THE
GRILL ISSUE INSIDE
MAY15 | volume 2, Issue 05 Rp. 55,000 | S$ 8.00
Beer-B-Q Poolside Barbecue Calling All Satay Lovers The Best Pork Ribs
Be Naturally Beautiful “Being happy, healthy and beautiful is easy with Éternel Concept’s lifestyle treatments.” - Ina Thomas
É TERNEL CONCEP T Jalan Gunawarman No.16, 2nd floor Kebayoran Baru - Jakarta Selatan 021.722.9502 | 0821.1060.3082 info@eternelconcept.com
P U B L I S H E R ’ S N OT E
Publisher (TA)
The
Grill Issue
Saturdays were always grill days at our household. Mom would ask me to tag along on her weekly market run, mainly to carry her big shopping basket. On her list would always be strips of pork belly, milkfish and red snapper. Once home, I was charge with prepping the veggies and starting the grill. Definitely we would have grilled liempo, pork belly, marinated in salt and pepper, kalamansi and some Sprite! Placed on the hot grill, I loved the smell of the fat rendering over the hot charcoal. Sometimes we would have grilled milkfish, the monger would carefully slice the backs of the fish to create a cavity, in it went chopped tomatoes and onions, some salt and kalamansi. These would be wrapped in foil and put on the grill. Another must have would be the dipping sauces: white vinegar with lots of garlic and a dash of salt for the pork and soy sauce with more kalamansi for the fish. All these eaten with piping hot steamed rice. Just writing this now (at 1am) is making me salivate uncontrollably. Thus it is with great delight that we present The Grill Issue! Now this issue is packed, and I mean it. We have a list of the best barbecued pork ribs in Foodie’s List, to begin with. Then we have a pool side seafood grill organized by Chef Alex Ensor or Alila Jakarta. This is followed by a feature on Indonesia’s favorite grilled food, satay. We describe ten of the most popular varieties available out there. We join a Beer-B-Q organized by Bintang and round it off with a feature on Argentine asado. Plus a load of other grilled and barbecued treats. Now get ready to feel the heat on your face and taste the smokey flavor of the grill in our first ever Grill Issue.
Richmond Blando
Publisher Jed V. Doble Managing Editor
Kyle Gregorio
Art Director
Juke Bachtiar
Photographer
Dennie Ramon
Contributors
Himawan Sutanto Gupta Sitorus Primo Rizky Sahiri Loing Rafael Reyes Rian Farisa Rani Djoeir Cinnamon Project Krisna Salya
Administration
Boedy Astuti
Distribution
Mukti Pelupessy
Enjoy! JED V. DOBLE PT. NUSA BINTANG LESTARI Jl. Gunawarman no. 16 • Kebayoran Baru South Jakarta • Indonesia Tel: +62 21 2905 3959 www.thefoodiemag.com
THE
GRILL ISSUE INSIDE
Beer-B-Q Poolside Barbecue Calling All Satay Lovers The Best Pork Ribs
MAY15 | volume 2, Issue 05 Rp. 55,000 | S$ 8.00
Photograph by DENNIE RAMON
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The Foodie Magazine is published monthly by Bold Prints Publishing. Jalan Gunawarman No. 16, Jakarta, Indonesia. The Foodie Magazine and its logo are registered trademarks of Bold Prints Publishing. COPYRIGHT 2015. The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject all editorial and advertising material. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or copied without the explicit written consent of the Publisher. Neither the Publisher, editors and their employees and agents can be held liable for any error and omission, nor any action taken based on the views expressed or information provided within this publication. All rights reserved. ISSN: 2355-0198.
C O N T R I B U TO R S
HIMAWAN SUTANTO
RIAN FARISA
Photographer
Himawan did portraiture for editorial, advertising and design clients for many years and also had a stint doing commercial photography. His love for food and travel brought him naturally to turn his lens on food and lifestyle which he thoroughly enjoys. He has recently been traveling to take photos for a global hotel chain. When not away shooting photos he tries to spend as much time with his newborn son.
THE GUEST LIST
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GUPTA SITORUS AND PRIMO RIZKY
Writer
Once a foodie, always a foodie. Rian started his popular food blog gastronomy-aficionado. com in 2009. He has since become a culinary contributor for lifestyle and inflight magazines and newspapers. His job ranges from having intriguing conversations with celebrity chefs to memorizing the French names of Michelin-starred dishes he encounters. But at the end of the day he enjoys his scouring the city for good soul food with his beloved wife.
Writers
This dynamic duo has always had a strong passion for food. They decided to enter the culinary industry in 2012 by launching their handcrafted gourmet ice cream brand, although none of them had prior culinary experience. Both have day jobs, Gupta works as country communications manager for the global leader in power and automation technologies, while Primo, heads Studio Geometry, an independent publishing house that focuses on creative culture.
SAHIRI LOING
RANI DJOEIR
CINNAMON PROJECT
KRISNA SALYA
Venturing outside his comfort zone of office life, Sahiri now spends his time working as a freelance writer for the fun part of life. His love of movies and dining out keeps him busy in his spare time.
A law graduate with a passion for dessert. Rani is currently making her way as an R&D chef for food products. She loves to write and take snaps here and there with her mobile. But she can always be found in a corner of a hawker stall or cafe, enjoying some good food and coffee. During her spare time, she is on a continuous adventure to find the best lemon meringue pie and espresso. She also loves to put her travels in writing at a blog called lesacperdu. com
A food stylist and food writer who loves to travel and explore traditional markets. She loves street food, always seeking for authentic flavor. She normally spends the whole day on cooking projects, just to fulfill her culinary passion. For her, food and cooking are not only about passion, but is also about sharing with others.
Even though he started out as a short film maker (and still is), Krisna Salya is always eager to record different kinds of objects through his lenses. His experience includes shooting for advertisements and promotional videos for large companies as well as popular individuals such as Daniel Mananta and Ari Wibowo. He admits that he eats everything, but his favorite moment of the day is enjoying a good cup of black coffee in the morning.
Writer
Writer
Writer
Photographer
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
The Foodie magazine volume 2, Issue 05
Things That Make You Go Yum 12 The Grill Issue
Publisher’s (Ta) Corner 14 Cooking Smarts: Healthier Grill Tips
The Foodie’s List 16 20 22 24 26 28 29 30
Finger Lickin’ Must Have Pork Ribs in Town Australian Culinary Trails April 2015 A Raffles Kind of Brunch East and West Weekend Brunch Championing Street Food A Cool Change Experience Argentina at C’s Women Invasion at Pacific Place Mall
Cover Feature 32 38 40 42 48 54
A Poolside Seafood Grill The Math of Cooking The chef at The Helm Calling All Satay Lovers! BEER-B-Q: A Marriage Made in Heaven Asado: A Grilling Heritage From The Patagonian Cowboys
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Went There Ate That 58 A Western Australian Treat
Finer Things 62 Guardian of The Kitchen
Tried And Tipsied 66 Julian’s Tipples 70 Raising The Bar
Taking It To The Streets 72 74 76
Ayam Bakar Khas Solo Megaria & Es Teler Sari Mulia Asli Cumi Bakar Jawa Timur The Flavorful Satay
Iconic 78 A Nostalgic Steak House
Confessions Of A Foodie 80 A Toast To Miquel 82 Marcel Chandrawinata
Maya’s Musing 84 A Mexican Weekend
Tried And Tested 88 Chef Degan’s Talay Pao
Stuff Of Legends 92 Nila Sari – The Cake Lady
Pantry 101 96 Barbecue For Dummies
What Chef Eats 98 Philip Mimbimi
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18 – 26 May 2015 Grand Hyatt Jakarta together with Qatar Airways Indonesia have the pleasure of presenting Chef Federico Ferrari of Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. If you are craving empanadas and dulce de leche, or if you are simply a meat lover, don’t miss Chef Federico while he is in Jakarta. To reserve your table, please call +62 21 2992 1383 or email cs.ghjakarta@hyatt.com
Supported by :
T H I N G S T H AT M A K E Y O U G O Y U M by JED DOBLE
Things That Make You Go Yum is monthly column featuring our choices of the best food photos on Instagram. If you think you have a great photo worth sharing with us, tag it with #TTMYGY and @TheFoodieMag
@cookingbills
@chimaroundtheworld @e.argollo
@danajcullen @esinsilia @orgeous _ sssss
@jeffrey _ marshall
@kelly _ yeo 12 | www. thefoodiemag.com
@jenzcorner
@krsyyy
@jersey _ girl _ 75
@lclinstagram
T H I N G S T H AT M A K E Y O U G O Y U M The alluring scent of the smoke from the grill usually leaves you with a growling stomach. We hope that these photos of grilled proteins will leave you with the same feeling.
@leeshieleeesh @lunchmoney973
@lukehowardvaughn
@perezvgp18
@misshotrodqueen @martitacjara @rezaeats
@shirilpa
@yulya _ leybyuk
@stunthunt
@tasharosemurphy
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P U B L I S H E R ’ S CO R N E R
Cooking Smarts:
Healthier Grill Tips by RICHMOND BLANDO (Special thanks to Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD)
A man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. He sits on a hot barbecue for a minute, it’s longer than any hour. That is relativity. – Albert Einstein
I
have not met anyone who does not like to eat at a barbecue, there is something about it that shouts out the eternal calling of “LET’S EAT!!” When I was younger, whether it was with another family or just us, my dad would open a case of beer or wine or whatever poison the adults choose to indulge and I would occasionally be left alone manning the small charcoal grill in which I would unintentionally learn to grill while snacking on the barbecued meats. If you are like me, you might have thought that after all these years, you are cocky enough to think that you know enough, well let’s try out your knowledge here. The goal is to both test your knowhow as well as to teach you if you happen to be wrong. Ready? Start.
4. Which meat needs to get the hottest to kill bacteria? a. Pork b. Steak c. Chicken
1. Barbecuing at high heat is a rookie mistake. a. True b. False
8. Eating grilled meat may increase your risk of cancer. a. True b. False
2. Which is best for starting a charcoal grill? a. Self-starting charcoal b. Lighter fluid and a long match c. A charcoal chimney starter or heat coals over a stove 3. How long can you keep fresh beef ribs or steaks in the refrigerator? a. 1-2 days b. 3-5 days c. a week
5. Meat is done if you cut into it and it’s no longer red inside. a. True b. False 6. Sausages should be grilled over high heat to kill bacteria. a. True b. False 7. You should NOT thaw meat or poultry. a. in the microwave b. in the refrigerator c. at room temperature
9. Marinating meat before grilling may help prevent cancer-causing chemicals. a. True b. False 10. To season your charcoal grill, don’t clean it. a. True b. False
P U B L I S H E R ’ S CO R N E R Answers: 1. a. True Grilling at high temperatures in the beginning can leave a char on the outside and leave the inside undercooked. Cook your meat in medium heat and once they achieve the right internal temperature you can grill them at a higher temperature if you want that charred taste. 2. c. A charcoal chimney starter or heat coals over a stove Lighter fluid is made from petroleum products, which also pollute ground-level air. Instead of briquettes, burn wood chips or lump charcoal, which are chemical-free. 3. b. 3-5 days To avoid spoiling, cook refrigerated beef ribs or steaks within 3 to 5 days of purchase. Poultry and ground meat go bad faster, so cook them within 1 to 2 days. 4. c. Chicken The temperature inside chicken needs to
reach 74 degrees C or more to kill bacteria. As a general rule, grilling chicken thighs, legs, or a 6-ounce breast with bones for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. You can flip a boneless breast after 6 to 8 minutes and wings after 8 to 12 minutes. 5. b. False You can’t really go by inside color. Go by touch: The longer meat, fish, or poultry cooks, the firmer it gets. So a steak cooked medium should be springy, not squishy (rare) or taut (well done). Using a meat thermometer is the most surefire way. 6. b. False High heat will split the skin open, release the juices and flare up the flames, low and slow is the way to go with fresh sausages. For a flavor kick and to cut grill time, simmer sausages in water and beer for about 15 minutes first, and finish them over mediumlow heat. 7. c. at room temperature Bacteria can grow on food that’s left out to
defrost. Slow thawing in the refrigerator is best. If you forget or you don’t have time, you can quick-thaw food in a sealed bag in cold water, change it every half-hour and keep it cold. 8. b. False Sorry, but the risk is pretty small, but cooking meat over hot open flames can cause some harmful chemicals to form. Fortunately, it’s easy to reduce the risk: • Don’t eat well-done or burnt parts of meat. • Trim fat. Remove skin from chicken. • Flip meat on the grill often. • Grill fish and chicken on top of foil. 9. a. True Even for just 10 minutes, it brings out flavor and moisture and helps reduce possible cancer-causing chemicals. Thicker, storebought marinades tend to char because of the sugar, so thin, oil-free marinades, especially with vinegar or citrus, are best. 10. b. False Ancient grease and food are health hazards, not flavor enhancers on the grill. Brush burnt bits while they’re still warm with a wire brush, then soak the grates in warm, sudsy water and rinse, wipe off grease or fat buildup in the trays below the grill to prevent fires and flare-ups. Clean gas grills according to the owner’s manual.
F O O DI E L I S T S
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Finger Lickin’ Must Have Pork Ribs in Town by KYLE GREGORIO photograpgs by DENNIE RAMON AND JED DOBLE
The demand for pork ribs has recently risen in the city. Confused on where to find top quality ones? Here are our top picks of the best pork ribs in Jakarta.
P
ork Ribs are meaty cuts taken from the loin and belly rib sections. The pork rib was once considered to be an off-cut, relegated to the economy section of the butcher’s case. But its popularity has risen dramatically in recent years, so much so that some ribs can compete in price and demand with those “high on the hog” cuts like loin chops. There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon. The most obvious, of course, is that pork ribs are simply delicious.
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BACCO
The perfect place to dine, wine and unwind amidst the hustle and bustle of Jakarta, Bacco is a place where you can enjoy all this in a blissful modern classic Italian atmosphere. While one would categorize the food as ‘fine dining’ quality, the decor of Bacco is slightly leaning to a lounge feel; the ambiance, the music and the deep seating sofas over in the smoking area contributes to it. The right place to have good food, hang out and maybe dance a little when you’re feeling lighter. Bacco is situated at the Lotte Avenue
Shopping Mall (LOVE), Kuningan South Jakarta. An additional rather so called ‘shopping mall’ introduced here in Jakarta. The pork ribs in Bacco are served with mashed potatoes, pork belly fried with flour and with fresh water crest salad. The taste of the barbecue sauce is identic to the Bacco barbecue taste which is very special and can only be found and tasted in Bacco. They obtain this mind-blowing taste with use of special (top-secret). The pork ribs are baked for 3 hours then are grilled and served to the guests. Aside from their world-class cuisine, Bacco also boasts 4 Enomatic Wine Dispensing Machines – the largest in Jakarta – Bacco features 32 carefully curated wine selections from Wine Guru Ponti Young. Combine that with the expertise of Celebrity Chef Chandra Yudasswara, and you can expect nothing less than the best of both worlds of palatable cuisine of classic and adventurous interpretations, as well as delectable wine. To accompany you while dining or simply sipping a glass of wine, Bacco presents a live music entertainment every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night from 9pm. Whether you take delight in dining in the alfresco terrace while watching the traffic dwindle, or relax in one of the Chesterfield sofas facing the open-kitchen dining room – Bacco will leave you wanting for more.
