.

Anyway, this restaurant is famous because they still cook the dish EXACTLY the same way as they did 34 years ago. So, for an authentic Chinese-Indonesian / Indonesian Peranakan dish, this is one of THE places to be.







Fu yung hai (egg foo-young)

Rating: 9.5/10
Verdict: I'm not sure if this legendary Chinese-Indonesian dish is similar to its U.S. counterpart, but I can safely say that Bogor Permai's egg foo-young is one of the best in the country.



Cap cay (stir-fried vegetables with chicken)

Probably the most famous Chinese-Indonesian dish ever. Actually, the word "cap cay" means "ten vegetables", because back in the 1800's, when the dish was created, ten kinds of vegetables were used to make this dish. Nowadays, it's usually only 4 - 5 kinds of vegetables mixed with chicken slices, prawns, and sliced meatballs / fishballs.

Rating: 7/10
Verdict: What one should look for in a good cap cay is the 'kuali' smell (literally, wok smell). This is acheived when solid steel wok and very hot, big fire is used to cook the cap cay. As a result, the cap cay (or any stir-fried food) will have a distinctive pleasant aroma to it. This one isn't quite so.



Mi goreng (fried noodles)

Rating: 7/10
Verdict: Not bad. However, they tend to overdo with the fillings. The whole point of eating mi goreng is to eat the noodle, not the fillings.



Sate Ayam Ponorogo

Chicken satay, Ponorogo-style. Ponorogo is a region in West Java. The main difference between Ponorogo-style chicken satay and the common satay variety is the addition of freshly squeezed kaffir lime juice, among others.

Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: This is very old-school. My dad said that Bogor Permai's Sate Ayam Ponorogo is as good as the old-time stuff back in the colonial era.



Lumpia Shanghai ("Shanghai" egg rolls)

This common Chinese-Indonesian dish does not originate from Shanghai per se, and I have no idea why it is called "Shanghai" egg rolls. Some people even say that it was actually the Filipinos who brought this dish to Indonesia. I find that hard to believe, since if that's the case, they should call it "Lumpia Manila". Haha!

Rating: 5/10
Verdict: Too salty. And the presentation isn't good, either.



Bogor Permai is also famous for its bakery & sweets shop. You can find any type of West Javanese sweets and desserts imaginable in this shop.



Asinan Bogor
-> Bogor's specialty food. It's basically mixed raw fruit slices in hot, sweet & sour syrup. Usually eaten with a huge cracker.



Telor Asin (salted duck eggs)



Peupeut (pronounced 'puh-pert')
-> A traditional Bogor desert made of rice



Bacang (sticky rice dumpling stuffed with minced pork)



Some unknown sweets



blablabla cakes (I have no idea what this is, either)



No idea what this one is, either. Well, the label says "jasmine", but I doubt that's what it is.



Some weird colorful rolled pancake thingies



Ah-ha! Finally, something I know. This is an Asinan Jambu, sliced raw guava in hot, sweet & sour syrup.

Ayam Bulungan - Blok M, Jakarta

Ayam Bulungan is one of those legendary restaurants in Jakarta. I don't think anyone hasn't heard of it yet, let alone tried it. They serve Javanese food.
The restaurant has been one of my family's favorites since...well...before I was born.




Recently refurbished interior. Javanese fusion swank.



The restaurant's raison d'etre, the Ayam Panggang Bulungan.
(Roast free-range chicken, Bulungan-style)

Rating: 8/10
Verdict: As with most Javanese food, it's rather sweet. The flesh is so tender and the spices fully infused even the bones taste good.



Tahu Telur
(eggs-and-tofu omelette in sweet soy dressing, served with shredded cabbage, bean sprouts and roasted peanut sprinkles on the top)

Rating: 8.5/10
Verdict: A typical Javanese dish, the eggs are purposely slightly-overcooked, so that it complements well with the chewiness of the tofu. The chewy and crunchy texture of the omelette complements well with the freshness and crunchiness of the toppings. An addictive dish.



Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay)

Rating: 6/10
Verdict: Quintessential Javanese dish. Every Indonesians know that the best chicken satays are not found in restaurants, but on the street peddlars, no matter how much the restaurants claim that they serve authentic satay (or how high is the price, as a matter of fact).



Soto Kudus (Kudus-style chicken consomme)

In Indonesia, there are a plethora of Soto (consomme / broth / soup, depends on how you look at it) varieties. Kudus is a name of a city in Central Java, from whence this magnificent consomme is originated. It is very rich in flavor, and slightly thick in consistency due to the fact that it has a high content of koyah (condiment made from ground coconut, which is mixed into the soto.)

Rating: 10/10
Verdict: An exemplary attempt of the Soto Kudus. Everything is perfect and as it's supposed to be. Delightful!



Lalapan (Fresh, cold vegetable crudites, served with chili relish)

Rating: 9.5/10
Verdict: Most restaurants don't really care about this, but it is important that Lalapan is served chilled. This one is impeccable. The relish is delightful, with a hint of terasi (shrimp paste), and it's not too hot (Lalapan is not supposed to be very hot).



Ati Ampela Goreng (Fried chicken liver and gizzards)

In Javanese cuisine, a logical accompaniment to the Ayam Panggang.

Rating: 5/10
Verdict: For some reasons, Ayam Bulungan's ati ampela goreng is declining in quality.



Es Campur Bulungan (Bulungan-style shaved mixed ice)

Rating: 6.5/10
Verdict: One of the weirdest variety of Indonesian shaved ice I've ever encountered. But still delicious, nonetheless. Contents include es coklat kopyor (traditional Indonesian ice cream made of old / matured coconut and chocolate), cincau (grass jelly), nangka (jackfruit), tape (fermented cassava), kelapa muda (young coconut meat), kacang merah (red bean), agar-agar (jelly), cendol (starch noodles made of coconut milk and pandan leaves), buah atap (palm seed fruit), and sprinkled with colorful muisjes cokelat (Dutch-inspired chocolate sprinkles)

Nasi House - Chinatown, Sydney

Nasi Rendang Set

-> Chilli aubergine, Beef Rendang, Chicken Satay, Salad, served with Miso Soup (WTF?)

One of the weirdest combination I've ever encountered. Why miso soup? Well, it's because the place serves Japanese food as well. But the most appaling thing is having to eat Indonesian food with chopsticks (!!)

To my two blog co-writers: Doesn't the plate reminds you of somewhere? Yipes!

To other readers: NO, I don't mean prison.

Sate Ayam Panglima Polim - Jakarta

So far, the best Indonesian-style chicken satay I've ever tasted, period. As you can see, I'm eating this satay INSIDE my car. Why? because Sate Jalan Panglima Polim is not a restaurant, it's basically just a cluster of satay peddlars near a park with lots of parking space. This spot is very popular in Jakarta - the tastiness of the chicken satay is IMHO unrivalled. Very popular among: Out-of-towners, yuppies, rich businessmen in their new S-classes, and upscale college students. However, this place is not very popular among the middle-lower-class as they believe that this place overcharges. I don't care. It's still cheap anyways.

And oh - for those of you who watch Will & Grace, you would know that there's this taco place in NY where all the socialites secretly gather to pig out on some junk food - this place is the exact Jakarta's equivalent to that. There are loads of tai-tais who park their Jaguars here on Friday nights to annonymously pig out on some chicken skin satays. Well, annonymous - so long as no-one recognizes their number plate. I've personally spotted some tai-tais (some are friends of my mom's) whose number plate I recognize, as well as some sunglasses-wearing celebrities.

Hermes-swinging by day, satay-grubbing by night. That's real tai-tai style!

Smith St - Chinatown

Dinner tonight.

Rojak
standard.

Chicken Satay
ok.

Singapore Noodle
too much pepper and the pepper kind of smell.

Carrot Cake
unlike the usual black ones in food courts, this one comes with full-size prawns.