Prima Chefs offers style, not subtance<\/p>\n
Kevin Vickers, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
From the outside looking in, Prima Chefs, a new Singaporean-
\nstyle restaurant at Mal Ambassador in Central Jakarta, appears
\npromising. There has not been much to choose from in the food
\nstakes at the mall, unless your tastes run to ersatz Japanese
\nfast food or other uninspiring offerings served up at the food
\ncourt, since The Stage closed its doors last year.<\/p>\n
Prima Chefs also looks good once you get past the red-suited
\ndoorman and sit yourself down at one of the high-backed wooden
\nchairs, surrounded by little Chinese knickknacks, including a
\nframed cheongsam and red Chinese lamps.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, at least on the first floor of the two-story
\nrestaurant, which was where we sat on both of our two recent
\nvisits, the stab at authenticity pretty much stops at the
\nvisuals. There are no tinkering sounds of Chinese music to be
\nheard, nor even some roaring Cantonese pop.<\/p>\n
Instead, a TV is tuned to MTV, with Britney, Alicia and Eminem
\n-- all competing at full blast for diners' attention.<\/p>\n
Well, we are all part of the growing MTV generation now, so
\nthe audio oversight may be irritating but it can be forgiven,
\nespecially if the food is so good it lets you forget about other
\nsensory distractions.<\/p>\n
Again, unfortunately, despite that good first impression,
\nPrima Chefs does not quite measure up in what ends up on your
\nplate, although everything looks pretty in the glossy menu
\nphotos. It may still be finding its feet, ironing out the
\nproblems that inevitably come with start-ups, but it needs to do
\nit quickly, including when it comes to service, if it wants
\ndiners to come back for more and to live up to its stated desire
\nfor \"A Great Food Experience\".<\/p>\n
On our first visit, our troubles started almost from the get-
\ngo. For appetizers, there was the Malay Spring Roll, which was
\ndescribed as three pieces of vegetable roll with chicken and
\nmayonnaise, and popiah. The spring roll was your basic lumpia
\nwith a sour-tasting mayonnaise, a none too appetizing
\ncombination. The pancake roll popiah was better, filled with
\nprawn, egg and lettuce, but the pancake was too thick: what
\nshould have been so thin as to be translucent was more like a
\npastry.<\/p>\n
We were sharing our meal, so we asked for plates and were
\npromptly given saucers to eat off. Perhaps it's a minor
\ninfraction when it comes to dining etiquette, but for me
\npersonally I take it for granted when I go into a restaurant that
\nthe waitress should know that the proper accompaniment for
\nsaucers is cups.<\/p>\n
For the main course selection, which includes such Singapore
\nstaples as laksa (rice noodles and accompaniments in coconut milk
\ngravy), fried noodles and Hainan chicken, we tried Nasi Goreng
\nSpecial \"PC\", Nasi Sapi Lada Hitam (sliced beef with a black
\npepper sauce, with rice) and Hong Kong Kailan XO, the green
\nvegetable sauteed in the cognac sauce.<\/p>\n
Taste-wise, it was overwhelmingly average.<\/p>\n
The fried rice, with shrimp, chicken, eggs, bean sprouts and
\nsweet corn, came first and, while it was admirably ungreasy and
\nit was an ample helping, it did not deserve the appellation of
\nspecial. We waited and waited some more before our black pepper
\nsauce steak came out, consisting of four chunks of beef seared in
\nthe pepper sauce, the relative paucity of the portion shown off
\nby the great divide of space on the plate between it and the
\naccompanying mound of rice. The heavy handed use of peppercorns
\ngave it a cloying flavor.<\/p>\n
As for the kailan, we never got to taste it, because it was
\nfinally delivered to us when we had already finished with the two
\nother entrees (my friend joked that maybe the delay was due to
\nthem sourcing it from Hong Kong!).<\/p>\n
While it was not the greatest dining experience, we realized
\nthat Prima Chefs is still starting out and we needed to give it
\nthe benefit of the doubt. So we returned to try it once again,
\nand it proved a better experience.<\/p>\n
Yes, the service remains consistently erratic, with some of
\nthe waitresses seemingly unsure of menu items or the distinction
\nthat customers really do want them to help them, including
\nclearing up the plates piling up before them.<\/p>\n
As for the appetizers, it would be advisable for Prima Chefs
\nto take another long hard look at what's on offer and whittle
\ndown the current eight selections to four really good, tasty
\nofferings. Our Pangsit Udang Mayonnaise (wonton with shrimp
\nmayonnaise sauce) was little more than overdone wonton stuffed
\nwith shrimp and with a dollop of mayo. Bakmie Gajah Mada could,
\nand does, do better.<\/p>\n
But, all things considered, our entrees the second time were
\nvery good. The Hainanese Chicken Rice, a Singapore invention, was
\njudged tasty, with a good portion of chicken and fragrant rice. I
\nwas also pleasantly surprised by the Crispy Chicken Rice, which
\nwas marinated in broth and made a satisfying meal, even without
\nthe use of sesame oil. It was just too bad that it arrived 10
\nminutes after my companion's entree.<\/p>\n
The lowdown on Prima Chefs is that it has the potential to
\nlive up to its declaration, or at least be a good food experience
\nif not a great one, but it still has a way to go. With the
\nexception of the beef in black pepper sauce, we found the
\nportions to be large and relatively competitive with other
\nrestaurants of this type: Hainanese Chicken Rice is Rp 16,800,
\nthe pepper steak Rp 21,800, appetizers average about Rp 11,000.<\/p>\n
For now, however, it's time to get things in working order,
\nfocus on the details and try to live up to the lofty assertions
\nand seductive photos.<\/p>\n
Although Prima Chefs is in a prime location and with little to
\nno competition for a good sit-down restaurant in the same
\nbuilding, it's the substance not the style that will keep
\ncustomers hungry for more.<\/p>\n
Prima Chefs is at Mal Ambassador, Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio-
\nCasablanca, Central Jakarta (tel. 576-4055). Open seven days a
\nweek.<\/p>",
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