BACCO | Lotte Shopping Avenue, Main Lobby, LG-38, Jalan Satrio Kav 3-5, Jakarta | T. 62 21 2988 8909 www.baccojakarta.com
F O O DI E L I S T S
HOG’S BREATH
It is famous because of its prime rib steak. Their specialty and main focus is to bring the best prime rib steaks for the customers. Along the years, they complement the signature dish with other variety of menu, making them one of the places to go for meat lovers. Before it is grilled, it is slow cooked in an oven for at least 6 hours before they grill it to the liking of the customer. The slow cooking process makes it very special. Having visited Hog’s Breath frequently back when he was still in Australia, Mr. Alfredo and his partners decided that it was unique and different from the rest so they wanted to bring all that back to Jakarta as well as the authentic Australian flavors. “Upon entering the establishment, the staff
service was great and the ambiance and environment has a unique feeling when you enter Hog’s Breath, you feel welcome and want to have a good time with your friends and family. We want to bring this to Jakarta.” Says Mr. Alfredo, one of the partners of Hog’s Breath. The Hog’s Style braised pork spare ribs is basted in Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce and served with curly fries or mashed and seasonal vegetables or salad. The meat is tender, juicy and it is easy to cut the meat from the bones. The outlet in Central Park is located in Tribeca Park area. The interior is more like a saloon in Western movies, dominated with wooden furniture and a fancy bar. The second floor will function as a dining area as well as more private area for gatherings etc.
HOG’S BREATH CAFE | Central Park, Tribeca Park, Jalan Letjen S. Parman, Tanjung Duren, Jakarta | T: +62 21 2358 0638
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F O O DI E L I S T S
HARD ROCK CAFE JAKARTA
Established in 1992 at Sarinah Building, Hard Rock Café Jakarta has blown above the level of expectation of Jakarta’s food and entertainment lovers. But one thing was missing from their line up, the pork ribs. The pork ribs is a popular dish in Hard Rock Café Bali. Chef Yenche and his team wanted to find out if that would be the same case in Hard Rock Café Jakarta. It all stared when patrons familiar with the dish kept asking when Hard Rock Café Jakarta would start to serve them. “Since we were still located in Sarinah and till now, we
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have never served any pork in Hard Rock Café Jakarta. So with this promo, we want to know about the market for pork ribs in Jakarta.” Explains chef Yanche. Since late January, Hard Rock Café Jakarta has been serving these highly demanded scrumptious pork ribs. The recipe is the same as the pork ribs in Hard Rock Café Bali. They smoke the ribs in a smoker for 2 hours. Then they vacuum pack the ribs with barbecue sauce and gets chilled in the freezer until guests order them. Before the pork ribs are served, they grill it first and add more barbecue sauce.
Guests can choose from either barbecue sauce pork ribs or honey glazed pork ribs. The more popular choice for the guests is the honey glazed pork ribs. “We don’t really use anything out of the ordinary for the pork ribs. Cayenne pepper does wonders to the pork ribs. It’s the cooking method that requires a lot of attention. If you miss a process, the pork ribs will be tough.” Says chef. In the last 3 months, Hard Rock Café Jakarta has had positive feedbacks from the patrons and they eventually plan to include the pork ribs in their menu.
HARD ROCK CAFÉ JAKARTA | Jalan Jend. Sudirman Kav 54-55, SCBD LOT 3-5, Pacific Place Ground Floor #G-05, Jakarta T: +62 21 5797 3055 | Facebook: hardrockcafejakarta | Twitter: @hardrockcafejkt
F O O DI E L I S T S
MOE’S PLACE
Moe’s Place is a Bistro, located in Kemang-Jakarta Selatan. The place serves various dishes such as steaks, pasta, and sandwiches. And one of its specials dish and also its signature dish is its “Moe’s Famous Baby Back Ribs”. Captivated with the food culture during his stay in New York, Moe was firm to bring that delicious and warm family experience to Indonesia. He first brought the memorable experience to his family and friends, which led to a modest catering business. “It started with me catering at weekends. I was working in the banking
industry before and had never thought of opening a restaurant before. It was my mom who convinced me to start the restaurant.” Says Moe. Aiming to introduce the delicious experience to more people, he decided to open Moe’s Place, where food-lovers and their family will be treated with a hearty fare of succulent ribs, juicy steaks and delightful pasta. “Now it has been easier to serve pork ribs in Jakarta. It wasn’t easy to serve pork five years ago but we persevered and we still continue to serve them.” Shares Moe. This just shows how Moe and his team love and believe in their astounding pork ribs.
MOE’S PLACE | Jalan Benda Raya No. 1, Jakarta | T: +62 21 7883 3339 | Twitter: @moesplace_jkt
Moe’s baby back ribs uses 18 spices and is cooked for 6 hours per batch. They use imported pork cuts from America to ensure consistency with the quality of the meat and since they have an import license, you can’t find the type of pork cut anywhere else in Jakarta. Moe occasionally tries out new recipes, so don’t be surprised if during your visit, you get to taste them first hand and are able to give your feedbacks regarding the dishes. Initially used as a showcase, Moe’s Place is now currently one of the hottest spots in Jakarta to tantalize the taste buds, enjoy the warm ambiance and be amongst family.
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Australian Culinary Trails April 2015 by GUPTA SITORUS AND PRIMO RIZKY photographs by AUSTRADE
The Australia Trade Commission Jakarta recently held its annual Australian Culinary Trails, a promotion of premium Australia food and beverage, and has once again refreshed foodies’ taste buds for all things Australian.
T
his year’s Australian Culinary Trails (ACT 2015) was launched on April 15 at the Australian Ambassador’s residence, with no less than His Excellency, Mr. Paul Grigson, a foodie himself, entertaining editors from Jakarta’s food and lifestyle magazines. The Ambassador laid out a wine buffet and described each bottle at the table, carefully providing tasting notes and specifying which of the canapés served by his staff would go well with them. Notable on the menu that day was the Caramelized Pineapple Pavlova with Chili, interesting with a hint of spice but definitely yummy. The Australian culinary culture is what drives many visitors to the country. And this is what the ACT 2015 wants to build on, to bring the outstanding produce, food and beverage to the forefront of Jakarta’s consciousness. The event took place on 21 – 26 April at Grand Indonesia shopping mall, and created a melting pot for foodies and consumers. By the event’s close, more than 700 visitors had enjoyed the food and beverages sold and sampled. With this year’s theme: ‘Food, Travel, Fun’, ACT 2015 delivered a series of activities featuring Australian alumni expertise in dessert, coffee and fusion food tied with Australia’s favourite beverages, snacks, desserts and wines presented by both importers and exporters. Sessions were held on food and travel blogging, food photography and sommeliers. ACT provided space for visitors to learn about tips and tricks in cooking, blogging, documenting the experience and understanding what makes Australian wine a connoisseur’s delight in Indonesia. The culinary culture was pervasive in ACT 2015. It is what inspires people when they visit Australia. For the alumni, it was an opportunity to showcase their businesses,
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and pay tribute to the fresh produce and ingredients they have learned to love from Australia. This was evident by the infusion of innovative ingredients for typical Indonesian dishes such as fish cake with spicy apple cider vinegar sauce. Tourism Western Australia also ran a Margaret River Great Escapes promotion at their travel bloggers’ talk on 25 and 26 April 2015 and Garuda Indonesia offered a draw for two return economy tickets to Australia for registered ACT visitors. Signature Australian brands were also on show including: The Almond Board, WeetBix, Carmen’s Cereals, Greens popcorn and instant cupcakes, Gourmet nuts, Golden Boronia nougat, Bundaberg, wines from De Bortoli, Leeuwin, Tyrrells, Picardy, Peter Lehmann, Wolf Blass, Stefano Lubiana and The Standish; and a selection of premium Australian dairy, fruit and confectionery from Ranch Market. Families and visitors participated in cupcake decorating and food eating competitions and wine tasting sessions. ACT 2015 was themed in close collaboration with Restaurant Australia, Tourism Australia and Tourism Western Australia. A pop-up cocktail concept was the closing highlight, featuring Chef David Hull, executive chef of Cullen Wines in Margaret River, Western Australia, and his sous chef, Joss Henderson. Chef David served six savoury and two sweet canapés emphasising the texture and flavour of Australian lamb, beef, cheese and wine to a select group of guests consisting of selected lifestyle media, sponsors, importers and alumni. ACT 2015 was sponsored by Commonwealth Bank Indonesia, Tourism Australia, Garuda Indonesia, Tourism Western Australia, with The Foodie Magazine as media partner.
F O O DI E L I S T S
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A Raffles Kind of Brunch by GUPTA SITORUS AND PRIMO RIZKY
W
e don’t know when it started, but in recent memory, we have spending our Sundays indulging ourselves with food. The newly opened Raffles Jakarta is an excellent choice for a leisurely culinary experience with family and friends. The hotel operates the Writer’s Bar, Navina Pool Bar and the Arts Cafe, which offers a Sunday Brunch program. Set amidst chic interiors and a backdrop of vibrant Hendra Gunawan artwork, the Arts Cafe is a virtual tableau of art and cuisine, where the palette of sights, sounds, textures and aromas from the open kitchens create a delightful sensory experience. The elegant buffet features a wide variety of delicious and appealing dishes comprising several sections. The central buffet island has the starters, cold dishes and appetizers, which include a salad bar, oysters and a selection of cheeses among others. While main courses are packed with mouthwatering Asian and Western dishes.. But the highlight of the buffet for us were the a la minute pass around dishes that came directly from the kitchen and are prepared by executive chef Michael Muller, himself. These dishes are brought directly to your table. The most memorable of these pass arounds was the Arts Cafe’s signature dish, the Singapore Chili Crab Bun. As their homage to Singapore, home of the iconic Raffles Singapore, where Chili Crab is their national dish. It is a squid ink baked bun, filled with crab meat, swimming in the luscious sweet-spicy Chili Crab sauce. Absolutely delicious. Take one bite of this wonderful culinary creation and soon you will experience layers of textures and combination of flavors created by the soft bun and the succulent crab meat beautifully mingling with the rich sauce.
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Other notable pass arounds were Southern fried chicken with mashed potato and cheese espuma, braised beef cheek, the foie gras with beet and raspberry and the truffle eggs, which are served in their own glass egg shells. With Chef Michael’s flair for the delightful and innovative dishes, we are sure that you will enjoy the weekly fare at the Arts Café brunch. But of course, Sunday brunch would not be complete without dessert. To complete your culinary journey, executive pastry chef Dedy Sutan has laid out one of the best dessert feasts in the city. Chef Dedy is known for making desserts that are not only wonderful to look at but also taste as good as they look. We could not stop eating the tantalizing and colorful cakes and pastries that were before us. Notable were Chef Dedy’s lemon meringue pie, black forest cake and his interesting chocolate fountain with freshly made churros. Also not to be missed was the liquid nitrogen ice cream station tucked away in a corner. Made right in front of your eyes, the cool smoke from the liquid nitrogen transforms the different flavored liquids into ice cream within minutes. Another must- try dessert at the Arts Cafe is their affogato. Instant vanilla ice cream is made table side, using liquid nitrogen and hot espresso is immediately poured over it, at your table. Truly divine. The regular brunch comes with free flow juices and soft drinks. But for those wanting to have a boozy brunch, there are options for free flow Taittinger Nocturne champagne, red and white wines and beers. The Arts Café at the Raffles Jakarta definitely gets our vote for the best Sunday brunch in the city. It is a wonderful way to spend your Sunday with family and friends while being pampered the Raffles way.
Most people welcome Sundays with a high level of anticipation. We put on our Sunday best, we gather friends and loved ones, and usually head out to enjoy a luxurious meal. And now, the Arts Café at the Raffles Jakarta has launched its own brunch for those seeking to pamper themselves on a Sunday.
F O O DI E L I S T S
ARTS CAFE | Raffles Hotel Jakarta - Ciputra World 1, Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav. 3-5, Jakarta | T: +62 21 2988 0888 www.raffles.com/jakarta | E: jakarta@raffles.com | Twitter: @raffleshoteljakarta
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East and West Weekend Brunch by GUPTA SITORUS AND PRIMO RIZKY
Our foodie dynamic duo, Gupta Sitorus and Primo Rizky, share with us two of the city’s newest Sunday brunch options.
J
akarta offers an unimaginable selection of international culinary treats that will satisfy anyone’s palate, from authentic Asian restaurants to fine dining establishments that serve nothing less than modern gourmet cuisine. With so many choices available, every player in this industry needs to come up with new things in order to keep up with the pace. One of the latest innovations is the weekend brunch program that mainly caters to the urban dwellers who are always eager for new things.
Koiki Eatery
For those who love Japanese cuisine, Koiki Eatery, at the Senopati Suites, has just the right Sunday Brunch package for you. Chef Akira prepares a delectable array of dishes: from sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, a wide variety of sushi and sashimi, omurice, curry rice, to dainty desserts such as Japanese crepes served with ice cream that comes with a Japanese hint. As for us, we instantly fell in love with the sukiyaki served at Koiki Eatery. In
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addition to the savory broth with strong umami taste, this dish is highlighted by the juicy and tender beef slices. Don’t forget to add onsen tamago into your bowl, an egg that is cooked slowly on low temperature creating a creamy and custardy texture, with the yolk still a bit runny. You should also try the omurice, which is Japanese style fried rice with light seasoning wrapped in a silky omelette that can be made according to your liking – you can choose among the available toppings of salmon, mushrooms, or mozzarella cheese. Wrap up your wonderful Japanese brunch experience with Koiki’s signature dessert, the thin-andlight textured Japanese crepes served with uniquely tasting ice creams such as Tokyo Banana, Miso Caramel Cashew, and Kinako (roasted soybean). Not only your palate, but you ears will also enjoy Sunday morning at Koiki Eatery, because the restaurant features live acoustic show presented by talented musicians such as Rendy Pandugo and RickK. Those craving for a Japanese buffet, Koiki Eatery’s Sunday brunch is a great new option for you.
