Sailing a culinary wave at Karavella<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It was early evening when we found ourselves in
\nTaman Ria amusement park on Jl. Gerbang Pemuda, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Taman Ria's main claim to fame and centerpiece is its large
\nlake, but it is also home to a mini-amusement park which boasts
\nlots of kiddies' rides, a Ferris wheel, bumper cars and, despite
\nits small scale, a truly hair-raising roller coaster.<\/p>\n
It was after trying the roller coaster that the munchies
\nsuddenly decided to launch an attack. Well, truth to tell, they
\ncould not have picked a better place because the complex is home
\nto a host of restaurants.<\/p>\n
As we strolled along the lakeside in the 6 p.m. gloaming, we
\nspied through the mist up ahead the mast of what looked for all
\nthe world like a Pinisi schooner moored to the embankment.<\/p>\n
Upon closer inspection, the magical vessel turned out to be
\nthe home of the Karavella restaurant. Despite being shaped like a
\nship, the restaurant, strangely enough, was decorated modestly in
\nItalian-rustic-cum-taverna style and was protected from the
\nelements by a great awning that stretched the length of the
\nentire vessel. The bows were devoted to a well-stocked and
\ninviting bar while the deck behind housed the dining area proper.<\/p>\n
After being seated, our waiter, despite the many other demands
\non his attention in the crowded restaurant, promptly appeared
\nwith the menu (mostly Italian but with plenty of other Western
\nand Asian choices). For drinks, we contented ourselves with fruit
\njuices as our visit happened to coincide with the eve of the Idul
\nAdha Islamic day of sacrifice and a government prohibition was in
\neffect banning the sale of all alcoholic beverages (including
\nwine).<\/p>\n
As a starter, I opted for the soup of the day, cream of
\nmushroom (Rp 10,000), which was served with a warm bread roll and
\ndainty butter pats. The soup was rich and smooth and had an
\nunusual smoky taste, whether contrived or accidental I have no
\nidea. Whatever the case, it was more than acceptable.<\/p>\n
My partner, in turn, had gone for the Karavella Chef's Salad
\n(Rp 30,000) which turned out to be enormous. It was so big, in
\nfact, that we had to ask the waiter to divide it up into two,
\nwhich he gladly did. The salad was a somewhat eclectic, albeit
\ndelicious, combination of black olives, strawberries, boiled egg,
\ntomato, lettuce, red cheddar cheese, chicken, pasta and many
\nother ingredients too numerous to mention, all accompanied by a
\ncreamy thousand island dressing that seemed especially engineered
\nto cause pulmonary detonations of one sort or another. But who
\ncares! All in all, this salad was a definite feather in the
\nchef's cap.<\/p>\n
And so on to the entrees. For myself, emboldened by the salad,
\nI elected for the Chef's Special Lasagna (Rp 25,000). Now, having
\nspent some time in the Emelia-Romagna region of Italy where
\nlasagna is a way of life, I tend to regard myself, if not quite a
\nconnoisseur, at least as knowing something about this particular
\ndepartment. While it is a fact that lasagna can be either \"wet\"
\nor \"dry\" depending on the recipe used, I found this particular
\nlasagna to be exceedingly dry and hard going, to say the least.<\/p>\n
The predominant tastes were those of the ground beef and
\npasta, with such \"luxuries\" as cheese (whether provolone,
\nmozzarella or whatever else takes your fancy), tomato and oregano
\nseemingly almost completely absent. Perhaps I'm being a little
\nharsh on Karavella given my predilection for lasagna, but I
\nreally do believe that God did not create lasagna to be hashed
\nlike this.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, my companion had been tucking into a hearty
\nplate of fettuccine Alfredo (Rp 25,000), which she pronounced to
\nbe nothing less than excellent, with fresh pasta and a thick,
\ncreamy sauce flavored with parsley, garlic and a hint of nutmeg.
\nAn Alfredo sauce is quite straightforward to create but is,
\nunfortunately, a work that is frequently botched.<\/p>\n
My partner decided to skip desert but I found myself unable to
\nresist trying out the Pecan Pie with vanilla ice cream (Rp
\n20,000). This turned out to be buttery, nutty and very, very
\nfudgy. So fudgy and sticky, in fact, that it was almost fit to
\npluck the teeth out of their sockets, just the way Pecan Pie
\nshould be. I could have done with a little bit more in the way of
\nice cream, though.<\/p>\n
The total bill for two came to a little over Rp 246,000. This
\nincluded a couple of additional fruit drinks, an espresso,
\ngovernment tax of 10 percent and an eminently reasonable service
\ncharge of 5.5 percent. Not overly extravagant by Jakarta
\nstandards. We found the service at Karavella to be tip-top, the
\nambience and decor great, and the food, on the whole, excellent.
\nJust a pity about the lasagna, but let's hope that was merely an
\naberration. (Bill Blade)<\/p>",
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