Catch of the day at Pluit Fish Market
Catch of the day at Pluit Fish Market
For even the most avid seafood connoisseur, the pungent odor
of a fish market may rank up there with hospitals and garbage
dumps as the place you least want to visit on a regular basis.
But if you want an ironclad guarantee that the morsel on the
end of your fork was still swimming around when you went to bed
last night, start breathing through your nose.
And so it was that Epicurus, with mouth agape, took a stroll
through Pluit Fish Market for an unorthodox start to yet another
dining experience.
Always the practical dresser, Epicurus' Doc Martins were a lot
more suitable than a companion's white tennis shoes when it came
to traipsing through the waterlogged market. Gum boots were more
in order.
And eyes in the back of one's head would have been a bonus.
Unless you're a waif, market workers trying to push trolleys
laden with squirming produce along narrow walkways -- "this fish
market ain't big enough for the both of us" -- will gnaw at your
patience.
But it does offer an amazing assortment of seafood, ranging
from baskets brimming with fish of all shapes and sizes,
stingrays to prawns.
A search for lobster proved unsuccessful despite following
directions from sellers that the best shellfish selection was to
be found at a smaller adjoining market.
A complete ignorance of the going rate for seafood was a
little daunting at first but Epicurus, always willing to take up
a challenge, started bargaining and walked out with a large Bawal
Merah (pomfret) fish for Rp 8,000, about one kilogram of squid
for Rp 4,000 and two crabs for Rp 12,000.
A short walk from the market is Pujaseri Mas Murni, an open-
air complex which specializes in preparing and cooking seafood.
There are 24 small restaurants to choose from, all offering
similar services, including the option of sending one of their
employees to fetch the day's catch.
Each diner is charged Rp 3,000 for rice, water and condiments.
lalap (a selection of raw vegetables including cabbage, cucumber
and tomato), kangkung (morning glory, or the less easy on the ear
"swamp weed") and drinks are extra.
The complex is an unusual sight. Raging fires in 44-gallon
drums, sawn in half, send smoke spewing into the night's sky. And
the place is bustling with energy.
The evening's first mistake became apparent when one of the
crabs -- which the seller had sworn had eggs and was fresh --
turned out to be neither of the above. It ended up in the trash.
Crabs are sold alive and so it was Epicurus' own fault that a
little probing was not undertaken to assess the creature's
vitals. Let this be a word of warning to other fish market first-
timers.
The hard work done, it was time to sit down and soak up the
atmosphere. And, on occasions, don a gas mask when the wind
changed direction.
Less than half an hour after handing over our purchases, the
freshest catch of the day landed on our table, cooked to
perfection.
The fish had been barbecued, the squid marinated and fried,
and the crab boiled.
Seafood conjures up the best and worst memories for diners. A
bad experience can put people off seafood for life.
And so it was, after garnering the courage to try shellfish
again, that crab sidestepped its way back onto Epicurus' Must Eat
list.
The cost of the seafood, additional food and drinks and the
service totaled Rp 46,000.
In these economic times, when everyone is looking for value
for money, Pujaseri Mas Murni was a catch to be celebrated.
-- Epicurus