KOIKI EATERY | JSenopati Suites, Jalan Senopati Raya No. 40, Jakarta | T: +62 21 2924 8351 Instagram: @koiki _ eatery
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Queens Head
This modern British bar and restaurant, which was opened earlier this year, offers a new concept for your weekend culinary escape. The kitchen team led by Chef Blake Thornley, previously executive chef at Mozaic Bali, will bring you a degustation set comprised of four courses along with the option for wine pairing. The Sunday that we visited, Chef Blake served up a Char themed menu. This set menu started with Carbon Chicken, which was deep-fried chicken fillet covered with vegetable carbon and served alongside basa gede gel and seradang powder. The black chicken was a bit of a surprise in the beginning but once tasted it, we were sold. This was followed by the CharGrilled Yellow Fin Tuna with char-grilled compressed watermelon and refreshing soy balsamic tapioca. This was a refreshing dish which highlighted the light flavors of the watermelon at the same time, the chargrilled flavor of the tuna was still very observable. For the third course, it was a choice between the Char-Grilled Gindara or Grilled Duck Breast – both were served alongside squid ink onion puree, charred peppers, leeks, and smoked milk emulsion. To end the meal, Chef Blake served juicy Grilled Spiced Bandung Pineapple with vanilla mascarpone cream, a nice and light dessert, which kept with the Char theme of the meal. We noticed that some elements of these dishes were actually very familiar to Indonesian taste. This is Chef Blake’s effort in synergizing local ingredients and tastes with modern cooking methods. He also makes sure that new, creative and different dishes are served every week: each week having its equally unique and interesting concept. The element of surprise is indeed Chef Blake’s key word in preparing his dishes here. So, get ready to be enchanted by the creative and appetizing dishes of “The Weekend Set” from the Queens Head. QUEENS HEAD | Jalan Kemang Raya No. 18 C, Kemang, Jakarta | T: +62 21 719 6160 www.queensheadjakarta.com | Twitter & Instagram: @queensheadjkt | Facebook: queensheadjakarta
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Championing Street Food by RAFAEL REYES photographs by WORLD STREET FOOD CONGRESS
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ollowing the success of the inaugural World Street Food Congress (WSFC) in 2013, Makansutra returned with the 2nd WSFC this year to focus on actionable content. With the continued support of the Singapore Tourism Board, WSFC 2015 was held from 8th -12th April at the open field opposite Parco Bugis, at the intersection of Rochor Road and North Bridge Road. Ranita Sundramoorthy, Attractions, Dining and Retail Director of STB said: “With hawker centers dotting the island, Singapore has a rich street food heritage that must be preserved. Singapore Tourism Board is thus delighted to support the second edition of the World Street Food Congress. This event will not only serve up memorable flavors,
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it encourages intellectual discourse among street food aficionados and recognizes the hard work of street food vendors worldwide. Over time, we hope the World Street Food Congress will raise the profile of the street food trade and establish itself as a key event in our dining calendar.” Organised by Makansutra, this year’s event will see the launch of a DialogueHackathon, a first of its kind in the world that aims to connect and foster fresh ideas, encouraging thought-leadership to structure new opportunities in this massive world street food industry. With WSFC 2015 Dialogue theme: Empowerment, Engagement and Enterprise, K. F. Seetoh, founder of Makansutra and creator and curator of WSFC, believes that: “People can
A successful second installment of the World Street Food Congress was recently held in Singapore, bringing together proponents and lovers of street food from all over the world.
expect a range of wide networking activities, hawker recipes, chef demonstrations and skills, knowledge sharing and business opportunities at the Dialogue.” The WSFC 2015 consisted of three main components: 1) The WSF DialogueHackathon – which focused on actionable content where delegates gained deep insights, learned new skills, and received inspiring new ideas from panel discussions and presentations by renowned street food advocates, media and street vendors. The 2-day Dialogue-Hackathon also had two half-day open floor, town hall style discussions with the audience and delegates where they raised global issues, ideas and opportunities of their own for sharing with their peers. Selected delegates got a chance to pitch their ideas during the Pitch Box Session, where funding opportunities could be raised, new business ideas developed, and networks built. The WSFC Jamboree was open to the public, it had 23 stalls from 12 cities and was located on the open field beside Tan Quee Lan Street along North Bridge Road and hosted the world‘s best street food party. The top street food vendors and award winning chefs from the United States, Bolivia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Germany, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore were all present. The Jamboree will also had three Master Class streetstyle demonstrations daily from chefs like William Wongso and Peter Lloyd as well as live musical performances. And the WSF Awards were also held, with 16 awards given out to deserving individuals, organizations, and cities that showed leadership and skills in this field of world heritage and street food culture.
F O O DI E L I S T S
www.wsfcongress.com
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A Cool Change by RAFAEL REYES
Australian Matthew McCool is the new chef de cuisine of W Retreat & Spa Bali’s signature Starfish Bloo restaurant.
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Retreat & Spa Bali, located on the trendy enclave of Seminyak, has appointed award-winning Australian chef Matthew McCool as Chef de Cuisine for its famour Starfish Bloo restaurant. The Resort’s elegant, beachside dining destination, is well-known for seafood inspired menu, featuring Pan Asian flavors and its extensive Sunday brunch. Chef Matthew relocates to Bali after a successful stint as Chef de Cuisine at Shangri-La Hotel Sydney’s stunning Altitude Restaurant. Under Chef Matthew, Altitude earned three hats from the prestigious Gault&Millau Australia and won Restaurant of the Year at the Tourism Accommodation Awards in 2014. Matthew began his career in Sydney over a decade ago, doing his apprenticeships at a number of good restaurants. He then moved to London and worked with some of the world’s top chefs, including a stint
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at Gordon Ramsey’s Maze, a three star Michelin restaurant, and at other Michelin starred restaurants: Tom Aikens in London and Chez Bruce in Wandsworth. After 8 years in the UK, Matthew made his foray into Asia in 2010, when he was appointed Chef De Cuisine at Aria at China World Hotel, Beijing, a post that would earn him Chef of the Year in the 2011 Time Out Beijing Awards and ‘Restaurant of the Year’ by City Weekend Beijing. Chef Matthew says that he is eager to showcase the best of Bali’s natural produce. “I’m really excited to be heading up the kitchen at Starfish Bloo. The resort is like no other property in Bali, offering pure luxury in the perfect location, and the W brand was a natural fit for me. I’m always looking for innovative ideas and cutting edge approaches I can bring to my cooking; a philosophy which W Hotels brings to every aspect of the guest experience,” he said. Welcome to Bali, Chef Matthew!
STARFISH BLOO, W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak | Jalan Petitenget · Seminyak, Bali | +62 361 3000 106 www.wretreatbali.com | Facebook: W Retreat & Spa, Bali | Twitter: @WBali | Instagram: @WBaliSeminyak
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Experience Argentina at C’s by JED DOBLE
Grand Hyatt Jakarta in coorperation with Qatar Airways Indonesia presents a culinary showcase of Argentina.
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rgentines are known for their beef oriented diets. With per capita beef consumption of almost 70 kgs. per year, that’s a lot of meat! Asado, or Argentine barbecue is unarguably the dish which genuinely matches national identity. Asado is always partnered with chimichurri, an herb sauce with garlic and vinegar. Other staples are empanadas, small baked or fried pastries filled with meat, cheese and corn, and dulce de leche, a sweet paste made out of milk and is used to fill cakes, pancakes and breads. Savor all of these from May 18-26 as Grand Hyatt Jakarta brings Argentina to C’s. Chef Federico Ferrari of Park Hyatt Buenos Aires will be the guest chef at C’s and will reveal the wonders of Argentine cuisine. A selection of Argentine wines from the Mendoza region will be available. So if you are eager to sample genuine empanadas or dulce de leche from Argentina, or if you are simply a meat lover and want to sink your teeth into a anejado en seco 28 dias bife de chorizo – dry aged 28 days sirloin, then make your way to C’s and experience Argentina for yourself.
C’S STEAK & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT | Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Jalan M. H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30, Jakarta | T: +62 21 29921234 www.jakarta.grand.hyatt.com
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Women Invasion at Pacific Place Mall by RAFAEL REYES photographs by PACIFIC PLACE JAKARTA
Pacific Place Mall celebrated women independence with their Women Invasion: The Culinary Edition cooking demonstrations.
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n commemoration of Kartini Day, an Indonesian holiday commemorating the birth of Raden Ajeng Kartini, one of the country’s national heroes and a pioneer in the emancipation of Indonesian women, Pacific Place Jakarta has dedicated the month of April to women, with their Women Invasion program. This initiative was begun last year, and is targeted towards women. Last year, Women Invasion had beauty and make-up as its theme. This year’s event ran from 1 – 26 April 2015, and was dubbed Women Invasion: The Culinary Edition and focused on cuisine and cooking. Its aim was to help working women by giving them healthy and quick cooking options they can do at home for their families. Throughout the period, four different cooking demonstration sessions were held, every Saturday. On April 4th, Chef Maya Aldy at had her Healthy Mexican dishes demonstration at Poblano. She prepared Mexican Chopped Salad with Jalapeno-Citrus Dressing and Fish Tacos Canape. On April 11, Chef Maya Aldy presented her Quinoa Cooking Series at Kem Chicks. She prepared Quinoa Porridge with Banana and Peanut Butter and Quinoa Salad with Honey Grilled Chicken to the delight of the audience.
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On April 18, Chef Arimbi Nimpuno and Chef Wut, presented Thai dishes at Thai Alley. Chef Arimbi prepared Classic Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup(clear style or Tom Yung Gong), while Chef Wut prepared Khao Pad Sapparod or Pineapple Fried Rice, both traditional Thai favorites. And lastly on April 25, Junior Chef Revo presented his Japanese Bento Boxes at Kem Chicks. The young chef prepared his Chicken Katsu and Hamburg Steak, drawing rave comments from the participating audience. The three chefs presented their different cooking themes every week. Participants not only witnessed the cooking process, but were also able to have the opportunity to interact with chefs. “Looking back to the enthusiasm from last year participants, Pacific Place decided to hold its second edition; and cooking was chosen as its theme. As a premium mall surrounded by office buildings, Women Invasion is now targeted for working women that spend most of their time at the office. Hopefully, this program will inspire them to create a healthy and easy cooking in the middle of their activities”, says Markus Barata, Assistant Vice President of Leasing & Marketing Pacific Place Jakarta.
F O O DI E L I S T S
www.pacificplace.co.id
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A Poolside Seafood Grill by JED DOBLE photographs by DENNIE RAMON
Bright skies, a nice cool breeze, fresh seafood, all the best ingredients for a poolside barbecue. Chef Alex Ensor takes the tongs and fires up the grill.
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hef Alex Ensor of the Alila Jakarta tells me that he has always loved barbecuing. He recounts a recent trip back to his come country of New Zealand, where he and his buddies went hunting and brought home a prized stag, and promptly set fillets on the grill! Here in Jakarta, with less exotic protein, Chef Alex creates a different kind of grill experience. So one breezy afternoon, we were invited to the Alila Jakarta poolside to Chef Alex’s seafood grill. At the table were Alila Jakarta general manager, Patrick Murray, his wife Joy and son Aldon; and Chef Alex’s wife Metta and daughter Cascade. With the setting, company and wine ready, it was just up to Alex and the food. The seafood was very fresh, shrimps, lobster, squid and whole snapper. With very little coaxing, just salt and pepper with some freshly cut herbs and squeezes of lemon, the grill was set to do its wonders. Alex tells me that he likes the aroma and flavor that grilling gives. I quickly agree, the char and smoky flavor gives the food a taste that is hard to resist. I’ve had my own experiences at the grill and there was a time back home that we would grill stuff almost every weekend. I have my own recipes, but today was about Alex and his grill. It’s funny how when food is at the grill, cooking, and you are there waiting, that it already gets your appetite going and salivary glands working. Expectations of a good meal are always a good sign. Alex prepared a fabulous spread: Whole Snapper with Ginger, Spring Onion and Soy Sauce, Prawns in Padang Sauce, Lobster with Garlic Butter Sauce and Squid Kebabs. Sides included grilled corn on the cob, a simple salad and a selection of freshly baked breads. Truly a feast! As we sit down at the table, and food is passed around and consumed, a thought comes into my head. That this is as basic as it can get: food is cooked over a ‘fire’ and is shared among family and friends. Alex shares his recipes here, however simple or fancy, go ahead and grill with your loved ones, we assure you that it will be a fun and delicious meal.
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LOBSTER WITH GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS: 2 kg 250 gr 25 gr 15 gr 15 gr
Whole lobsters, halved Butter Garlic, minced Salt Pepper
STEPS WHOLE SNAPPER WITH GINGER SPRING ONION AND SOY SAUCE
PRAWN IN PADANG SAUCE
Serves: 4
1 kg 10 gr 10 gr 20 ml 50 ml 10 gr 200 gr 300 gr 2 gr 2 gr 10 gr
INGREDIENTS: 800 gr 30 ml 10 gr 10 gr 10 gr 15 gr 10 gr 10 gr 10 gr 5 gr
White snapper, whole Light soy sauce Chicken powder Seasoning powder Rock sugar Coriander leaves Garlic, minced Ginger, sliced thinly Leek, sliced thinly Red chilies, sliced thinly
STEPS
• Combine soy sauce, chicken powder, seasoning and rock sugar in a pan and cook for 10 minutes. • Clean the snapper and marinate with the sauce for 30 minutes. • Grilled the snapper for 10-15 minutes. • Serve with the sauce and top with the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately.
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Serves: 5
INGREDIENTS:
STEPS
Prawns Onion, sliced Garlic, minced Chinese rice wine (Ang Ciu) Sweet soy sauce Bird’s eye chilies Tomato sauce Chili sauce Salt Pepper Sugar
• For the sauce, combine all the ingredients except the prawns. Cook until simmering and season with salt, pepper and sugar. • Marinate the prawn with the sauce, preferably overnight. • Grill until the prawn is cooked, serve immediately.
• Combine butter, garlic, salt and pepper into a paste. • Place lobster on the grill and brush the flesh with garlic butter. Grill for 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
SQUID KEBABS Serves: 5
INGREDIENTS: 3 kg 1 pc 20 gr 20 gr 20 gr 100 gr 500 ml
STEPS
Baby squid Fresh pineapple, de-skinned and diced Red paprika, diced Yellow paprika, diced Green paprika, diced Onion, diced Padang sauce
• Clean and remove the skin from the squid. • Using bamboo skewers, arrange squid, onion, paprika and pineapple into a skewer. • Grill over hot charcoal and brush them with Padang sauce. • Serve immediately when it is cooked.
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ALILA JAKARTA | Jalan Pecenongan Kav 7-17, Jakarta | T: +62 21 231 6008 www.alilahotels.com/jakarta
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The Math of Cooking by SAHIRI LOING photographs by DENNIE RAMON
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According to Chef Deden Gumilar, a chef’s job is not confined to the kitchen —learn what roles he must play on a day-today basis everyday at The Park Lane Hotel.
