IDN: Kafe Betawi
Fermented cassava - it'd been a while!
Service: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
How many of you enjoy sampling street food out there? However, it can sometimes be a struggle of whether to try or not, especially if you've got a weak stomach. Kafe Betawi in Indonesia, having quite a number of branches in Jakarta and elsewhere, brings together the diverse street food and main dishes in a restaurant setting that you can try without worrying too much about hygiene.
I visited the branch at Grand Indonesia, a huge shopping mall in the heart of Jakarta's CBD.
Tahu Gejrot Rp 28,000 (~S$2.75)
Taste: 8/10
For a start, I had a light dish, which hailed from Cirebon, a port city in West Java, that I hadn't eaten for ages. I love the airy fried beancurd that had absorbed much of the sauce made of palm sugar and vinegar mixed with some raw shallots and cabe rawit (lit. bird's eye chili). Overall, the dish had a nice balance of the sweet, the sour and the spicy.
Nasi Ulam Komplit Rp 55,000 (~S$5.40)
Taste: 7/10
Served at Kafe Betawi is the dry version of the rice dish originating from the southern part of Jakarta. Topped with finely chopped peanuts, the rice came with stir-fried vermicelli, sweet beef jerky, cucumbers, lemon basil leaves and emping melinjo, crackers made of a kind of beans native to Indonesia with a slightly bitter taste. It wasn't too shabby, but certainly not the best I've ever had. There was also a bowl of beancurd and potatoes cooked in kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) gravy and a small serving of spicy peanut sauce that was tasty.
Lontong Cap Gomeh Rp 65,000 (~S$6.40)
Taste: 7.5/10
It's a Chinese Indonesian take on traditional Javanese dish of rice cakes in coconut milk-based gravy, which is a must-have usually eaten on the Lantern Festival annually. As seen above, the rice cakes came with chicken, vegetables, half an egg and a prawn cracker at the restaurant. The dish tasted pretty good, though not as rich as expected.
Tape Bakar Rp 30,000 (~S$2.95)
Taste: 8/10
Have you ever tried tape singkong (Indonesian fermented cassava) before? To end the dinner, I had those that were toasted well and topped with some sweet condensed milk, grated cheese and chocolate rice. Each piece was quite delectably soft and alcoholic with sweet and savoury flavours lent by the toppings.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7.5/10
Ambience: 8/10Service: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
At the point of writing, there are two branches in the island of Bali. Pika's advice: I didn't order this, but if you're not a local and would like to try a pretty unique sweet snack, you may want to try Kue Rangi. Priced at Rp 28,000 (~S$2.75) at the restaurant, the local snack is often described as Indonesian coconut waffle.
Kafe Betawi
Jalan MH. Thamrin No. 1
Grand Indonesia East Mall #LG-08
Jakarta
Indonesia
(Daily: 10.00am - 10.00pm)
*Prices quoted are subject to 10% VAT.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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