Alun-Alun Indonesia
3rd floor, West Mall
Grand Indonesia Shopping Town
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1
Jakarta Pusat
Tel. 2358 0870
This must be what was brewing inside William Wongso’s head when he was filming, a few years ago, a Culinaria episode on Entertaining-at-Home, Indonesian style I guest-starred in. He spoke of asinan Jakarta, a tangy salad of raw vegetables, crowned with a single grilled jumbo prawn; rendang from Natrabu, prettified; etc. Plenty of wise words were dispensed on buying what was already available, improving them and staying calm throughout. It’s about time.
Now, his vision of elegantly plated food from the Indonesian archipelago has materialised in the ultra-modern Palalada, a restaurant very much in the black-leather-white-rattan-glass-frontage-vertical-fountain vein – obviously one highly deserving of its upscale vernacular surrounds. Intentions aside, there is a sense of things struggling to fit in: an eager and well-meaning waiter who is nonetheless flummoxed, it seems, by the demands, let alone the subtleties, of the genre; dishes so folksy and robust such as rujak pengantin that look somewhat sad and lonely being arrayed—dare I say the word—“minimalistically”; dishes as modern and innovative as cumi item Pekalongan, a thoroughly Western approach to black ink squid encircled by delicious coconut foam, that sadly seems out of place in the company of unequivocally traditional dishes as rendang and karedok.
Incongruities aside, the food is rather hit-and-miss: the two fish-based soups on offer, kuah asam Menado and sup pindang serani, are quite similar with the latter being slightly thicker in broth and the salmon always a bit more of a draw (though here it is surprisingly bland). The lumpia kepiting (crabmeat spring rolls) is more the Dutch-influenced risoles, and a damn good one at that, sharing such affinity with the very homey tomato-and-ham sauce. Also memorable is the kare kambing (goat curry) and roti jala, very nice paired with crisp tumis kecipir (sauteed wing beans) and a few licks of sambal goreng terasi (fried shrimp paste sambal).
For the kind of prices it charges (around Rp 55,000 per dish, with a whopping Rp 143,000 for the kare kambing), you’ll probably expect something more, though the presence of wine and spirits and the intimation of a functioning bar—a rarity in any Indonesian-themed establishments—carries a certain sensibility that is not lost on a certain kind of audience.
Price range: Around Rp 550,000 for 2 or 3
Operating hours: Mon – Sun 11:00 – 15:00 (lunch);
18:00 – 24:00 (dinner)
Dress code: smart casual
Atmosphere: cookie-cutter late 90s modern
Alcohol: yes + wine
All major credit cards accepted
Reviewed: November 2007
Alasan Citroen Masih Enggan Pasarkan Mobil Hybrid di Indonesia
Pabrikan otomotif asal Prancis, Citroen menyampaikan masih enggan bermain di segmen mobil Hybrid untuk pasar Indonesia.
