IDN: Sentral Restaurant
A splendid array of cold appetiser items!
When I had the time to go back to Jakarta, Indonesia a few weeks ago, the ritual of going to Bakmi GM was done as usual. However, not only that, I also took the chance to bring my family to Sentral Restaurant, one of the restaurants which has forever evoked childhood memories within me. Founded in 1979, it has stood the test of time, and is popular among many.
When I had the time to go back to Jakarta, Indonesia a few weeks ago, the ritual of going to Bakmi GM was done as usual. However, not only that, I also took the chance to bring my family to Sentral Restaurant, one of the restaurants which has forever evoked childhood memories within me. Founded in 1979, it has stood the test of time, and is popular among many.
The last time I'd visited the restaurant was definitely more than 5 years ago. Frankly speaking, it was a belated Mother's Day treat. On a sidenote, the weakening of Indonesian rupiah has indeed made everything much cheaper than ever.
Thank you for everything thus far, mom! I love you! Alright, without further ado, let's zoom in on the dishes we had!
Selada Dingin (Small) Rp 100,000 (~S$10.70)
Taste: 8.5/10
The literally cold appetiser platter is always one of the main draws of the restaurant. Boy, I had been craving for it since ages ago. I truly enjoyed the succulent shrimps with mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk dressing, the wonderfully pungent century eggs, as well as the cleanly cut char siew (Chinese BBQ pork). The chicken and beef could be more succulent, while the jellyfish could be packed with more flavours.
Kingto Paikut (Small) Rp 80,000 (~S$8.55)
Taste: 8/10
Some people consider the sweet and sour pork ribs to be the winner of the menu. While I've always enjoyed the dish myself, the ribs were so sweet that it'd be unwise to eat them without plain rice. Still, the meat was of high quality, having a crispy outside while still retaining its juice.
Lindung Fumak (Small) Rp 50,000 (~S$5.35)
Taste: 8/10
My sister's favourite dish (well, mine too; wait, is there anything that isn't my favourite?) was savoury, but just slightly too salty. The vegetable affectionately known as fumak in Indonesia (I've got no idea what's the English name) was addictively crunchy, coupled with fried eel which was crunchy and yummy.
Baby Kailan Cah Bawang Putih (Small) Rp 45,000 (~S$4.80)
Taste: 8.5/10
A balance of flavours was found in the simple, homely vegetable dish stir-fried with garlic. The baby kailan (Chinese broccoli) was fresh with its quintessential slightly bitter taste, and overall, the dish wasn't too greasy.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 8.5/10
Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Overall: 8.5/10
I can recall the days when I used to go to the restaurant to attend wedding parties. Being a glutton, I took lots and lots of their awesome sweet and sour fish for myself. Haha... Pika's advice: For our Muslim friends, you may want to check out their branch in South Jakarta which serve Halal dishes.
Sentral Restaurant
Jalan Tomang Raya No. 29
Jakarta
Indonesia
(Opening hours unknown - Anyone knows?)
*Prices quoted are subject to 10% VAT.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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