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