Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-53
Lot 6
Jakarta Selatan
Tel. 5289 7044
This funky SBD nook at the back of Pizza Hut lures those who want authenticity, friendly prices and fringe cool. (This usually means Koreans.) Simple flavours are married to a preternatural dose of fire engine red, and the tatami seating structure that greets you from early on is relaxation incarnate. They certainly don’t scrimp on garlic here—and on this count the jap chae, that charming Korean version of sautéed vermicelli, beef and mixed vegetables, is to die for—while the heavy funk of garlic, sesame oil and doenjang (fermented soybean paste) that accompanies everything from marinated meats to meaty broiled fish keeps everything traditional and true. The bosam kimchi, another receptacle of the said bulb, is a quiet revelation: preserved stuffed cabbage served with chunky chopped garlic and a potent dose of fish sauce.
The wagyu seng galbi, best grilled medium rare over wood chips (sool but), is well-worth the Rp 200,000 dent on your pocket; its marbling so beautiful it appears as blue trellises on the screen of your Nokia E65. The cold mixed noodles (bibim naeng myon), not everybody’s cup of tea, comes slathered in gochujang (red chilli paste) and may be too monolithic and strange a taste to most, but the soups are wonderfully muscular—try the soybean soup (den jang chigae) and anything prepared in homemade sam gae tang (soup of stuffed chicken with marinated ginseng and glutinous rice).
Price range: Around Rp 300,000 - 415,000 for 2
Operating hours: 11:30 – 23:00
Dress code: casual
Atmosphere: funky vernacular
Alcohol: yes
All major credit cards accepted
Reviewed: September 2007
Selain menerbitkan seri Jakarta Good Food Guide yang telah memenangi sejumlah penghargaan, Laksmi Pamuntjak telah menghasilkan dua himpunan puisi, Ellipsis (salah satu buku terpilih harian The Herald UK tahun 2005) dan The Anagram; sebuah karya filosofis tentang manusia, kekerasan dan mitologi, Perang, Langit dan Dua Perempuan; dan sebuah kumpulan cerpen tentang lukisan, The Diary of R.S.: Musings on Art.
