Dining in nature with a little frog

Dining in nature with a little frog

T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Bandung

In these modern times when many people tend to celebrate
contemporary cuisine in shopping malls or restaurants, it pays
not to overlook the delicious taste of Indonesian food,
especially if that food can be eaten in a memorable outdoor
setting.

Bandung's Kampung Daun and Sapu Lidi are two restaurants
famous for serving food within nature. Guests can enjoy their
meals in small saung (thatched gazebo-like structures with no
walls) while they take in the mountain city's pretty views.

Kampung Daun, which literally means "village of leaves", and
Sapu Lidi, or "palm-leaf broom", are both located in Jl. Sersan
Bajuri, a quiet, secluded area about 5 kilometers from the more
hectic public minivan terminal on Jl. Setiabudi.

At weekends, the two places are almost always full of guests
who mostly come from Jakarta.

"Sometimes (diners) have to wait for about an hour to get a
seat here," a Kampong Daun waiter said.

"And we have had more customers following the opening of the
new (Cipularang) toll road," which became operational after
April's Asia-Africa Conference, he said.

The new road means that on jam-free days it takes only a few
hours to drive from Bandung to Jakarta, shaving up to 60 minutes
off the journey. The road also gives weary travelers more time in
the city to relax and enjoy the view, and both establishments
make rest and relaxation a priority for their guests.

As people enter Kampung Daun, they are greeted by a friendly
waiter dressed in a traditional Sundanese costume who takes them
down a stony path to their table.

Patrons have the option of either sitting on a chair at a
traditional Western table, or on a mat on the floor in their own
private saung. The restaurant, located on the slopes of a hill,
also has several of these saung sitting in picturesque green
terraces and close to small man-made waterfalls that bring one
even closer to nature.

Sapu Lidi, meanwhile, takes the rural theme even further,
inviting its guests to "eat in a rice field". Sitting at Sapu
Lidi, one is not only surrounded by the green rice paddy but also
by the salad plants that grow on the sides of the saung. You are
also never far away from a small river -- where I saw a little
frog jumping the last time I was there.

"We grow most of the vegetables by ourselves," said the Sapu
Lidi waiter.

And how about the rice?

"Oh no, we can't harvest the paddy, it is only for
decoration," he said.

The fish served for the guests, however, is taken from a pond
built on the two-hectare premises.

People eat traditional Sundanese food with their hands and
while Sapu Lidi is upmarket, it makes few concessions to modern
tableware -- instead it invites guests to explore the option of
traditional dining. An attractive water jar is put in front of
the saung and if one wants to wash their hands, they just scoop
up some water using a water dipper made of bamboo and coconut
shell.

Another unique accessory is a kentongan, a kind of bamboo
public address system. In the past, people beat the hollow
kentongan stick to alert people to a meeting or warn of the
prescence of a thief, a wild animal or a ghost. At Sapu Lidi, the
kentongan becomes a handy way to call for service.

In the evening, small electrical bulbs are lighted to
illuminate the saung, but there are also traditional kerosene
lamps installed along the path.

There are a number of great traditional dishes on offer in
Sapu Lidi and Kampung Daun. Daun offers nasi gudeg, the
traditional food from Yogyakarta, and nasi liwet from Solo.

Among the traditional Sundanese foods offered by Kampung Daun
are nasi kukus (rice cooked in coconut milk, mixed with petai and
salted fish, served with fried chicken, fried tofu, fried tempei,
stir-fried salted fish, sambal and kerupuk) and nasi tutug oncom
(rice cooked with red beans, served with fried chicken, stir-
fried salted fish, vegetables, sambal and kerupuk), at Rp 32,000
and Rp 24,000, respectively.

Pepes ikan or fish wrapped in banana leaves and grilled or
steamed is among the most popular of Sundanese traditional foods
and is unfortunately omitted from the menus of both restaurants.

However, what Kampung Daun and Sapu Lidi both do really well
is fried or grilled fish -- the other day I ordered a half
kilogram of fried fish from Kampung Daun, which was delicious and
cost only Rp 30,000.

Both restaurants also serve Western food like sirloin steak
and sandwiches. Along with traditional beverages like the hot
bandrek and cool cendol potions, stiffer drinks are also offer
and Kampung Daun has a wide selection of mocktails and cocktails.