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I
f kids were taught cooking at an early age then they might grow up to be good at math. Or if more kids are good at math, then they have a chance of growing up to be masters of the kitchen. Well, that’s certainly an unproven theory but for chef Deden Gumilar, that theory just might as well be true. “As a student I was always very good at counting instead of memorizing,” says Chef Deden. “And in my chosen profession that’s actually very useful.” He recounted a moment when one of his guests asked for an off-the-menu order and how much the bespoke dish would cost him, the chef’s nimble brain would immediately starts counting the value of each ingredient how much for the meat, the lobster, the chocolate, and so on—so that he can give a definitive answer to his customer. “And I always try to teach that to my staff—especially about the current price for basic ingredients—so that they could always count on the fly whenever a customer would ask that question,” he says. “So their role isn’t merely to cook day in and day out in the kitchen but they really have to know about their food. “ Of course being a chef it’s also obligatory to “do the math” when it comes to, say, how many kaffir limes, turmeric, salt or oil are needed for a dish to get that desired taste. For this edition, chef Deden cooked us a very sumptuous offerings: an Oven-
Baked Prawn wrapped with Banana Leave (with three Asian relish that includes a deliciously chilly Balinese sambal matah and Manadonese’s colo-colo) and Wood Flat Stone Oven Lamb Rack, and judging from the taste, his mathematical approach has done wonders to these two dishes. His easy breezy approach to counting can easily be seen in the way he talks: if you can count fast, then you most probably can talk equally fast. He has a very rapid style of delivering his words, seems very fond of recollecting his journey to becoming a chef (from his mother who has a catering business), and I sense no trace of too much pride inherent in them. Describing his relationship with 11 of his kitchen staff, he said “I really don’t like being considered a ‘boss’ in front of them. I mean, of course, in a professional situation I expect them to behave respectfully, but I also try to be friends with them on a personal level. I prefer seeing myself as the ‘older’ person in the group.” Chef Deden has been executive chef of Riva Bar & Grill at the Park Lane Hotel for almost five years now, but for him a chef’s role isn’t limited to the confines of the kitchen. “For me, a chef must also play the role of an entrepreneur, sales, marketing, public relations, and even accounting,” the Bandung-born chef says. “I have to do some public relation because I have to greet and engage my customers, and accounting
because I also have to record the comings and goings of products.” He’s also a very strict quality controller: in line with The Park Lane being the first certified Eco-Hotel Management System in Indonesia (where they uphold an admirable waste management program), Chef Deden ensures that his ingredients are delivered, stored, and processed meticulously and responsibly, such as the way the farmers handle their produce, the cleanliness and the condition of the transporting vehicle, the apparel worn by the staff, down to the temperature set in storage. He’s got it all covered. Cleanliness and safety are definitely his priority, and that goes to The Foodie’s barbeque theme this month. “I’ve read somewhere that barbequeing or grilling should be handled extra carefully because the smoke from the burned charcoals can release carcinogenic elements to the meat,” he warns. But, fortunately, all is not gloomy. “The solution would be not to let the smoke touch the meat by wrapping it with alumunium foil, or you use a non smoke releasing charcoal. Or I read too that the pickles that accompanied your satay for example can actually neutralize the harmful effect on your body—lucky for us because it seems our predecessors has already thought of everything to make our food guilt-free, hahaha.”
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The chef at the helm by KYLE GREGORIO photographs by DENNIE RAMON
Pullman Jakarta Central Park, along with their resident Indian chef, Ranjit Debnath, presents the Indian Food Festival at Collage All Day Dining from 1 to 31 May 2015. Be sure not to miss this and experience the true cultural understanding of India.
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ver wonder why we can’t seem to get enough chicken masala? Well, according to research, it’s all about using spices without overlapping their flavors. It turns out the common denominator is a typical Indian dish’s use of spices and flavors. It’s not just how much spice is used, but how intelligently they’re incorporated into the dish. Spices used in Indian dishes are much more carefully selected to produce the least amount of flavor overlap. The resident chef of Pullman Jakarta Central Park, who has been in Jakarta for almost two years now, chef Ranjit, is running the show during this Indian Food Festival where you will able to find a diverse selection of Indian cuisine such as Mughlai Chicken (boneless chicken with creamy cashew nut gravy Indian spices), Tandoori Chicken (succulent piece of tender chicken marinated in Indian spices), Mutton Roganjosh (classical lamb served with nann bread), and Murgh Badami Shorba (creamy chicken soup with almond and Indian herbs) are available on the buffet and ready to amaze you with the vibrant flavors. Chef Ranjit is originally from Calcutta,
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India and had stints in the Lila Kempinski, the Accor group in Bangalore as well as in Pullman Jaipur for three years before moving to Pullman Jakarta. At the beginning of his career, chef Ranjit trained to cook Indian food and took a course on becoming an Indian food chef for 2 years. So far, the chef has already received certificates for his ala carte menu and a best excellence award since joining the Pullman group in 2012. Ever since he was 15 years old, Chef Ranjit has always been interested in becoming a chef following the footsteps of his uncle who worked in the hotel industry. Chef Ranjit was inspired to become a chef when a famous chef from New Delhi, India was given the national chef award by the president and prime minister of India and is the first Indian chef to proudly carry the Indian flag. On the day the Foodie magazine met chef Ranjit, he prepared chicken Tandoori for us. “Tandoori usually uses the whole chicken breast or the chicken leg, then we marinate it for 3-4 hours. After roasting in an Indian oven, it is then cooked in an Indian oven for 20-30 minutes. First is 10-15 minutes, then kept aside for 10 minutes and then cooked
again for 10-15 minutes.” Explains chef. He also likes to cook a variety of Biryani and other Tandoori. The chef uses spices specially imported from India to compliment his Indian dishes. “We have Kashmiri chili only found in Kashmir, India and we use this for flavor and color. We import the chili straight from India as well as n ost of the other items used our Indian food like the long grain rice we use in biryani.” Explained chef. On the chef’s spare time, he likes to watch movies, hangout and eat his favorite Indonesian dishes, the ayam rica-rica and ayam gulai, with his friends. “Mostly some ingredients are similar, we can’t say the same, but similar. Like the ayam gulai is similar to mughlai chicken of India where the mughlai is mild and creamy that uses cream, cashew nuts and milk, the ayam gulai uses nutmeg, coconut milk and Kaffir lime. So, next time you are about to have Indian food and wonder what makes the flavors meld so well in your mouth. The answer is by delicate design and that every spice and ingredient has a purpose and they all work together in harmony to produce the taste of the dish.
COLLAGE | Hotel Pullman Jakarta Central Park, Jalan Letjen S. Parman, Tanjung Duren, Jakarta | T: +62 21 2920 0088 www.pullmanjakartacentralpark.com | Facebook: pullmanjakartacp
CALLING ALL SATAY LOVERS! by CINNAMON PROJECT photographs by DENNIE RAMON AND CINNAMON PROJECT
A grill issue would not be complete without Indonesia’s most loved grilled food ítem, Satay.
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hen talking about traditional barbeque, the first thing that comes to mind for any Indonesian, is of course Satay. Let’s forget the discussion on who actually invented Satay, these delicious skewered meats grilled over flaming charcoal, are loved by everyone. Suffice it to say that Indonesia has many different kinds of satay found around the country. Each región or even island, has its own style, taste, and uniqueness of Satay.. Here are some popular satay you can find around Jakarta.
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SATAI AYAM MADURA
This is the most popular satay for Indonesians or even foreigners. It can be easily found everywhere, especially in such big cities. In one main road of Jakarta, you might find three or more street vendor of Satay Madura. Originally from Madura, East Java, this satay is even very common at restaurants and food courts inside the malls. Type: chicken satay, skin part added to the skewers to make it more fatty. Characteristics: Topped with peanut sauce with sprinkle of sweet soya sauce (kecap manis). Recommended: • Satai Ayam & Kambing Pak Muri (Sate RSPP) Jalan Kyai Maja, Jakarta Selatan. Phone: 081546036006.
SATAI LILIT
People who frequent Bali may know of this satay. This satay is usually served as one of the main components in a Nasi Campur Bali platter. Type: Usually made from minced chicken, prawn, fish or beef, or a mixture of meat and fish items. Characteristics: Shreded young coconut and lime leaves are added to the satay mixture. Instead of a skewer, the Balinese use lemongrass stick and the satay mixture is formed on the end of the lemongrass. The unique taste and flavor come from the lemongrass as it is grilled. Recommended: • Balinese food stalls around Pura Aditya Jaya Jalan Daksinapati Raya, Rawamangun, Jakarta. • Ajengan Jalan Panglima Polim I, No. 65, Jakarta Phone: 021 7220227.
SATAI BEBEK
At first, I never thought that duck was very common in Serang, Banten. Deep fried duck, duck soup (gerem asem), and satai bebek are all very popular there. While from other satay have a dominant with taste, satai bebek in Serang is savory and spicy. Recommended: • Warung Dahar Sate Bebek Ibu Hj. Halijah Jalan Bhayangkara No.4 Cipocok Jaya, Serang, Serang, Banten. Phone: 0254 224 774 • Sate Bebek Khas Cibeber Larangan. Puri Beta I, Jl. Puri Beta Utara Raya No. 9, Larangan, Tangerang Selatan.
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SATAI MARANGGI
When travelling to Bandung, do visit Purwakarta to taste Satai Maranggi. There are two ways in serving this kind of satay. First, the satay is served with grilled glutinuos rice cakes (ketan bakar) and sambal oncom. Second, the grilled meat comes with sambal cobek made from chili (cabai rawit merah), shallots, and tomatoes.
Type: beef, sometimes there are versions using goat. Characteristics: Sweet and bold taste, the meat cubes marinated with sweet soya sauce, brown sugar, garlic, challots, and lots of coriander and galanggal.
Recommended: • Satai Maranggi Cibungur Jalan Raya Cibungur, Purwakarta, Jawa Barat. Phone: 0264 351077. • Satai Maranggi Ibu Yayah Jalan Laboratorium No.3 Kompleks PLN Duren Tiga, Jakarta Selatan. Phone: 021 7944104.
SATAI PADANG
There are three version of Satay Padang which are Satai Padang Panjang, Satai Padang Pariaman, and Satai Danguang Danguang (originally from Payakumbuh town). Satai Padang is a speciality satay from West Sumatra, made from boiled cut beef cubes and innards (tongue, lung, liver, intestines). Similar with satai Padang, satai danguang danguang is served with a spicy yellow sauce, but they add grated coconut into the meat marination. Padang Pariaman has a stronger flavor with reddish color. Characteristics: topped with yellow sauce made from spicy offal broth, chili, turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander, galanggal root, cumin, curry powder, turmeric leaves, and lime leaves. Recommended: • Sate Padang Ajo Ramon, Pasar Santa, Kebayoran. • Satai Mak Syukur (branch of Padang Panjang), Rawamangun.
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SATAI BABI
Most satai babi street vendors sell their pork skewer around Chinese markets. For example, Pasar Surya Kencana in Bogor, Pasar Lama Tangerang, or Pasar Petak Sembilan in Kota, Jakarta. In Manado, South Sulawesi, pork satay is also known as Ragey with bigger cuts of pork and has a different
marination with vinegar, lime juice, chili, shallots, and ginger. Sambal dabu dabu is usually served as a condiment. Type: pork meat with fat. Characteristics: pork meat marinated with sweet soya sauce, garlic, ginger, and shallots.
Recommended: • Pasar Lama Tangerang, Jl. Ki Samaun, Tangerang. • Pasar Surya Kencana, Jl. Surya Kencana, Bogor. • RM. Tinoor Manado, Jalan Kramat 5 No. 2 Kwitang, Jakarta Pusat. (Ragey)
SATAI BUNTEL
A very popular satay from Solo, Central Java. Similar to satai lilit, but satai buntel has more Java flavor, more sweet than savoury. Imagine having a heavy meatball on a skewer. Type: minced beef or mutton. Fatty parts are usually added into the mixture. Since its quite fatty, you must enjoy the satay when its still hot, juicy and tasty. Characteristics: Served with shreded cabbage, chopped shallots and chopped green chili, and of course sweet soya sauce or kecap manis. It is a must to squeeze some kaffir lime juice to increase the flavour. Recommended: • Sate Buntel Kaserin Jalan Raya Condet Batu Ampar, Jakarta. • Sate Kambing Solo – Pak Samin Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio No. 16B Jakarta. Phone: 021 30228359
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SATAI SUMSUM
Not only cooked as soup or curry, this beef bone marrow is also made into satay. Satai sumsum is very popular in East Java. There are two way of cooking this beef marrow: steaming or boiling, this is done to the marrow before marination so that the marrow is easier to skewer and to reduce the sharp smell. Characteristics: boiled or steamed marrow seasoned with shallots, garlic, brown sugar, and sweet soya. Recommended: • Rumah Makan Handayani Prima Jalan Matraman Raya No 45, Jakarta Phone: 021 8582321. • Rumah Sumsum Jalan Lawang Gintung No. 21, Bogor Phone: 0251 8314579
SATAI KAMBING
Goat satay is very popular in Java, made with goat, lamb or mutton meat. Almost all satay varieties in Java have its own variant in goat (satai Maranggi, satai Solo, satai Buntel, satai Tegal). Since its made from goat, mutton, or lamb, with its unique texture and smell, satai kambing is made using a different treatment. It is not usually pre-seasoned or pre-cooked. Since the meat is not pre-cooked, it is important to use a very young lamb to have tender meat. Most famous vendors usually use lamb under three to five months old, usually known as balibul (bawah lima bulan), menating under five months. Lamb from goat is also more popular than lamb from sheep due to milder flavor. Characteristics: Raw lamb skewered and grilled directly on the charcoal, and then served with sambal kecap (sweet soy sauce, sliced shallots, chili (cabai rawit) and tomatoes). Recommended: • Satai Pancoran Jalan Raya Pasar Minggu, Jakarta • Satai Kambing Jalan Sabang, Jakarta • Satai Tegal Jalan Otista Raya, Cawang, Jakarta
SATAI AYAM PONOROGO
Looks similar to satai ayam Madura, satai ayam Ponorogo originating in Ponorogo, East Java. Unlike Madura, in the Ponorogo version, chicken is sliced into long size and then skewered. Originally, satai Ponorogo uses ayam kampong marinated chicken cubes made from sliced marinated chicken meat, and served with a sauce made of peanuts and chilli sauce and garnished with shredded shallots, chopped chili, and lime juice. Characteristics: Raw lamb skewered and grilled directly on the charcoal, and then served with sambal kecap (sweet soy sauce, sliced shallots, chili (cabai rawit) and tomatoes). Recommended: • Satai Ayam Ponorogo Pak Siboen Jalan Jatiwaringin (near Naga supermarket), Jakarta Phone: 021 8463262, 081513316101 • Sate Ponorogo Jalan Warung Jati Timur no.21, Pasar Minggu, Jakarta Phone: 021 7943993.
