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