Bread buffs enjoy battle of bakeries

Kenny Santana, Contributor, Jakarta

For over 20 years there has always been bread on the table simply because my dad is a baker. And no, you don't need to have a connection with my dad (or any other baker) to have bread at your place. Everyone knows that bread is easy and great to have anytime.

Bread buffs (aren't we all?) always have fun using their creativity to fill the gap between slices, be it peanut butter, cheddar cheese, chocolate sprinkles or a fried egg. And if we don't want to make the bread filling ourselves, there are always bakeries nearby. Here are some choices, but I guarantee I haven't referred to my family's bakery here, in case you were worried about that n-word (nepotism, or the 'N' in KKN).

Holland Bakery (tel. 625-1269)

Who isn't familiar with this name? Every time the word comes up, this brand comes to mind. With over 15 branches in the city and a reputation for providing tasty bread and good service, Holland will always remain the bakery everyone recognizes.

There's not much more to say really, except they have nice service, a good choice and can be found everywhere. Their lapis Surabaya pandan, bika Ambon and molen breads are worth a try.

Some jajanan pasar (traditional snacks) are also available and always seem to be fresh. Go for the small, but fulfilling noodle schotel that you rarely find anywhere else. The cake section is not impressive; you'll find some puddings and tarts. No big innovations here.

Another good thing is, unlike many places, which run out of product in the evening, they undertake to give you as wide a choice in the evening as in the morning. There's nothing worse than going to a bakery after office hours to empty shelves. Here, that won't happen.

The creative Eaton, Plaza Senayan (572-5305)

No other place is as creative as this. You name it. Chicken mayonnaise, talas buns, mantau, cream sauce, coffee bread, even Japanese cartoon character Doraemon's fave cake Dorayaki are available. They're simply all great.

The irresistible mantau is basically the bakpau you can find at street hawker stalls with a black bean inside, but Eaton have used a small mantau instead. The nut-studded peanut bread is destined for you nut lovers. Please don't miss their feather- light honey or coffee chiffon. They taste so good and "more-ish".

If you're not the kind of person who likes to try new things, they also have basic, simple choices that taste delicious as well. At the cake corner, trademark talas cake seems to be everyone's fave, not to mention yummy cheesecake. Pleasant service too. If only every bakery could be as creative as this!

The pioneer Suisse Bakery, Jl. Hayam Wuruk (tel. 629-9516)

One of the oldest bakeries in town, this place is far from impressive. The bread is left open to the air, without plastic covers. I saw a fly or two pass by; now that's not something nice to find in a bakery (nor anywhere else!).

Luckily, the assistants quickly brush them away. Here, the customers are allowed to choose the bread themselves or else the assistants will gladly help you out. There are no name tags on breads, so you have to ask which is which. This could be chaotic at busy times.

The flavors are really engaging too, probably because they wish to remain traditional. You'll only find boring flavors here. Blueberry was the only novel taste I came across. They also sell some cakes, donuts and jajanan pasar. Their bika Ambon and coconut bread deserve a try.

Nothing's inventive here; the good thing about the bread is that the loaves are larger and slightly cheaper than the competition's.

Hero, Carrefour, Sogo bakeries

Some supermarkets also sell bread, but do they manage to give what we want? Let's sort through them, one by one.

Hero supermarket sells bakery products under the name Family bakery and cakes of a limited choice and just-OK taste. The good thing is they provide jajanan pasar at a 50 percent discount after 6 p.m. Their risoles, sus and croquettes are quite appetizing. Pass on the breads and just have their jajanan pasar.

Carrefour offers a wider choice: croissant, muffins, baguettes, pies, you name it and you'll find it here. Most of the breads are sold in plastic packaging, so you have to buy more than just one. I was disappointed at the bread filled with vla (a kind of rich custard). I found out that it was stale even though there were two days still to run before expiry date. And it turned out, when I checked the label on the package, one expiry- date label had been stuck on top of another, the uppermost with the date of the following day.

My advice is to check the label before you buy anything in Carrefour or just go to another place you know that doesn't attempt to pass off stale bread as fresh: it's easier and safer.

Sogo is by far the best of the three, but also the most expensive. They have dorayaki, Belgian waffles, abon bread and many varieties of great-tasting bread and cakes. My fave, coffee- flavored bread, will fool cappuccino-lovers into believing they haven't sipped their coffee when they discover this. The old- fashioned roti sisir srikaya made from two slices with srikaya jam in between is heavenly. Recommended.

Le Gourmet boutique, Plaza Indonesia (tel. 398-38789)

The Plaza Indonesia branch of Le Gourmet has a swank corner with a fancy interior and atmosphere. From the bakery, try their abon bread; it come in three choices -- beef, chili beef and chicken. It's their new flavor and it's not disappointing. The recipe is simple: A bun with abon on top of it with vla filling inside, the result is amazing. Other choices, like the cheese or choco-cheese don't match it for price.

If you want to try their cake section or jajanan pasar, go for the must-try apple strudel or cheese rissoles, they're luscious as can be, even though I think they're on the small side. You get the idea already: Le Gourmet is tasty but pricey. Oh yeah, they give samples to passersby who are curious to taste before deciding to buy.

Newcomers Johan (638-63884) and Five Loaves (727-99478).

The little sister of Eaton bakery, Johan provides a wide range of bakery products and cakes. There are only two branches at present, Bale Air on Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, and Gajah Mada Plaza, Central Jakarta, which will soon be followed by a branch at Kemang. The place seems very promising and it's not as expensive as you might think.

Try the custard; five small pieces of shell-like cake with a choice of pineapple, durian or chocolate filling that simply melt in your mouth. You must try this! The buttercream bread tastes better than that from any other bakery in town. Another highly recommended item is their soft-and-crusty chicken floss puff pastry.

If you're bored with bland bread, they have pizza loaves. It's a bit expensive (over Rp 20,000) but definitely worth every penny. The assistants are very friendly, definitely know what they're doing, persuasive, but not pushy at all. If you can't get enough of their lip-smacking bread and cakes, they also open as a restaurant with dim sum and Chinese food as the main menu items.

Highly recommended.

Five Loaves (Blok M Plaza and Gajah Mada Plaza) is also a "new kid on the block". The bread tastes above average, except the tuna-flavored bread which seems a little bland. The expensive lapis legit (which costs Rp 5,000 per slice) and three types of brioche are among their best items. The tiramisu is surprisingly delicious, but other cakes taste just like your childhood birthday tarts. They also take special orders for cakes. During their opening season they gave away complimentary cakes with every purchase over Rp 50,000 and a 10 percent discount to students. Plus you can sip a coffee in their small, but cozy corner. Nice.