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BEER-B-Q:
A Marriage Made in Heaven
by JED DOBLE photographs by DENNIE RAMON
Now who doesn’t love a barbecue. As the weather gets warmer, the barbecue season is upon us. An outdoor barbecue is by default a recipe for a fun afternoon with friends and family, supported by delightfully good gilled food and of course, the perfect match, beer.
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eer is a very versatile beverage. It provides both complementary and contrasting experiences when paired with food. But without a doubt, pairing beer and barbecue is the ultimate crowd pleaser. Beer is always there, complementing our most favorite comfort foods — you wouldn’t pair pizza, hot dogs, or hamburgers with wine, would you? But the most fond relationship with barbecue. Beer’s flavor and bubbly brightness cuts through barbecue’s spice and fire, continuously refreshing and recharging your palate. At the same time, its complex flavors can complement the layers of flavor in barbecue marinade. For our BEER-B-Q event, we enlisted the help of the talented duo of Good For Eats, Chefs Fernando Sindu and Ivan Wibowo to help maneuver us through the intricacies of beer and barbecue pairing. And oh what a delicious meal it turned out to be. Chef Fernando prepared three proteins, some sauces and sides, while Chef Ivan prepared the desserts. The mainstays on the grill were the Blackened Cajun-style Rib Eye, Double Cheeseburgers and Grilled Chicken Rica-rica. The sauces included a Beer-B-Q sauce, which was made using Bintang Pilsner beer, a mixed mushroom sauce, Rica-rica hot sauce and Animal sauce, which is a mixture of mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, pickle relish and salt and pepper. The fun sides were there to accompany the proteins. There was Potato Salad, Green olive Rice, Garlic bread, grilled corn-onthe-cob and a Mac and Cheese. Yum! Chef Fernando says that the strong flavors of the sauces and smoky grill flavor of the proteins are perfectly complimented by both the Bintang Pilsner. The effervescence of the beer cleans the palate too and readies you for the next bite. For those who are not too fond of the slightly bitter after taste of the Pilsner, the refreshing lemon flavor of Bintang Radler was a welcome treat. Chef Ivan Wibowo made a specially crafted Bintang Radler Sorbet just for the Beer-B-Q event. Guests went gaga over the refreshing and invigorating flavor of the Bintang Radler in the cool sorbet form. After churning the sorbet for many hours, the delight of the guests proved to be Chef Ivan’s reward. His caramel panna cotta and fresh fruit bowl were also wiped out by the guests. With all of the ingredients in place: good company, great barbecue dishes, inspiring desserts and cold beer, the afternoon Beer-B-Q turned out to be a huge success.
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ASADO: A GRILLING HERITAGE FROM THE PATAGONIAN COWBOYS by RIAN FARISA photographs by DENNIE RAMON
Grilling food is as old as when man discovered fire. With so many techniques and instruments now, we should not forget to mention the South American style of grilling that revolutionized the way we cook meat. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Asado.
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arbecues and steaks are mostly done in the way that we all know already too well. Casually, we would only need to buy a portable grill, prepare the charcoals, and grill the meat to our liking during celebratory days like New Year’s Eve or birthdays for example. Nowadays, serious steaks are coming out of restaurants more often than what we saw back then. Steakhouses now specify which cut goes to the flat griddle and which one goes to the char broiler. The technology and the management have now become so efficient to the point that we think this is the best you can get from a meat. However, traditionalists may refute it upon seeing how well Indonesians, for example, could grill it by only using a very rustic instrument such as the ones used by the local tukang sate in the neighborhood. Now, this brings us to another interesting perspective on grilling techniques that came from South America. It was a heritage that was left by the cowboys of Patagonia, Gran Chaco, and Rio Grande du Sul. HOW THE GAUCHO DID IT El Asador in Kemang was our best bet to learn more about the parrilla grill. As the one and only restaurant that serves steaks in asado style, I was escorted directly by the owner himself, Mr. Eugenio Doldan, who was proudly demonstrating how special his parrilla grill was. At a glance, everything seems simple from the looks of the grill but the rule of thumb of making a decent parrilla grill indoor is to create good metal nets – laid firm and flat as oppose to metal crosses they use for outdoor grills, a basket for the hardwood, some space below the nets for the embers, a shovel to crack the wood and pull the embers, and a formidable exhaust. Other than that, it’s the barbecuer/asador’s finesse to know the meat, the grilling techniques, to withstand the heat and whatnot. While there are now manufacturers of modern and portable parrilla grill for home use, the traditional ones are done by building metal crosses to hold the whole animal together and then it can be tilted around 45 degrees further from the heat or closer when needed while grilling. “Our style of grilling was invented a long time ago by the gaucho of South America”, said Mr. Doldan. Like in North America, the cowboys were those who were arguably responsible for American culture of grilling. But from where Mr. Doldan came from, the gaucho or “the man of the country” were those who made this inspiring invention. “A proper gaucho back then should know how to hunt, how to slaughter the animal, and they’re the ones who cook it. Now, everybody can do that however we can only trust real asadors to do the grilling”, he said explaining.
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CHOOSING THE MEAT For Mr. Doldan, the importance of providing premium quality meat is paramount. El Asador specifically requires beef from a trusted supplier who can provide meat freshly cut here in Indonesia and then aged between 6 to 8 weeks. “After that, we only need to season it with salt and pepper. That’s it. If you are trying to marinade it or do something else with the meat, real asadors won’t consider it proper for grilling”, said Mr. Doldan. There are essential Argentine cuts which are usually used for asado grill but Mr. Doldan currently uses some cuts he deems best for serving based on the availability and also his knowledge as an experienced asador. “If you want to complete your experience, we also provide lingua (beef tongue) and the exotic pamplona”, Eugene continued. TIME TO GRILL In contrast to popular belief, the South Americans are not using charcoals or direct wood fire as the grilling fuel. “Parrilla grill uses indirect heat from the embers of hard
wood. I have experimented with Indonesian local wood and decided to use the woods from rambutan tree”, said Eugene while restocking the basket with fresh wood. The heat started to go strong and only true asadors can withstand it for a long time. I recently found a term, man-squite, which was correlated with the pride of any real asador after a hard day’s work. It is a mixture of smoke, meat, and sweat as a result of prolonged grilling. It is a physical proof of love, patience, and dedication with what South American people consider as a sacred food culture of their own. At El Asador, I can feel the heat even from around three meters away. I imagine that during rush hours, the asadors are working hard to grill a huge block of rump steak and to shovel the embers to every conceivable angle under the metal nets as the meat started to fill every corner of it. On top of it, he must make sure that the meat is properly grilled, medium rare as people nowadays prefer it. “It took around more than a month to finally entrust my parrilla grill for my chef here. He’s good with grilling and he is keen to
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learn more”, said Eugene proudly. After that, the asador then sliced each meat so that it will fit into a hot plate heated with embers. In no time, it was filled with grilled chicken, flat iron steak, flank steak, sausages, and of course – the bone in rib eye. The result was as I had expected with much anticipation. The aged beef was one successful factor from the grill but what made it perfect was the grilling technique itself and the indirect heat that saves the meat from charring too much. “Of course we don’t use wood with strong smell like eucalyptus for example. We specifically use rambutan among other trees because it produces bigger embers and gives out a good smoky result for the meat”, Eugene added. It was a treat that I enjoyed thoroughly and was even made more than just perfect with Eugene’s special concoction of salsa criolla – his version of chimichurri sauce. “In addition to parsley, garlic, and olive oil; I added tomatoes, capsicums, and onions with balsamic vinegar”, he said. Going on strong for two years now, El Asador is still the only player that possesses this technique and that we all must thank Eugene who introduced it to Jakarta, and the rest of South American gaucho who invented this many years ago. I urge you to try it if you haven’t. Who knows after this, we might be ready to see a churrascaria as well here. Well, that’s a different topic to discuss, but I wager that perhaps Eugene might be the one who would introduce Jakarta to that experience.
EL ASADOR | Kemang Point Building, Jalan Kemang Raya, Jakarta | T: +62 21 2970 4981
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W E N T T H E R E AT E T H AT
A Western Australian Treat by JED DOBLE photographs by CULLEN WINES
Margaret River in Western Australia, with its premium wine region is an excellent place for foodies to indulge their passions. Cullen Wines and their Restaurant is an ideal spot to sample the best of what the region has to offer.
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W E N T T H E R E AT E T H AT
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trip to Margaret River should be on every foodie’s bucket list. Not only is it a foodie’s heaven, it also boasts of stunning scenery. It’s the only wine region in Australia where you can hop from award-winning wineries and restaurants to stunning beaches, tall-timber forests, world-class surf breaks and ancient caves. Winegrowing began on the Cullen property in Margaret River over 40 years ago. Blessed with mild weather and abundant sunshine, the area is particularly suited to growing Bordelais varieties and in particular Cabernet Sauvignon. On the advice of eminent agronomist Dr. John Gladstones, Dr. Kevin and Diana Cullen were involved in the first planting of a trial acre of vines at Wilyabrup in 1966. With encouraging results, another 18 acres of vines were planted on their sheep and cattle farm in 1971, including their first Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc were then planted between 1976 and 1978. While Kevin Cullen worked as a doctor to support the business, Diana Cullen supervised and managed the winery and become Chief Winemaker in 1981. Di made history in 1982 being the first woman to win a trophy in the Perth Royal Show. In 1983 she was joined by daughter Vanya, who was later appointed as Chief Winemaker in 1989 and Managing Director from 1999. Cullen Wines focuses on only the best quality wines, with a Wilyabrup sense of place and a sustainable philosophy. The maritime climate, rocky soils, dry farming and biodynamic practices all help to create individual and diverse wine styles which are unique to Cullen. Grapes are harvested by hand on fruit and flower days according to the astrological calendar. The wines have no additions of yeast, acid or malolactic culture, expressing the land on which they are grown, the vintage and the people. The philosophy of Cullen Wines is to search for the best quality expression of the vineyard in the wine, this help to create individual and diverse wine styles which are unique to Cullen. The Cullen Restaurant, headed by executive chef David Hull, reflects these exact same principles in its food. The Cullen Restaurant overlooks the historic vineyard located in Wilyabrup, Margaret River. The building’s unique construction from granite and timber blends harmoniously with the surroundings and provides a relaxing place to enjoy a glass of wine, lunch or just a coffee. Since the vineyard is Certified “A” Grade Biodynamic with the Biological Farmers Association and in keeping with this philosophy, all food in the restaurant is prepared using fresh, biodynamic and organic produce and is sourced from their own garden and select local producers.
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David was born in Middleborough in the northeast of England. After completing secondary education, it was a general interest in ingredients that led David to becoming a chef, the flexibility, and inspiration that you can get from one ingredient is unlimited. David went very quickly from working in the local hotel, catering for large weddings, to working in one of the top gastronomic pubs in the UK, The General Tarleton. Under the guidance of owner (pub chef of the year) and head chef (young chef of the year) David developed an in-depth knowledge of refined flavours. After a 4 years David decided to head off and explore the world where he worked throughout New Zealand and France. During this time David became Head Chef, managing busy and popular restaurants from ski resorts to fine dining. David then decided it was time to head back to Margaret River for the lifestyle, wineries and food. It was here David was offered the role as sous chef at Cullen wines and within the year offered the ultimate position of Cullen Wines Executive Chef. Over the last 2 years with David at the helm Cullen Wines have redesigned the menu to share and enjoy with family and friends, focusing on local, organic and biodynamic ingredients. We do minimal input in the vinyard, we believe that the less input we do, the more vibrant and lively the grapes are. We reflect the same principles at the restaurant, we source organic produce where ever possible, we grow our own vegetables on site, we have three vegetable gardens, we have a full time gardener and he looks after the vegetables … We pick our vegetables everyday for the restaurant and so it’s a very short amount of time from being picked out of the ground to being served at the restaurant, just a matter of hours rather than days. All the produce , we try to do minimal input to it, we try to let the natural flavors speak for themselves
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We do a lot of daily pick salads, using the best produce and vegetables of the day, using fresh herbs and flowers from the garden, and we just dress that with a little bit of lemon juice: we let the guests taste the flowers and herbs in their natural form. All the dishes on the menu are matched with the wines available at the cellar door at the time. Since the availability of the wine changes all the time, the dishes also constantly change. We work closely with the sommelier, to closely match the wine and the food. “My style of food is more of a combination of the places I have been to,” Chef David tells us. “I’ve taken bits and pieces from all of the places I have worked at and have created my own style of food. I do have some British aspects to my food, but I also do a bit of more Asian influence, using some ingredients I have learned to use
from Asia, like wasabi, mirin and rice wine vinegar,” he continues. Chef David tells us that the food at Cullen can be described as modern Australian, with a little bit of Asian influence. “We have a good balance of dishes on the menu, and make sure that they please a wide spectrum of clients visiting the restaurant.” At present, they are serving their Autumn menu, but as May begins, they will be transitioning into their Winter menu. Chef David tells us that they will increase the flavors and depth of flavors in the dishes, creating a lot more homey dishes, including more braised dishes of beef and lamb. “We try to reflect the seasons whenever possible. With Autumn and Winter approaching, we add a little bit more spice and warmth to the dishes, to make them more suitable to the seasons.”
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CULLEN WINES AND RESTAURANT | 4323 Caves Road, Wilyabrup WA 6280 | +61 89755 5656 www.cullenwines.com.au | E: cullendining@cullenwines.com.au | Facebook: CullenWines | Twitter: @Vanya _ Cullen
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T H E FI N E R T H I N G S
Guardian of The Kitchen by SAHIRI LOING photographer by DENNIE RAMON and HIMAWAN SUTANTO
Chef Matt Demery of C’s at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta successfully expands his culinary horizon.
