Sindbad full of Middle Eastern promise<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Bomb incidents at Slipi intersection aside,
\nPetamburan, on the border between Central and West Jakarta, has
\nalways been a thriving part of the city, an area that never seems
\nto sleep.<\/p>\n
Lying on the edge of Tanah Abang, it is full of small
\nbusinesses, workshops, sidewalk restaurants and the multiplicity
\nof other urban paraphernalia, human and otherwise, that
\ncharacterize the busier parts of the city. It is also something
\nof a human melting pot, and has long been home to the Arab-
\nIndonesian community.<\/p>\n
Thus it is perhaps not surprising that a restaurant
\nspecializing in good but reasonably priced Arab food has been
\nestablished in the area since the mid-1990s. To avoid any
\npossible confusion, it has the distinctive name Sindbad (not
\nSinbad as most people assume).<\/p>\n
Sindbad Restaurant: Jl. Aipda K.S. Tubun No. 2, Petamburan,
\nCentral Jakarta, tel. 5308366, 5308367, 5480071<\/p>\n
Location: A few hundred meters from the Slipi intersection, on
\nthe western side of Jl. Aipda K.S. Tubun, and a few doors away
\nfrom the Santika Hotel. If you are approaching in a vehicle from
\nthe direction of Tanah Abang make sure you don't overshoot,
\nbecause after passing the restaurant, the median in the road will
\nnot allow you to make a U-turn to retrace your steps. You will
\nhave to take the tortuous route through the Slipi intersection to
\nreturn.<\/p>\n
Hours: From 11 a.m. to midnight, every day. Major credit cards
\nare accepted.<\/p>\n
Looks: From the outside, the restaurant is not particularly
\ndistinctive and one could easily pass it by without realizing it.
\nThe cream-colored painted walls and archways of the canopied
\nentrance give it an almost mosque-like appearance, except there
\nis no domed roof with the crescent-shaped moon symbol above.
\nThere is a rather faded \"Sindbad\" sign at the edge of the
\nsidewalk.<\/p>\n
Inside it is both cool and welcoming, despite the
\npredominantly deep red of the decor, and is like an informal
\ndining room, with an aquarium as the focal point. Unfortunately,
\nthere seemed to be only two fish swimming in the fairly sizable
\ntank. There is ample seating for up to 50 people, at tables of
\neither four or six, plus another 20, in a private room.<\/p>\n
The waitresses' uniforms matched the red of the interior, and
\nwith their headscarves they looked rather like the stewardesses
\non some of the Middle Eastern airlines that fly to Jakarta. They
\nwere all friendly, helpful and polite.<\/p>\n
What it's got: The food is mainly Arabic, with a good range of
\nYemeni and Syrian cuisine also available. This means that lamb
\npredominates, along with salads that are marvelously refreshing,
\nas well as some dishes that are both heavy and sweet, but meant
\nto be eaten with the main courses, a custom that is perhaps
\nslightly unusual to the Western palate.<\/p>\n
The menu listed soups, salads, barbecued dishes, Arabic rice
\nand pasta, fried dishes (mainly meat and fish), Arabic curries
\nand desserts (mainly fresh fruit).<\/p>\n
There were also set menus available, suitable for large groups
\nof people and consisting primarily of roast lamb, plus side
\ndishes. These represented very good value for money.<\/p>\n
No alcohol is served, but this is more than compensated for by
\nthe wide range of fresh fruit juices (including a house special
\nmade to a secret recipe!), plus a range of teas and coffees.<\/p>\n
Taste factor: As I was dining with two friends, we were able
\nto order a range of dishes to get a good idea of what was
\navailable. We were determined to sample the lamb in its various
\nguises, as, generally speaking, it is difficult to find well-
\nprepared lamb in the city.<\/p>\n
The lamb's leg soup had small pieces of lamb on the bone in
\nit, and tasted both very rich and, with that characteristic lamb
\nflavor, a little overpowering.<\/p>\n
Three types of salad were ordered. The Syrian was rather like
\na Western salad, full of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, except
\nthat some mint had been added to give it that extra, zesty taste.
\nThe Yemeni looked a little like raita (yogurt with cucumber and
\nmint), except it had been made from yogurt and sambal (homemade
\nchili sauce) and was rather too fiery for me. The Lebanese
\nchopped salad was a little like the Syrian one, except the
\ningredients had been chopped small, and coriander and couscous
\nhad been added. In fact it was somewhat like the tabouleh you can
\nbuy at kebab outlets in some of Jakarta's shopping malls.<\/p>\n
The Yemeni mashed bread mixed with dates was both heavy and
\nsweet, but it acted as a perfect foil for the sharper flavors of
\nthe salads. Two legs of roast lamb on the bone had been cooked
\njust right, with a little charring on the outside to give that
\nattractive, barbecued taste.<\/p>\n
Three types of rice accompanied this meal: kabbuli rice with
\nchicken (a little like chicken biriyani, for lovers of Indian
\ntake-away food) plus kabsa (Arabian rice flavored with tomato)
\nand biriyani.<\/p>\n
The meal was washed down with mint tea: upon inspection of the
\nteapot, it turned out to contain some Yellow label tea bags, plus
\nsome sprigs of fresh mint, but it very refreshing nonetheless,
\nand the ideal accompaniment to this type of food.<\/p>\n
We ordered an Arabic coffee to see what it was like. This was
\nstrongly flavored with aniseed and cardamom, and served with
\ndates on a separate dish. The flavor combination is something of
\nan acquired taste, which I, unfortunately, had yet to acquire.<\/p>\n
Price points: We ordered only one portion of each dish
\nmentioned, but it was enough for three people, and the bill for
\neverything, including 10 percent tax, was just under Rp 125,000.
\nThis was a very reasonable amount indeed, considering the amount
\nof food to eat.<\/p>\n
The set menu prices varied from an eighth of a roast lamb
\n(plus soup, rice and vegetables) for two at Rp 60,000, to a whole
\nsmall lamb with side dishes -- enough food for 14 people -- at Rp
\n470,000.<\/p>\n
Minus points: It was hard to fault this restaurant, although
\nthere was one gripe: at the end we had to ask the waiter to
\nremove the dishes from the table, even though it was obvious that
\nwe had finished. This may be because their predominantly Middle
\nEastern customers prefer to carry on talking while the food is
\nleft on the table, so they can pick at leftovers.<\/p>\n
Verdict: In a city where, apart from local delicacies,
\ninternational and fast food tend to swamp everything else, an
\nArabic restaurant is still something of a curiosity, although
\nseveral have opened in recent years. If you haven't tried Middle
\nEastern food before, then this is as good a place as any at which
\nto begin. Its tasty food, pleasant, welcoming yet easy-going
\natmosphere and very reasonable prices will almost certainly mean
\nthat you will be back. (Les Coffier)<\/p>",
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