尚@
After leaving Musashi-Koyama Station, walk along the terminal and cross Route 26, and you will soon reach the stairs of this restaurant. The entrance is narrow, so you might get a little lost. As you climb the stairs and open the door, you will catch a hint of fragrant spices. I feel like trying an Indonesian cigarette after a long time. I wonder if they still sell them at the cigar shop in front of Meguro Station. Upon opening the door, the scent is not as strong. The interior of the restaurant is dimly lit with several candles. There is a couple seated at the counter in the back, and I take a seat at the counter as well. Below are my impressions of the dishes I tried while enjoying Seabass and Arrack. Arrack (rice shochu): Smooth and not too strong in flavor. It's surprisingly easy to drink for a 35% alcohol content. Be careful not to drink too much! Unpin (fried sen): Made from the powder of the fruit of the Merinju tree, which is native to Indonesia. It has a slight bitterness, but it pairs well with alcohol. This bitterness is nice. When eaten with the sweet and spicy som dam sauce, it becomes even more delicious. Satay Ayam (chicken skewers with peanut butter flavor): Regular skewers with peanut butter spread on them. Garlic fries are served on the side. It's a bit bland in terms of meat flavor, but the peanut butter taste is delicious. Typically, this is what is referred to as satay. Satay Sambal (chicken skewers with sambal sauce): The meat is similar to Satay Ayam. The taste is spicy and sweet-sour. It's decent in terms of flavor. Satay Kambing (mutton skewers): The meat has a delicious marinade. It's slightly sweet, with the sweetness of onions enhancing the flavor of the mutton. There is no gamey taste. Satay Lilit (lemongrass-flavored meatball skewers): The meatballs have a crunchy texture due to the coconut pulp used as a binder. The coconut sweetness, sweet and spicy sauce, and lemongrass flavor of the marinade combine to create a complex taste. It's delicious. It's more enjoyable to eat it with the spicier som dam sauce provided, rather than the sweet and spicy pedas sauce. Lumpia (vegetable-filled spring rolls): The skin is slightly over-fried, but the filling is flavorful. The difference between this and regular spring rolls is astonishing. The filling is so rich that I suspected there was meat in it, but apparently not. Tahu Sis (thick fried tofu): Tofu stuffed with plenty of vegetables and fried. The outside is crispy, while the inside is soft. The vegetables are sweet, and when eaten with som dam sauce, it enhances the flavor. Siomay (shumai): It's too big to be called shumai. It's more like a petit man. Eaten with peanut sauce, it has a slightly sweet taste with a meaty filling that is tender and flavorful. It's more delicious when eaten with the spicier som dam sauce provided, rather than the sweeter pedas sauce. Mie Goreng (fried noodles): Topped with a firm fried egg. When eating this, break the egg while eating it. The taste is normal for Chinese fried noodles. The fried noodles I had in Jakarta and Bandung had a fiery spiciness, but this one lacks that. In Bali, they apparently add their homemade sweet and spicy sambal sauce to it. They also serve it with green chili peppers, Indonesian-style. It's delicious when eaten with sambal and som dam sauce. The spiciness adds to the flavor, and it's tasty. The cabbage is crunchy. Mie Ayam (dipping noodles): Stir-fried noodles dipped in soup. The soup has a chicken consomme-like flavor. The noodles are soft and have a homely taste. They claim not to use consomme. Even when adding the black sauce and som dam provided, the taste only becomes slightly sweet and savory. It's a simple and homely taste, which may appeal to some people. Indonesian cuisine undergoes a transformation in flavor when sauce is added. Without it, the taste is ordinary. The meat in this restaurant is certified with a halal mark.