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rom guarding the coast to manning the kitchen—the life of Matt Demery couldn’t get any different. Upon graduating from core school, Matt was indecisive about what he wanted to do next until a friend suggested that they join the Coast Guard. After a bit of research, his interest was piqued. Matt hails from Missouri, where his surrounding didn’t actually nurture his latent interest in food. Both of his parents worked to raise their four children (Matt is the second) and the franchised Applebee’s was considered to be the pinnacle of premium eating in his hometown. “I live in a town where being a chef seems like such a far-fetch idea,” says the 38-year-old chef. “And I don’t really have any influence at home because I can’t really call my mother as a ‘great cook’ but that was because back then we didn’t have the luxury of having a nanny—unlike here which you can get one quite easy—so between work and raising four children there wasn’t any time to focus on cooking.” But as fate would have it, his 3,5 years stint in the Coast Guard (by himself, I might add, since the aforementioned friend backed off on the day he was supposed to enlist) proved to be a stepping stone towards the culinary world as he was introduced to the team’s cook, exposing him further to the going ons in the kitchen. With the salary he got from being with the Coast Guard, he self-financed his study at one of the top three culinary school in America, The New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. And thus his journey towards chefdom began. “That was when I began to see food as more than something you eat,” says Matt. “It opened my eyes to different ideas. And I like making dishes that can make people feel hapy.” He then occupied the kitchen in various locations in America, from The Ritz-Carlton in Colorado to the Blue Duck Tavern at the Grand Hyatt in Washington DC. Here he chanced upon an opportunity to work at the C’s Steak and Seafood restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta and, harboring a desire to work in Asia for a long time now, he immediately applied for the position. And thus 6 months laters off he packed his bags to our beloved Indonesia. Interestingly, his wife is actually Indonesian whom he met when they were both working in Washington DC. He is slowly adapting to the hustle and bustle of the capital, but after 1 year and 3 months he still wonders why there are no fresh markets available here in Jakarta, but apparently he has no difficulty in finding a dish that suits his taste buds as he quite enjoys martabak and lontong sayur. As to creating his own Indonesian food, the soccer lover so far prefers to mix certain local
ingredients. “It’s not actually a fusion but I do like to infuse local ingredients such as serundeng which I used here for our grilled seafood salad and also spices like mace, which orangey taste kind of reminds me of what’s called the ‘winter spice’ back home,” he says. Matt admits that the concept of “barbequeing” between here and the States is a bit different. “In America, we usually grill the meat in a special kind of contraption where it’s covered and we let it slow roasted for about 10 hours,” he says. “And the fire doesn’t touch the meat—we use the indirect heat to cook it.” He further adds that the types of meat determines the way you cook it: “For example you do
C’S STEAK & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT | Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Jalan M. H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30, Jakarta | T: +62 21 29921234 www.jakarta.grand.hyatt.com
not grill the cheek because it would make the meat tough and inedible.” He explains that in America there are three famous styles of barbequing, coming from Texas, Kansas City, and Memphis, and each one has a different taste. “The Texasstyle barbeque has a dry texture and uses spice such as black pepper,” he says. “Then there’s the Kansas City barbeque which is sour and spicy, and last is the Memphis barbeque which is coated with a sweet sauce.” Well, he certainly knows his food. From hanging out in Applebee’s to running his own kitchen at one of the city’s classiest restaurants, Chef Matt Demery has definitely come a long way.
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Julian’s Tipples by JED DOBLE photographs by DENNIE RAMON
Potato Head Jakarta’s new Head Mixologist, Julian Dacreane shares with us some interesting cocktails to pair with grilled food.
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rench-born Julian Decreane recently assumed the role of Head Mixologist for the Potatohead outlets in Jakarta, overseeing the bar programs for Potato Head Brasserie at Pacific Place, Potato Head Garage at Fairgrounds SCBD and Three Buns – Burgers and Heads in Senopati. Julian joins Potato Head from London having worked at some of the most iconic and established bars there. Curiously enough, Julian was trained as a graphic designer but was lured by the fun and fascinating life of the bar man, beginning his career behind the bar in New York in 2009. His first role in London was at the Hide Bar in Bermondsey before moving to the luxury Grosvenor Hotel in Victoria. In 2013, Julian began work at Lab Bar in London’s Soho, one of the most iconic bars in the city and often thought of as the true home of mixology, celebrating its 15 year anniversary last year. Most recently, Julian worked as assistant general manager at Opium Cocktail and DimSum Parlour at London’s Chinatown, a bar and restaurant originally founded by Potato Head’s own Dre Masso. Now working with Dre in Jakarta, Julian will be responsible for all the bars in the Potato Head Jakarta cluster, helping to maintain and improve the standards and creating new and exciting cocktails. When we met Julian at Potato Head Brasserie a few weeks ago, he starts our
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conversation by saying that he loves his new adoptive city. “I have been here for a month and a half, and I love the city. People think I am crazy because I love the city, but I truly do. The people are amazing, especially the people I work with here, they have all been very very welcoming.” He is enjoying his new role he says. “I take care of all the bar menus, training the bartenders and developing the image of Potato Head as a company which uses the best local and home-made ingredients.” Julian tells me that they source the best available produce, making use they are the best and freshest available: dragon fruit from Bandung, pineapple from Subang and even local cabe rawit from Jakarta. This vision to use the freshest ingredients is group-wide: all their outlets from Jakarta, to Bali and Singapore have to follow this freshness tenent. His first cocktail was the Honey Mary, his twist on the Bloody Mary mixing in some honey. Julian thinks that honey is a great ingredient to pair with lamb or chicken, specially if you are barbecuing. The sweetness provides a welcome respite to the strong barbecue flavors. Then he prepared a Rosella Collins, which is a lemongrass and rosella fizz. The rosella is good for digestion and is also known to improve blood pressure. This variant of the traditional Collins, uses some Talisker whiskey which gives it a little hint of
smokiness, perfect to the accompany the smokiness of barbecued or grilled dishes., like a grilled lamb rack. Lastly, Julian prepared a Spiced Roasted Pineapple Sour. For this, he roasted some Subang pineapple on the grill, until it was slightly caramelized , he mixed it with rum, and spiced it up with a home-made vanilla and clove liqueur and lastly, he adds some freshly squeezed lemon juice to give it a bit of sourness. This refreshing tipple, with its sweet, spicy and sour notes goes very well with some grilled dishes which usually have the same flavor profiles. Julian says that the sweetness of the pineapple goes well with meats, effectively cleanses your palate, making it ready for your next bite. Julian says that his biggest challenge so far it to increase the market’s awareness of Potato Head’s push towards local and fresh produce. He has observed that many bars in Jakarta do not usually use fresh and local when it comes to their cocktails. “Other bars seek inspiration from places abroad, like London, and do not feature local produce as much as they should. I really find this a big shame because there are so many amazing local products here, that’s why we should use them.” Now with Julian at the help of the Potato Head Jakarta bar programs, we are looking forward to enjoying more creative and local cocktails in the coming months.
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HONEY MARY Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS:
50 ml Vodka Lemon 4 pcs Cherry tomato 1 pc Fresh chili paddy 10 ml Honey 15 ml Fresh Lemon juice 5 ml Worcestershire sauce / Lea & Perrins 1 pinch Ocean salt 1 pinch Indonesian peppercorn
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STEPS
• Muddle the cherry tomato and the chili together • Pour in all other ingredients • Shake vigorously • Double strain into a martini glass • Garnish with some celery
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SPICED ROASTED PINEAPPLE SOUR Serves 1
INGREDIENTS: 40 ml 15 ml 2 pcs 15 ml 1 dash 15 ml 1 pc
Rum Vanilla & Clove liquor Pineapple Slices, roasted Spiced syrup Angostura bitters Fresh lemon juice Egg white
STEPS
• Muddle the roasted pineapple in the shaker then pour all the ingredients • Shake vigorously • Double strain over cube ice • Garnish with a Roasted pineapple
TIPS
To make roasted pineapple, slice some pineapple about 1 cm thick, cover it in sugar then put it in the oven for about 20 minutes.
ROSELLA COLLINS Serves 1
INGREDIENTS: 40 ml 15 ml 15 ml 10 ml top up
Gin infused with Rosella Talisker 10 Lemongrass syrup Fresh lemon juice Soda water
STEPS
• Pour all the ingredients together in a shaker • Shake vigorously • Pour into glass over ice cubes and top up with soda water • Garnish with lemongrass and dry rosella flower
TIPS
To make gin infuse rosella, take one bottle of gin 10 rosella flower let it soak in for 1 hour.
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T R I E D A N D TI P SI E D
Raising The Bar by SAHIRI LOING
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he tables are set, the cocktails are served beautifully, and the man behind the bar patiently awaits for that first sip—such was the view of the Diageo World Class Bartendering Competition held recently at Queen’s Head, Kemang, South Jakarta. The event is the industry’s most prestigious and respected bartending competition and it has now concluded the semi finals stage, picking two favorites each from Jakarta and Bali. And the outcome proves more than satisfactory. “From what I saw, the bar has definitely been raised,” says Katherine Nagar, Diageo Brand Ambassador. “It feels so rewarding to see something new and exciting from the participants and now the seed has definitely been planted.” Ten bartenders from outlets in Jakarta faced two challenges: the Multi Sensory Serve, which employs the concept of cocktail drinking being a full experience that includes all of the senses (one creative contestant from Kupang even dressed himself in his hometown traditional garment and played their traditional music); and the Raw Food Pairing challenge in which contestants must create cocktails that complements—or contrasts—a raw food dish. Ultimately, the judges—Tom Hogan from the US, Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn
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The guy who serves your drink at the bar has a lot of hidden talents, and the Diageo World Class Bartendering Competition has becoWme the perfect venue to showcase it.
from Thailand, as well as two others from the Indonesian media—picked Yosi Pranantaka from Cork & Screw Pacific Place and Widya Prasetyo from E&O. “I feel so honored to be given this opportunity because I think the Diageo competition that’s held in each region tries to promote local cultures, and so that’s what I want to do,” says Yosi, who created the Spice Javanese Margarita for the Multi Sensory challenge. “Through my creations I want to promote Indonesia as well.” Meanwhile, Widya’s seems to have a more simple aim in mind: “My cocktail is called the Wonderday and it’s supposed to make people happy after a hard day’s work,” he says. “I made the experience feels like a picnic on a sunny day, and the taste of the drink reflects it, such as the use of lime and lemongrass.” “This competition has definitely forced these bartenders to acquire a different level of skills,” says Tom Hogan, a Singapore-based bartender who was top 3 at last year’s Singapore competition. “And so we want to push that mould. It’s not just about the liquid but it’s also about presentation, the body of the drink, as well as the interaction and genuine approach with customers. For me, a good bartender consists of sixty percent improvisation.” The pressure for these contestants can be quite nervewracking: under the sharp
glare of the judges they must be able to eloquently explain the concept of their cocktails, the reasons for using certain mixtures and herbs, and the way they served their drinks and food. Sweat visibly lingers and hands trembled despite the confident facade of some contestants. Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn—or more popularly called by his nickname, Neung— can be quite critical but he says, “I just want them to get better. I do try to make them relaxed but of course during presentation I want them to know exactly what they’re serving. I also like them to have consistency, [the two winners] were able to present their best on both challenges.” All of the four semi finalists from Jakarta and Bali will next be sent to Thailand for the Southeast Asia (SEA) Finals from June 30 to July 2. Then the selection will come down to one representative from Indonesia who will face further challenges in Cape Town, South Africa, for the Global Finals. Regardless of who comes out as the winner, Katherine Nagar seems content with the creativity shown by the contestants. “The role of bartenders is definitely still undervalued here in Indonesia,” she says. “And so we’re hoping with this event we’re able to raise the status of the bartenders, to show the world their talents and creativities.”
T R I E D A N D TI P SI E D
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AYAM BAKAR KHAS SOLO MEGARIA & ES TELER SARI MULIA ASLI by RIAN FARISA
Many of us are still lucky to be able to still eat breakfast at home. But for the rest of the crowd, we need to grab a bite on the way or when we get to the office.
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erhaps not more than a year ago, it was a contrasting view to see the luxurious, air-conditioned Metropole cinema compared to the humble appearance of the street food that surrounds it. Metropole’s street food has been influential for years to the loyal patrons of the cinema and they finally received the badly needed renovation. One of my favorites there, the grilled chicken and es teler joint, that has a decent history since 1967, now appears much more appealingly with bigger space, air-conditioning, and still has its impeccably attentive service as always. Now with the second generation at its helm and a foreseeable success from the number of crowd that flock in on daily basis, the history of this restaurant actually came from a very humble background. One must credit the es teler and pure hard work of its owners as the main contributors for the success. The invention of es teler itself was self-proclaimed by the first generation of the owners since the dawn of their business decades ago. Well, who could have refused a concoction of shaved coconut flesh, diced jackfruits, and avocadoes with shaved ice and condensed milk? Served inside a glass instead of a bowl, Sari Mulia Asli easily presents one of the best in Jakarta and a must-try if you haven’t. To climax the experience, their grilled chicken is also to die for. The sambal has the tendency of being sweet and mildly spicy, but as a dipping sauce for their carefully prepared and grilled chicken, you wouldn’t hesitate to have seconds. The chicken was perfectly grilled, clean, rendered of its fat, and comes in with the option of breast or thigh. I always choose the former. Once in a while, I also favor a bowl of mie bakso (noodles and meatballs soup) as a substitute. Well, Indonesians simply love it. Like rujak, we all want to have it from time
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to time. Other good options like nasi gulai sapi (beef curry rice), siomay (fish dumplings), and the tofu or tempe bacem (soybean tofu and tempe marinated in liquid brown sugar) will complement the grilled chicken as well as the es teler nicely.
Popular within the hearts of not only the cinema patrons and office workers, be sure to queue for a good seat during weekdays as well as on weekends. But when you have finally secured one, rest assured, you will be nicely treated to your heart’s content.
TA K I N G I T TO T H E S T R E E T S
OPENING HOURS: Daily, 9am – 9pm SPEND: IDR 25,000 – 30,000 / person
AYAM BAKAR KHAS SOLO MEGARIA & ES TELER SARI MULIA ASLI | Jalan Pegangsaan no. 21, Jakarta
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CUMI BAKAR JAWA TIMUR by RIAN FARISA
Looking for something different other than the usual fried or grilled chicken for street food dinner? We have the right place to go.
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ne casual dinnertime option for street food is usually the Indonesian-style fried or grilled chicken from your favorite shack in town. For a very low price, consider yourself fulfilled with a serving of warm rice, chicken, lots of sambal pecel (peanut based sambal), and lalapan (raw vegetables). Well, each shack apparently possesses its own uniqueness in terms of, for example, how good their sambal pecel is, or what else they offer aside from chicken. As for the latter, they may also serve duck, catfish, or even fried eggs that apparently go well with sambal pecel. Back in my younger days, frugal college students with limited allowance were saved from starvation with just this.
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But here in Setiabudi, people seem to not always pick the chicken and instead, opt for something else. First and foremost, this grilled chicken joint has an excellent skewered cuttlefish, which is quite rare except when you’re in a seafood shack. Already chopped evenly, skewered, half grilled, and brushed with bumbu kuning (Indonesian-style sauce for grilling); the cuttlefish will then be grilled all the way for finishing upon request. The result is good. It still retained the right chewiness consistency and was also seasoned with ketchup while grilling to make it more wholesome. Moreover, the seafood here tasted fresh. This was the case also for the fish. The best sellers are single serving gurame and garoupa. However if you want something
more common, then you can choose pomfret, which has no sign of fishy smell the last time I visited. Grilled well, the fish came with a slice of lemon upon serving for that additional zingy, refreshing touch. The sambal pecel was not that spicy but it gives the balance that you seek when it is dipped with the fish, the squid, as well as the chicken. I recommend you to use additional kecap manis to help bring more dynamism with the whole flavor. Lastly, it is compulsory for you to ask for their tahu penyet while available. It is basically a regular fried tofu but once it is fried, they will smash it with a pestle and season it with sambal kecap and chopped bird-eye chilies and shallots. No need to add anything else and addiction is guaranteed!
