Authentic Indonesian food at Jakarta 5-star hotel
Authentic Indonesian food at Jakarta 5-star hotel
Megan Dout, Contributor, Jakarta
At Hotel Sahid Jaya, you will find a charming Indonesian
restaurant called Bengawan Solo. It is probably the only
dedicated Indonesian restaurant in a five-star hotel in Jakarta
as local fare normally appears as part of an international menu.
Owned and managed by the Sukamdani family, we know of no better
place to enjoy authentic traditional Indonesian fare.
Location. It is conveniently located in Hotel Sahid Jaya, on
the main thoroughfare of Jl. Jend. Sudirman.
Go through the main lobby, past the front desk and shops.
Bengawan Solo is located to the right of the side entrance.
If you approach Bengawan Solo from the side entrance of the
hotel, you will see the restaurant in full view through the huge
glass windows elegantly decorated with wooden arches.
Looks. Named after the longest river in Java, Bengawan Solo
has a charming old-fashioned air about it. The frosted door
reminds you of batik and gentle Javanese music streams from it.
You are greeted by waiters dressed in traditional Javanese
costume.
The restaurant seats 70 persons comfortably in a selected
number of table arrangements of 2's to 10's.
The square tables are lined with white linen tablecloths
overlaid with pleasant pastel-colored batik.
The walls are decorated with wooden panels that resemble
opened windows. There is a low stage to one side of the
restaurant that the gamelan team occupies in the evening to
entertain guests.
What's it got. It has a very extensive menu of traditional
dishes from all over the archipelago from rendang from Padang,
Sumatra, to Konro from Makassar, South Sulawesi.
The main course is categorized according to types of meat.
There is also a good selection of appetizers, soups, side dishes
and desserts.
In addition, there is a variety of Nasi Komplit and Rijstafel
to choose from.
Nasi Komplit are set meals and they include regional cuisines
such as Nasi Liwet Keprabon, Gudeg Malioboro, Rawon Jombang,
Timbel Bandung etc. averaging around Rp 35,000 each.
We liked the fact that the waiters and kitchen staff were
accommodating. For example, to complete our meal we requested for
the ubiquitous pisang goreng (fried banana) which was not on the
menu. They complied quite happily with our orders and made a good
job of it.
It was interesting to watch the manner in which the waiters
serve water using a traditional kendi (clay pot), as is the
tradition in middle eastern countries.
Taste factor. Generally, we found the food authentic and
tasty.
We started with tahu guling. It is a light warm salad of fried
tofu on a bed of yellow noodles and vegetables drizzled with
refreshing soy sauce dressing.
The lumpia udang consisted of two portions of spring rolls
made from omelette with shrimps and minced chicken inside. It was
tasty and good enough to eat it on its own.
Gurame Goreng fried fish was excellent and not greasy at all.
It came crispy and hot off the stove.
The rendang Padang was spicy and rich; as it would be done in
Padang.
The waiter recommended Ayam Taliwang, a spicy grilled chicken,
which originated from Lombok. It was good and mildly spicy.
We couldn't go Indonesian without ordering satay. The skewers
came on a little red clay container which was converted into a
grill with burning coals inside. The portions were generous. The
lamb was tender. The chicken was very well marinated and can be
enjoyed without the peanut sauce.
Nasi Rawon Jombang had a rich and good broth with beef cubes.
However, for the uninitiated, the black broth might be off-
putting.
Price points
We felt that the food was very reasonably priced for a 5-star
hotel.
The super value meal is the Ritjstafel which starts at Rp
57,500 with 6 to 8 dishes, 1 vegetable and coffee and dessert.
Minus points. Lime squash is one of the Indonesian concoctions
we shall bring back with us when we leave here. It is normally
made from freshly-squeezed lime and topped up with soda water. We
were disappointed that a lemon concentrate was used instead and
the drink was flat rather than gassy. However when we told the
head waiter what we had in mind, he was able to replicate it.
The sop buntut (oxtail soup) was a bit of a disappointment as
the broth could have been a little richer. There were lots of
gristle and very little meat.
Verdict. If you have a tourist friend passing through Jakarta,
this is the place to bring him or her for an authentic
traditional Indonesian experience.
Because of its ambience, it would also be a great place to
break the fast during Ramadhan.
If you ladies are looking for a place to meet for lunch,
Bengawan Solo is a refreshing change from the other venues. In
addition, it is centrally located and easily accessible.
The Bengawan Solo Restaurant,
86 Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jakarta. 10220;
Tel. 570 4444 Ext. 1438. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
for lunch and 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for dinner.;
Major credit cards accepted.