A tasty bone to pick at Bobby Rubino's

A tasty bone to pick at Bobby Rubino's

Rib joints are not territory where Epicurus fears to tread.
But there were two reasons for a little trepidation before a
visit to Bobby Rubino's Place for Ribs on the ground floor of the
S. Widjojo Centre on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

For one, the last foray into a rib restaurant (no names but
think Windy City) had been met with an irate letter from the
proprietor. A tad ticked off, apparently, by a couple of biting
asides about the quality of service and dishes which failed to
live up to expectations.

And, second, Epicurus confesses to never being a great meat
eater. Hulking chunks of flesh -- be they beef, veal or "the
other white meat" -- have never sent yours truly into a rhapsodic
paean. This is despite growing up in a family of confirmed meat
lovers, including a South African father whose favorite pastime
was to sling a couple of steaks on to the brai, even in the dead
of an English winter.

A culinary critic with an aversion to the red stuff? Well, not
a dislike so much as a preference for it in decided moderation
and dressed so elaborately it bears scant resemblance to its
former being.

But the opening of Bobby Rubino's a couple of months ago had
caused a change of heart. Jakarta is now a city for rib
restaurants, with Epicurus able to count at least four hawking
their own take on the meaty matter within the Sudirman area of
Plaza Senayan-Panin Center-BRI II.

The objective was to find out whether Bobby Rubino's offered
anything out of the ordinary from its peers. After some necessary
clarification on its location -- Widjojo Center is not to be
confused with Wijaya Center in South Jakarta, and the restaurant
is way in the back of the building -- our gang of four finally
arrived at the chosen destination.

The decor of burnished shades of pink and tan smacks of the
clean lines of the American Southwest: it's ersatz Georgia O'
Keefe except the cow parts are on your plate. Although the
restaurant is long and narrow, diners do not feel cramped or
privy to the conversations of those at adjoining tables.
Carefully placed potted plants and the deliberate layout provide
cozy pockets of privacy.

There was a little bit of everything on the menu -- the
specialty ribs in baby back and special cut variations, steaks,
burgers, chicken, seafood, salads and sandwiches, including a
Philly cheesesteak. Our party attacked it all with gusto, opting
for chicken tenderloins and the intriguingly named trio loaf for
starters.

The chicken, served with a honey mustard sauce, was
satisfactory but the real revelation was the loaf. The huge
construction of onions, zucchini and mushrooms was a winning
start to the meal and big enough even for four people.

It was, fortunately, a taste of even better things to come.
The beef back regular and barbecued rib and shrimp combination
had tender, delicious meat which peeled cleanly off the bone. The
portions were large, satisfying but not overwhelming. Eating ribs
should rightfully be done by hand, and one of us wished that
there had been bibs for ensuring that clothes remained stain-
free.

The two holdouts in the meat stakes picked a chef's special of
Alaskan salmon in bearnaise sauce and barbecued chicken breast.
Again, there were no complaints in portions or the taste
satisfaction factor. The barbecue sauce for the chicken was not
cloyingly sweet or caramelly, and the chicken was well cooked.

All the entrees came with regular choices of baked potatoes,
french fries, coleslaw, baked beans or, a little more off the
culinary beaten track, sweet potato. Some of us found the latter
somewhat woody in taste and best eaten piping hot.

Despite the initial anxiety, the trip to Bobby Rubino's was
worth every minute. Although it cost a pretty penny -- just over
Rp 185,000 -- this covered two starters, four entrees, soft
drinks, coffee and outstanding fresh mango juice.

We had eaten to our heart's content (and maybe its peril) and
were thoroughly sated to the point where dessert items of
cheesecake, chocolate cake or brownies were out of the question.
Those will have to be savored on a return visit in the near
future.

-- Epicurus