TA K I N G I T TO T H E S T R E E T S
OPENING HOURS: Daily, 6pm – 12am SPEND: IDR 25,000 – 30,000 / person
CUMI BAKAR JAWA TIMUR | Jalan Setiabudi Tengah (left side of Aston at Kuningan Suites), Jakarta
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The Flavorful Satay by SAHIRI LOING photographs by KRISNA SALYA
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n Indonesia, when your food comes on a stick it better have the mandatory triple threat of sauce—peanut, sweet soy and chili—to accompany it. Drench it generously and we couldn’t be happier. The Chinese version of satay is a bit different: it still comes on a stick (sometimes made of iron instead of wood) but served dry, which means it arrives in front of you sans sauce. “The Chinese from the south, other than prefering their meat aromatic also prefers it to have an original taste,” says Hendry, the restaurant manager of Imperial BBQ. “So if they eat goat meat, they want it to taste exactly like goat meat!” The name of this particular dish is called sao khao, a Chinese-styled barbeque which fortunately isn’t just exclusive to meat— they also offer a plate of seafood and vegetables—such as potatoes, garlic, enoki mushrooms, green beans— all on on a stick. Compared to our beloved satay, the size of the meat is noticeably bigger. We had our first try of sao khao at the Imperial BBQ located in the vicinity of Mediterania Apartement in Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta. It’s a cozy-looking restaurant
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Not all satay comes with a sauce dressing—the sao khao of Imperial BBQ proves that dry serving can be equally delectable
with oriental atmosphere and an outdoor setting that frequently host a screening of Chinese movies. It’s a bit for the nocturnal eater though as the restaurant opens around 6PM and closes at 5AM. Our guide for the night, Hendry, immediately explained to us why sao khao is different from your average satay. “Other than it’s bigger, of course the taste is different,” he says. “The taste of sao khao actually differs in each region: the South likes it aromatic and original, and people from the port areas prefer it a bit salty. But since we’re in Indonesia, if there’s a request, naturally we try to make it a bit spicy.” But not all sao khao dishes are served on a stick—the name merely implies food that are cooked by the grilling method. The food laid in front of us looked like a feast for 10: we’ve got the best-sellers which include the lamb meat satay (since it’s a premium product that was imported from Australia it’s served with an iron stick), the (oddly) Japanese seasonal fish, sanma and shishamo; the cut open eggplant, the aforementioned vegetables that are served with sticks, the homemade pork called
lijiang, the Chinese steamed bun, mantou; and much more. One thing we noticed upon first biting was how deliciously flavorful it tasted. As it turns out that’s the real kick of the sao khao dish: “Even though there are regional preferences but generally the food is coated with spices such as wijen (sesame seed) or seran, and of course we mix it also with our special sauce,” says Hendry. But out of all the dish, the lamb meat undoubtedly tasted very “original” with the spices lingering unobtrusively. However Hendry added that their version of sao khao actually combines the best from both the south and the north. “Our chef whom we brought from China actually grew up in the north but once lived in the South so that’s why we were able to create that balance as well as the versatility in catering to both taste buds.” The menu on offer by the Imperial BBQ actually cannot be described as a full meal—the restaurant positions itself as more of a hangout place, catering mostly to the after (working) hour people in the mood for snacks. “Oddly our busiest nights are actually on workdays,” Hendry says. “They’re mostly young people who need a place to unwind after a night of hitting the clubs, and they get that from our place. Especially since most of the dished on our menu are perfect accompanied with a glass of cold beer.” And we couldn’t agree more.
TA K I N G I T TO T H E S T R E E T S
IMPERIAL BBQ | Apartemen Mediterania Gajah Mada, Jalan Gajah Mada No.174 - TU - A 06, Jakarta
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A NOSTALGIC STEAK HOUSE by RANI DJOEIR photographs by DENNIE RAMON
A meal that is a feast is something that we enjoy occasionally. What makes it more special is when the feast can bring back old memories.
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very once in a while I always get the urge to eat MEAT. I am one of those carnivores who actually get this type of longing often. Unfortunately, not many people in Jakarta are red meat eaters. But that does not mean that we don’t have many steak houses around. They serve a great deal of steaks that suit your pocket. Two types of steak houses can be found, such as those serving American style steaks that are seasoned with dry rub and served as is with huge sides of fries and baked beans. On the other hand, I am a big fan of steaks served with gravy and some vegetables. One steak house that I often visit is Gandy Steak House & Bakery. Honestly, this place is like a restaurant from the bygone era with all wood interiors and the lighting is dimmed. But that does not stop people from going there. It has this nostalgic quality that nothing can’t beat. I usually visit its 2nd store located in Menteng. It is still in its original building that first opened its doors in 1976. The restaurant is on the second floor while the 1st floor is for their
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bakery. For me, I have a soft spot for this place, not only for its consistent food, but this is also the first steak house I ate in back in the days with my grandpapa. Whenever I ate there, I look forward to starting my meal with Gandy’s dinner roll. This long roll, freshly made in their bakery, is the perfect starter for me. The bread is warm and so soft. I slather it with butter to make it even more perfect. I also use it to finish off my cream corn soup, which I often have. The soup is creamy but not too heavy, making me want to wipe each and every drop of it with my bread. The dish that I always order is the Steak Ala Gandy. A beefsteak grilled to perfection and is served on a bed of sautéed champignon. It still uses its signature cow shaped hot plate from as long as I can remember. The accompaniment is a plate of potatoes of your liking (mine is definitely their creamy and extra soft mashed potato), sweet corn, steamed broccoli and carrot. The steak is also served with a huge serving of Gandy’s homemade butter sauce. The sauce is made out of melted butter, beef
stock, and seasoned with black pepper. It is so simple and I just can’t resist it. I opted my steak to be cooked in medium state to ensure its juiciness intact. One of the unique eating experiences here is that instead of dipping the steak into ketchup or chili sauce, we love to eat our steak with some pickled shallots and chili padi. Although known for its steak, Gandy has broadened its menu over the years to include other dishes as well. And one of my favorites is the Grilled Norwegian Salmon. A lightly seasoned salmon steak that is chargrilled until half cooked and the cooking process is finished off on their hotplate. It is just an honest dish with nothing fancy, only counting on good quality ingredients. The salmon is served the same way as the steak. It is no wonder that Gandy has been one of the icons for steak houses in Jakarta. You will be able to notice this place from a mile away. The restaurant has this green and red signage with a specific cow’s head logo and old school typography. Not only in Menteng, you can find Gandy in 5 other branches around the greater Jakarta area.
I CO N I C
GANDY STEAK HOUSE & BAKERY | Jalan HOS Cokroaminoto 90, Jakarta
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CO N F E S S IO N S O F A F O O DI E
A Toast To Miquel by JED DOBLE photographs by DENNIE RAMON
His winsome smile and young age may belie his international experience, but Miquel Sabrià Bernabeu, Ismaya’s new group sommelier, has definitely lots to share.
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think it was the second time that we met, were seated across from each other at a wine dinner, he shook my hand and introduced himself. I ask about his accent, and Miquel tells me he is Spanish, Catalan, from Barcelona. This excites me, Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in the world, plus my last long holiday was in Barcelona. And then I realize, it all fits. Barcelona being one of the great food capitals of the world, surely it would produce interesting food and beverage professionals like Miquel. A few weeks later, we are seated for lunch at SKYE, Miquel tells me that he grew up and spent most of his formative years in Barcelona. He has a Restaurant and Bar Services certificate from the Fundació de Restauració I Hostalatge de Barcelona, a Diploma in Culinary Arts from the Hofmann Hospitality School and a Sommelier Professional Certification from the Escuela Superior de Hosteleria de Barcelona. Obviously, he has tried to hone his craft through learning. He then spent the first 13 years of his career working in fine establishments in his hometown. In 2013, Miquel was bit by the travel bug and wanted to explore the world. He joined the Catalunya group, first as head sommelier in Hong Kong, then as group head sommelier in Singapore. “What I really like is going out, discovering new places, I really love it when I go to a place and it really surprises me: the ambiance, the concept, the design, the food the service, www.ismayagroup.com
that is what I really look for when I go out,” Miquel shares. But at heart, he still loves his hometown: “If you ask me about my favorite food, I will still go to Barcelona, Mediterranean cuisine. I really love the product!” “In Barcelona we have a wide diversity of foods. We have many kinds of restaurants, from the fancy gastronomic restaurants, to the casual ones. But what I really like about Barcelona is that we have great produce. And when you have beautiful produce, you don’t really need to touch it that much.” I ask Miquel to tell me the top three dishes one has to sample when visiting his hometown. “You have to try paella, the most famous dish in Barcelona, but you need to know where to find the good paella. I would go to 7 Portes, it is an iconic restaurant, they have been there for over a hundred years, and they make the best paella.” Of course next he mentions jamón ibérico de bellota. This is ham made from the black free-range Iberico pig, each pig needs a hectare of oak forest and feeds primarily on acorns. “Its very tasty and very expensive. Maldonado and Joselito are probably the best and most expensive brands,” Miquel discloses. Miquel’s last recommended dish is Pa amb tomàquet , sliced bread usually a baguette, toasted and brushed with tomato and a little bit of olive oil. “Pa amb tomàquet is very traditional, it is found everywhere and eaten with everything. A must try!”
Looking back, I did sample all of that during my last trip to Barcelona but of course, it takes a local to know the best brands and places to go to. We eventually speak about Miquel’s new role in Ismaya. “Ismaya is now over 10 years old but there is no one specialized in wine. I have come to fill that role. It is a challenge, therefore my goal is to give Ismaya that competitive edge when it comes to wine. I will build wine lists, give training to the staff and in the end, I want Ismaya to be a reference when it comes to wine. So that guest will know that when they come to Ismaya, they will find a beautiful wine list, good service and knowledgeable staff.” And naturally our conversation flows to wine. I ask if Miquel has any wine favorites. “I don’t have any favorite wine or style of wine. I decide which wine I like to take at each moment. It all depends on the situation: on the company, my mood, where I am, what I am eating. There are a lot of factors. I really decide on what I want at that particular moment,” Miquel reveals. Lastly, I ask Miquel what his tips are to those wanting to know more about wine. “Wine is experiential. If you want to understand wine, you will have to open a few bottles and sample them. You can also read about it, to gain more knowledge. In the end, there is no good or bad wine, it all depends on you. The wine that you like is the best wine for you.” I have to say, very well said.
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COMMUNE | Lot 8, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, SCBD, Jakarta | T: +62 21 9277 3302
CO N F E S S IO N S O F A F O O DI E
MARCEL CHANDRAWINATA by RIAN FARISA photographs by RIAN FARISA, COMMUNE, AND MARCEL CHANDRAWINATA’S PERSONAL COLLECTION
Caught in his free time between running a restaurant and preparing his new role in a feature film, Marcel Chandrawinata has no choice but to confess to us about his guilty pleasures as a foodie.
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he three siblings from the Chandrawinata family are known for their roles in the Indonesian showbiz for the past decade. With a background as a beauty pageant queen, Nadine’s role is currently set as a tourism ambassador for Raja Ampat. Meanwhile, Marcel’s twin brother Mischa is concentrating more on soap opera. Marcel told us that he’s now enjoying the challenge of juggling his time with several activities at once while also keeping his own me time in balance. “Presently, I am about to star in Lukman Sardi’s latest feature film ‘Tiga Dara’. After that, I will be helping my dad with our family resort business in Raja Ampat while occasionally I also love being a DJ and an MC as well”, said Marcel. Apart from those activities, Marcel also drops by at Commune Bistro & Grill - a contemporary style rice bowl eatery that he coowns with several of his colleagues. “Four of us who own Commune are still young and we are willing to learn every day. We share our ups and downs together”, told Marcel. His hard work, which has spanned for a decade now, doesn’t make Marcel skip the joy of having good food once in a while. Despite his strict exercise regime, he always finds an excuse to spoil himself with indulging treats from time to time. “Ask anyone around and they will confirm me as somebody who never forgets his ice cream after a meal and anything else sweet and sugary for desserts”, he started his confession. Getting in deeper with what he really likes, Marcel added that he’s fond of noodles also. “You should visit Mekong while in Melbourne. Their pho is insanely delicious!” exclaimed Marcel. But when in Jakarta, he enjoys having the homemade noodles made by his girlfriend’s parents. “They used to be in the business, so that’s why they know how to make good curly noodles, cook it al dente, and with plenty of meat. I never forget to put my favorite kecap manis into it”, he continued. Like many Indonesians who get homesick too soon when traveling aboard, Marcel is also the type who brings chili sauce as his savior. “In contrast to that, when traveling locally, I will always bring my preferred brand of kecap manis”, he said - a bit secretively. Since this is a barbecue issue, we did not forget to ask him about his favorite grilled food. “Make no mistake, I love meat but I have limitations naturally. Being an ex vegetarian, I began to love grilled vegetables whenever we’re doing a BBQ event”, explained Marcel. Well, he knows exactly that grilling the vegetables helps to bring out their flavors. Suddenly, he asked his friend who sat nearby us. “Hey, whenever we have a Korean-style BBQ, which do I like better? The meat or the garlic?” His friend without any hesitation answered, “Hey man, you like garlic too much!” “Now you know my guilty pleasure then”, he concluded.
MARCEL CHANDRAWINATA | Instagram: @marcelchandra
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M AYA ’ S M U S I N G
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Instagram and Twitter: @maya _ aldy | E: maya _ aldy@otellobby.com
M AYA ’ S M U S I N G
A Mexican Weekend by MAYA ALDY photographs by MAYA ALDY AND PORTIBI FARMS
A recent personal invitation from my dear friend has got me driving towards Sukabumi, with my niece, over the weekend to Portibi Farms.
