I felt a touch like Jack Sprat and his wife as I surveyed the seven or so empty platters and belched ever so softly into my krama. “Frankly, I can’t believe how much we ate.” “That’s because it’s so good it’s hard to stop,” offered Brad, the photographer. “It was a fantastic feast.” He has spent a lot of time in Jakarta and speaks Bahasa, so his endorsement carries a lot of cred. “Very different from Cambodian food,” Nick – tuk-tuk driver/friend/little brother – chimed in, “and very delicious.” It was his first ever Indonesian meal. It was also his first encounter with passion-fruit juice ($1.50) and he gave it rave reviews. On the topic of drinks, coffee and sodas are $1 and beer ranges from $1.50 to $2.
Tucked away on Street 456, not too far from Russian Market, Sumatra is a gem. The original restaurant opened in June 2009 with two tables and eight chairs. Two years ago Markus, Elly (a husband-and-wife duo) and Sani – Elly’s sister – moved into the current premises. The restaurant now sports 10 tables and 40 chairs. Open from 11am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, its crowd is a mixture of NGO types, expats and locals. High on Trip Advisor, it attracts regulars who have come to know the gregarious owners.
Airy and green, the courtyard is refreshing and the chairs are comfortable. “Nice place,” pronounced Nick, “cool and quiet.” Choices abound: fish, chicken, duck, beef, squid, soup, tofu and vegetables. The flavour influences are Balinese, Sumatran and Javanese. Many of the dishes are balado, a Sumatran sauce of tomato, chili and garlic. Pictures help the uninitiated tell the difference between gado-gado – boiled vegetable salad with peanut sauce for $2 – and cap cay, stir-fried vegetables at $2.50. Or how about tahu isi (four pieces of tofu stuffed with vegetables)?
If you want to start small, check the snack section. Six pieces of tofu mendoan cost $2; four pieces of bakwam – battered and deep-fried mixed vegetables – are $1.50. A bowl of tofu soup – stewed cassava leaves in Indonesian spices with coconut milk – is just $1.75 and virtually a meal in itself.
Recommendations? The beef rendang ($3) is mouth melting and the Indonesian spices, chili and coconut milk have a bit of a tang. The fish pes moll ($2.50/$4) is made from Markus’ own recipe. Eggplant balado ($1.75) is a delish side dish, as is tempe mendoan (six pieces for $2) with a dipping sauce of chili and sweet soy. Those wanting a set meal can tuck into the Balinese chicken with stir-fried veggies and rice. Another poultry offering is sattay with rice, vegetables and a chili dip ($4).
The best approach is to pack a tuk tuk with your friends so you can order widely and share. I asked for a whack of business cards and have since been recommending it to everyone. As we left, Brad summed it up: “Enak sekali!” (‘Thanks!’)
Sumatra, #35 Street 456 (between streets 123 and 135); 016 561980.