Kopi (doc Corbis)

BERITA TERKAIT

• Sajian Sambara
• Ah Tuan e'es

Jl. H. Agus Salim (Jl. Sabang) no. 18
Menteng
Jakarta Pusat
Tel. 392 4475

Snug, neighbourly and unassuming, this is vintage Peranakan aesthetics stripped down for the daily crowds; the single square room can take around 20 people at one time, and their breaths hang over the bird cage lamps and other Nonya paraphernalia like family. While its charms abound, it is rather militaristic with the day’s offerings: breakfasts are only served between 7 and 11 am, and the lunch and dinner menus are limited.
Breakfast is carb-driven, cheap and comforting, with a range that includes toast with cheese and jam, toast with corned beef, toast with corned beef and fried eggs and French toast with maple syrup and cinnamon. Don’t immediately trust unfamiliar-sounding names: the roti taloea Boekittinggi (toast with half-boiled scrambled egg and diced tomatoes) is plainer than Jane.
The popular sago ireng—shredded sautéed chicken, serundeng (deep fried crispy shredded coconut) and industrial-strength sambal over aromatic rice blackened with keluak (the seed of the kepayang tree) served in banana leaf—is no culinary event either, save for the exceptionally good sambal. Better go for the no-brainer boeboer ajam Benteng (Benteng-style chicken congee): the chives give off a lovely tang and you can ask for more cakwe (light and airy fritters of twisty dough) for added crunch.
The conciseness also pays off with the lunch items: well-marinated chicken redolent of cilantro forms the backbone of the sate Ponorogo, which visually looks like sate Padang, with a similar gelatinous smoothness minus the curry taste.
The same penchant for corn flour gooeyness (after all we’re in Baba territory) is in their choice of gado-gado. It is Bon-Bin, the beloved style associated with the fabled gado-gado place on Jalan Kebon Binatang (Bon-Bin) III (now Jl. Cikini IV), with the same sweet, downy peanut sauce texture (though it’s 7,000 rupiah more expensive than at the source). Not everyone’s cup of tea, I agree, but when it’s good it really hits the mark.
The lontong cap gomeh, a real Baba staple of rice cakes in spicy coconut milk loaded down with bean curd, egg, boiled chicken and spicy French bean curry is delightfully light—quite brilliant.
Dinner adds lamb fried rice, fried rice with stink beans, fried rice with tripe and panini with roast beef and mozzarella cheese (known efficiently as “Roti Bakar Italia” or Italian-style toast) to the lunch menu. Coffee includes Javanese unfiltered coffee, filtered Aceh coffee alias Kopi O, filtered coffee served with beaten raw egg otherwise known as kopi taloea Boekittinggi and traditional Vietnamese coffee with sweet condensed milk referred to as—what else?—kopi soesoe Indotjina. For a mood lift, try the wedang oewoeh, a hot ginger drink rich with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, the essence of secang wood and sugar.

Price range: Around Rp 60,000 for 2
Operating hours: 07:00 – 21:00 (Mon – Fri);
08:00 – 22:00 (weekends, public holidays)
Dress code: casual
Atmosphere: neighbourhood Peranakan
Alcohol: N/A
Cash only
Reviewed: April 2009