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he farm, owned by Jocean Bowler and Dewi Ayu, is a working organic farm, a retreat, a budding village factory, a place to dream, and createbeautiful things, fantastic flavors. The farm is basically a bed and breakfast place where you can enjoy nature and learn about useful life skills, gain appreciation for the work done daily to make their food, and experience how nature works. Jocean invited me, we have been planning this for sometime already but my schedule was rather busy at the beginning of the year and when an opening arose, I just said let’s do it. It’s set up in this beautiful mountain near Gunung Salak and it’s so green in there. They grow leafy vegetables, fruits and herbs that are distributed to selected restaurants in Jakarta including Otel lobby. So the event itself is I as the guest chef. The guests came that weekend to relax and decompress while eating food cooked by me using healthy ingredients plus whatever was being harvested that weekend. The kitchen there is really nice. I cooked with Ayu, Jocean and with the help of some of the guests. It was kind of a family set up where we were so relaxed while cooking. People were just there to relax and go hiking, see the waterfall, be one with nature and eat good and healthy food. It was like a family gathering, I didn’t know most of the guests except Jocean and his family. In a way, we became a new family that weekend; we ate
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together, we relaxed together and played music together. The great thing about it is being able to share the little bit I know about cooking healthy with the guests and staff there. They have great staff in the kitchen and are enthusiastic about the food that I am cooking and why it is healthy. I wanted to let them know that the most important thing about cooking healthy food is to use healthy ingredients and it’s pretty much easy to make. The theme was Mexican weekend. I made fresh beautiful guacamole because the avocado there is out of this world. It was simple guacamole with chopped onion, lime juice, coriander (freshly picked from their garden) and a little bit of salt and a sprinkle of chili pepper on top. We also made fresh tortillas that we rolled together. We grilled fish and grass fed beef that I brought all the way from Sumbawa. It really was a nice Mexican weekend getaway. Jocean made killer drinks. They have a full bar where you can find gems from local beer breweries that you have never heard of. They are artisanal home industry kind of business. We also made ice cream. I brought my portable ice cream machine and we made beautiful ice cream flavors. The kids had peanut butter chocolate Tim Tam flavored ice cream while the adults had basil, passion fruit, and brown sugar vanilla flavored ice cream. We also had coffee flavor but kopi
tubruk style with the grinded coffee grounds. To sum up everything, it was a nice event, I had a nice time and I had fun sharing it with the people there and also learning from them myself. I’m looking forward to doing a lot of events like this where my cooking can be useful. It’s semi-cooking classes, it’s semiretreat and it’s semi-detoxing. It’s a little bit of everything plus lots of fun. I want this year to be the year where I can promote clean healthy eating without starving yourself. You don’t need to be skinny; you just have to be healthy. It’s also the year where I want to pass on the little bit that I know about healthy cooking to everyone. I want everyone to be sustained by being able to cook their own healthy meals and for them to avoid packaged food and fast food that are not good for them. Just do it 70-30. 70 clean eating healthy, 30 for whatever you want to do. I think 70-30 is good and combine it with your active lifestyle. Everything in moderation! Love,
M AYA ’ S M U S I N G
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TRIED AND TESTED
W EBBER >< T H E FOODIE
Chef Degan’s Talay Pao
by JED DOBLE photographs by DENNIE RAMON
After the successful launch of his new Jakarta venture, Letter D, Chef Degan Septoadji takes time out to share with us one of his favorite Thai dishes.
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hef Degan tells us that his culinary journey started at home. Shared family dinners, traditional Indonesian dishes and home cooked meals by his mother fill his early memories. “I’ve always said that if you want to know a person’s favorite food, you have to go back to what their mother cooked for them as a child,” chef Degan says. This journey has taken Chef Degan to many far away lands including Germany, where he ultimately began his life as a chef, Australia, Tibet, Morocco, Sri Lanka, China and the Maldives. In 2005, he moved to Bangkok to work as executive chef at Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. Here, a deep appreciation for Thailand, its culture, cuisine and its people quickly blossomed. “Thailand was the best time for me. I could live there anytime, it’s like a second home,” he says. Working in Thailand and navigating the country’s rich tapestry of food and its culture of respect helped Chef Degan to gain a new perspective on managing restaurants. “To authentically recreate a dish, you have to understand the culture behind the dish,” he says. While eating with friends one day, he was struck by the complexities behind the eating of som tam, a Thai dish he assumed to be a simple salad. The intricate method of cutting the papaya into thin slices so that they could be easily eaten, and the way family and friends busily gathered to eat the dish, mesmerized him. This month, Chef Degan shares with us his version of a popular Thai dish, Talay Pao. Traditionally, this is a dish of grilled assorted shrimp, squid and mussels, served with a spicy garlic lime sauce. Chef Degan uplifts the dish, his version uses scallops and salmon, together with asparagus, cherry tomatoes and potatoes. Chef Degan uses the Webber Outdoor Cooking System to cook his seafood, providing fast, easy and safe outdoor cooking. Chef Degan’s Talay Pao recipe is easy and convenient to do at home. Try it out.
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LETTERD. | Jalan KH Ahmad Dahlan No. 16, Gandaria, Jakarta | T: +62 21 7278 5111
B R O U G H T TO Y O U B Y W E B B E R
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STEPS
TALAY PAO
• Prepare the dressing, whisk together sugar, lime juice and fish sauce until all the sugar dissolved. Set aside. • Prepare Talay sauce, whisk together all the ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS:
40 gr Salmon fillet 40 gr White snapper, fillet 80 gr Tail-on prawn 40 gr Scallop 20 gr Asparagus, blanched 20 gr Baby green bean, blanched 20 gr Cherry tomato, halved 160 gr Potato, boiled and cut into wedges Salt & pepper, to taste Coriander leaves, to garnish
Thai Dressing 250 gr 250 ml 175 ml
Sugar Lime juice Fish sauce
Talay Sauce
40 gr Coriander leaves, chopped finely 10 gr Bird’s eye chilies, chopped finely 6 gr Garlic, minced 50 ml Thai dressing
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CHEF DEGAN | Twitter: @chef_ deganss
B R O U G H T TO Y O U B Y W E B B E R
• Prepare Talay Pao, season all the seafood with salt and pepper. • Using a pan on a medium-high heat, pan-sear the seafood until light golden brown and cooked through, set aside. • Pan-sear the asparagus, baby green bean and potato.
Webber Outdoor Cooking System; The Outsign Collection Webber offers you an exclusive outdoor cooking system for creative food preparation. Created by professional chefs in France and crafted with the most robust and high quality materials, you can be assured of perfect outdoor cooking experience! Equipped with star shaped grill powered by portable LPG gas for even and fast heating, the cast iron plancha is perfect for fast searing, grilling and cooking. FAST AND EFFICIENT COOKING! With 25cm diameter cooking surface, the maximum temperature can go up to 300°C in 7 minutes! SAFE AND EASY TO USE With safety features such as low gravity centre and patented double panels to prevent burns; and thermocouple gas safety; you can enjoy a perfect outdoor cooking experinces with total peace of mind!
• Plate the seafood, vegetables and cherry tomato on a plate, pour warm Talay sauce over and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
DESIGN FOR PROFESSIONAL USE Available on it’s own or with a host of accessories , this unique outdoor system aims to create a focal point for all your outdoor entertainment events! Set up cocktail area with the round glass table accessory; a buffet table with extended table or combine both to create a live cooking counter easily; perfect for family gatherings or professional culinary events. For more information on stock list, visit Webber Gallery today! WEBBER GALLERY Jakarta Design Centre Jl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 53, 7th Floor, Jakarta 10260 Tel: +62 210536077702 marketing@kitchenatelier.co.id
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STUFF OF LEGENDS
Nila Sari â&#x20AC;&#x201C; THE CAKE LADY by SAHIRI LOING photographs by KRISNA SALYA AND PERSONAL COLLECTION
Despite her worldwide achievements, Nila Sari still considers her greatest one as being a teacher to others.
STUFF OF LEGENDS
S
ometimes a tragedy can be a blessing in disguise. With the country in turmoil in1965, Nila Sari was forced to drop out of middle school which prompted her to delve deeper into her biggest passion to date: baking cakes. Yes, it all started when she was sixyear-old and was enchanted with what was cooking in the family’s kitchen. What followed can be perceived as a minor “tragedy”: “I finally decided to make my own cake but it turned out to be a disaster!,” says Nila Sari laughing. “It tasted bitter. My parents were very angry because they said I wasted the ingredients for nothing and it interfered with my studies as well.” But fortunately dissapointment did not get the better of her—in fact, angry parents and the threat of a raised feather duster as her didn’t deter her at all to continue her passion. She became so good at it that eventually people—children to adult alike—learned how to cook from her. “Then I dropped out of school when I was fifteen, and thankfully my father—seeing how I am so focused and determined in doing what I wanted—gave me the permission to just concentrate on making cakes,” she says. “And from that point on I was eager to show my parents that I could actually make money and do something with it.” She’s definitely done “something”
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with her passion: Her face brightens up as she recalls the relationship she fosters with a former student. “I had this student—Mrs. Yu—who was much older than me and we are still in contact until today,” she says. “Occasionally she would send me a basket of fruits (and she would still do this even though her condition is not fit anymore), and once we talked and she said that she still keeps my old recipes from way back then. Now her daughter is taking cooking lessons from me!” Though she started off as a cook, but today Nila Sari is more of an entrepreneur: she has a cakery that mainly sells ingredients and equipment for homemade cake baking; she produces her own brand of flour (Premix, which can also be found in Australia and later this year in America); she’s still the icon for rice flour-maker Rose Brand; and she still does private cooking classes. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this ever smiling woman perched on her desk at the opposite end of her modest cakery at the Jembatan Lima area, West Jakarta, is a three-time holder of the Guinness World Book of Record for creating the World’s Tallest Cake. Yup, count ‘em: THREE times. It all started when she held her annual cake exhibition back in 1987 where in the midst of her students’ cake stood out her Christmas Tree cake that measures
13m”.”There was this sheet that was used to measure the cake, and I was told to send it to the Guinness Book of Records,” she reminisces. “Initially I refused because it was too expensive to deliver it via airplane, but then the alternative was by sea and I agreed because it only cost me two hundred thousand rupiah, hahaha.” And thus her first record was certified, which was then followed with her second tallest cake in 1989 (standing at 23.68m in the shape of the Surabaya Hero Monument) and for the third time in 2008 she made another Christmas Tree cake (33m). But for all her worldwide achievements, it seems like her real significant achievement was being a good mentor to her students. “I feel so proud when I hear a story about my students being successful—and I’m even prouder if they are more successfull than me!,” says the grandmother of seven. “And right now I’m trying to help out young mothers who use my flour to cook food that became their source of income. I’m also thinking of helping them to get loans from banks so they could start their own home businesses. [But in the meantime] I would give them guidance as to increase the quality of their food and even renting out carriages for them to sell their goods.” For sure, these are ingredients and advise, worth to be taken to heart.
STUFF OF LEGENDS
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PA N T R Y 1 0 1
BARBECUE FOR DUMMIES by KYLE GREGORIO
The time needed to cook a steak varies depending on its thickness, and how you like it. Don’t be tempted to cut into a steak to see if it’s done. This allows the precious juices to escape, making the meat tough. Instead, press the center of the steak with the back of your tongs - if it’s medium the meat will spring back. Use this guide for cooking times and to tell when it’s ready. 1.5cm thick
2-3cm thick
Tongs test
Rare Medium
1-1 1/2 min each side 2-3 min each side
Well done
3-4 min each side
2-3 minutes each side 4-5 minutes each side 5-6 minutes each side
soft slightly firmer and springy very firm with no spring
An average fish is better to cook on the grill and grilled whole. Soft and delicate fish that quickly falls apart (cod, halibut) is better to be grilled in a special steel grill. The fish is placed inside such lattices and is well preserved during cooking.
How you serve and eat sausages is important to the method of cooking. If you are going to be chopping the sausages up for another recipe then any method that holds in the flavor will do. If you want to serve the sausages straight up, then take care to cook them gently to preserve the appearance as much as the flavor.
LONG-HANDLED TONGS AND SPATULA Working with food on a searing hot grill can be a real challenge, especially when using a shorthandled spatula or tongs. Avoid singed arm hair and burns by investing in stainless steel tongs with a long reach (like the Oxo 16-inch model) and an extra-long, heavy-duty spatula.
KY
Charcoal grilling boasts one benefit that stands out above all others: smoke flavor. The dry, white-hot heat of charcoal sears meat quickly, creating a crusty, caramelized exterior and smoky flavor. Since you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dial down the heat of white-hot coals, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good strategy to leave empty spaces on the lower grill grate (areas without briquettes). These cool spaces allow for better control, letting you sear food first over the hot spots before transferring it to cooler parts to finish cooking. Charcoal grills are also less expensive than gas grills, though the cost of charcoal will add up over the years. Charcoal is also more portable than gas grills. A bag of charcoal can easily be chucked into the car and taken to the park or beach.
YLE
A gridiron is a metal grate with parallel bars typically used for grilling meat, fish, vegetables, or combinations of such foods. It may also be two such grids, hinged to fold together, to hold food securely while grilling over an open flame.
In charcoal, wood, gas, and pellet cookers you need to account for the amount of fuel you will need to complete your cook. There is no exact method to figure this out, because it will vary based on cooking temperature, quality of fuel used, external temperatures, physical size of the cooking environment, etc. But here is a guide:
TIP: Always over estimate your need, and you should be ok, you never know what may happen at any time to cause you to use more fuel than anticipated.
Charcoal roughly 2-3lbs per hour
Gas 0.5 to 1lb per hour
Wood Pellets 1lb per hour
Wood sticks (logs) 2 to 3 per hour
W H AT C H E F E AT S
PHILIP MIMBIMI by RIAN FARISA
F
ixated. That’s the first thing that you will feel upon witnessing Publik Markette’s beautiful arrangement of market fresh food, all cooked with love. If you haven’t been there, list this brand new baby as your next choice for lunch and get ready to queue a bit. So who is the guy responsible behind this? Let us meet one of the prestigious corporate chefs of Ismaya Group, Mr Philip Mimbimi. Chef Philip has this young and vigorous appearance, but he has been in action
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Even something philosophical can start from a simple dish like bacon and eggs. Here, the prolific Chef Philip Mimbimi explains about his favorite dish and his way of life.
for a while now. As a seasoned chef, he has traveled across the world between United States and Southeast Asia by working for various resorts and high profile five-star hotels. “I am always on the move. Being a chef, it’s a constant learning process. You have to always look for new ideas and see how the competition is doing”, he said explaining. Apparently for Chef Philip, it is important to always challenge one self, each and every single day. “For me, I don’t want to cook something that came from a cookbook or Youtube. It’s not really
respecting the dish or the ingredients. If I wanted to serve sushi for example, then it will be better if I learnt it directly from the country that it came from, Japan. That will be good for the customers as well”, he then continued. Despite facing the challenges by working with one of the most innovative F&B groups in Indonesia, when it comes to his favorite food, Chef Philip sure loves it easy with just bacon and eggs. “It may start as a quick and simple American dish, but the ingredients could be developed in a million ways. The bacon can be found in a sandwich, quiche, salad, or sauce, while the eggs can be made into cheesecake, or in chicken and pasta dishes”, as wisely explained by the chef. With that answer, it connects instantly with why he chose to be a mobile and dynamic chef since the beginning. “However, at its simplest form of a couple of eggs and a few slices of bacon, I only need to add a little tabasco or hot sauce and I am a happy man”, Chef Philip cheerfully confessed.