Dua Musim gives a good impression<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): If tonight was anything to go by, the five days
\nDua Musim has been in business appears likely to set seafood
\nstandards in the capital for a long time to come. There were
\nteething problems, sure, but with one exception, they were not
\nnearly painful or numerous enough to spoil a fine night's dining.<\/p>\n
Located on the middle of Jl. Wahid Hasyim opposite Hasars, the
\nrestaurant is spread over three floors. A fishmongers, reception
\narea and dining area take up the first floor. The second floor is
\nthe main dining area, split down the middle with fish tanks, and
\nthe third a rooftop terrace looking over the busy street.<\/p>\n
The building has been freshly renovated. Wooden rafters and
\nbeams have been left exposed and the ceilings are consequently
\nhigh. The earth-tone walls are roughly plastered with cracks left
\nshowing and hung with infant wall plants, while unglazed
\nterra-cotta pots, lamp shades and tiles complete what is a coolly
\nunderstated yet impressive interior.<\/p>\n
Two menus are presented, one with seafood and the other with
\nsauces and cooking styles to accompany it. The manager, dressed
\ncasual in an untucked and half-buttoned shirt, ambled over after
\nthe meal and unobsequiously asked if everything was OK. He
\nexplained all the fish comes from the \"south side\" of the
\ncountry, as opposed to Tanjung Priok in the north and assured it
\nwas freshly caught, some of it from farms admittedly, on the
\nmorning of the night it's served.<\/p>\n
Huge grilled shrimps (have their genes been played with?) in a
\npepper sauce arrived first, followed by the mussels with a baked
\ngarlic and chili sauce. They looked great, it was a shame
\ntherefore that the rice and the finger bowls, strangely only two
\nof them for the three diners, couldn't have been brought
\nsimultaneously or thereabouts with them.<\/p>\n
Happily this was quickly forgotten once the eating started.
\nThe roughly ground pepper sauce brought back distant memories of
\n1970s steak houses, though any nostalgia quickly disappeared when
\nit was combined with rice: a fresh and successful experiment.
\nPieces of garlic enlivened the mussels and their sauce, in what
\nwas agreed to be the standout dish of the evening.<\/p>\n
Coming in a close second, the too-hot-to-touch red snapper was
\ngrilled perfectly. Once it had cooled, a gentle tug was all it
\ntook to separate its soft white flesh from the bones. The fried
\nsquid dipped in flour with a trusty sweet and sour sauce, didn't
\nexactly disappoint, though neither did it especially excite,
\nthough possibly we could have been more adventurous when
\nordering.<\/p>\n
A few complaints and suggestions, in order of seriousness. The
\nbread arrived with a bowl of pickled vegetables -- quite
\ndelicious -- and also more than a few ants, which are quite
\nplainly not. The management should take note: Many people would
\nhave decided there and then to eat elsewhere.<\/p>\n
The service was unfailingly friendly and polite, though it
\nneeds tightening up and no doubt it will be. This was, after all,
\nthe first Saturday night and a busy one at that. Butter is better
\nfrom a bowl than airplane-style plastic tubs, and ice cream and
\nfruit are more enjoyable eaten with small spoons and forks rather
\nthan large ones.<\/p>\n
Getting really picky here, the extra rice was served on a
\nplate that didn't match. This is something that would have gone
\nunnoticed if not for the rest of the plates, which were in
\nkeeping with what the manager called the restaurant's \"rustic\"
\ntheme and very pleasant to eat off.<\/p>\n
Those things aside, the Musim Dua's soft opening wasn't at all
\nhard to swallow. The grand opening is scheduled for midnight on
\nNew Year's Eve, and if a millennium skeptical Epicurus leaves the
\nhouse at all, it might just be for another bowl of mussels on the
\nrooftop.<\/p>\n
Without tax, the bill for drinks -- three large beers served
\nin icy glasses and a couple of bottles of mineral water -- was Rp
\n73,000 and more than enough food for three was Rp 279,000. A bowl
\nof rice is Rp 4,000.<\/p>\n
-- Epicurus<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dua-musim-gives-a-good-impression-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }