Exquisite Italian cuisine in Central Jakarta
Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta
While eateries serving dishes drawn from all over the boot-shaped peninsula that is Italy are ten to a penny in Jakarta, it's a rare treat indeed to find one that serves genuine Italian cuisine without liberal alterations made to suit the Indonesian palate, including the addition of copious quantities of sugar as well as mountains of salt and pepper.
And while most of the regional cuisines of Italy, from Emilia Romagna to Sicily, are reasonably well represented here, at least on the menu, it's a rare Italian that, blindfolded, would recognize many of the offerings served up merely from the taste.
Which is why any restaurant that devotes itself to the true, unadulterated tastes of Italy deserves a hearty round of applause.
One such fine restaurant, which has been keeping the customers satisfied on Jl. Veteran I since February 1998, is Domus, which styles itself "The Italian Restaurant" -- and not without good cause.
For the entire eatery, housed in an outstanding, high- ceilinged building dating back to colonial times, exudes just about everything a fine Italian eatery should exude, including style, finesse and the prospect of a meal to remember.
Upon passing through the impressive double doors, one is immediately greeted by the long, inviting lobby bar, just the place to enjoy a relaxing aperitif before proceeding into the restaurant proper -- a large, airy, pillared salon replete with shimmering chandelier, graceful arches and a small waterfall.
The menu is nothing less than a gourmet's delight and, although vast, is well worth taking one's time over. With such offerings as salmone rifieno patate con salsa capsicum (a tangy stuffed pan-fried salmon with potato, served with bell peppers), and mezzelune ai gamberoni salsa dello chef (wonderful pasta- filled prawns served with the chef's own light tomato sauce), it really does pay dividends to give this menu a thorough perusal, even if the stomach is about to stage an imminent rebellion. I'll vouchsafe you won't be disappointed!
As an appetizer, my partner for the evening selected the melanzane alla Parmigiana (Rp 25,000), a dish consisting of oven- baked eggplant topped with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, while I opted for the light and refreshing funghi griglia alla Fiorentina (grilled mushrooms gratinated with cheese) at Rp 30,000, which turned out to be the perfect starter. The malanzane, however, was a meal in itself and, for those with smaller appetites, could just as well have served as the entree.
And speaking of entrees, what a selection to tantalize the taste buds, including such gastronomic treats as ravioli d'anatra con fonduta (a dish of pasta-filled duck served with fontina cheese and demiglace -- one of my all-time favorites), and the tagliata del Domus (thin slices of beef steak crowned with herbs and mustard baked with smoked cheese), which was recommended to us by the Maitre D', but which we decided to forego.
Instead, my partner -- driven near to insanity by hunger after having been stuck for almost two hours in a traffic jam -- plumped for the tried and tested filletto al pepe verde (pan- fried tenderloin served with green pepper sauce -- Rp 95,000), while I, as usual, found it impossible to pass by the ossobucco alla Milanese (roasted veal shank served with Milanese style rice at Rp 105,000).
Well, my partner likes her meat well done, to say the least, and unfortunately what she got was anything but well-done. But a quick word to the attentive waitress and the offending steak was quickly whisked away only to be returned in two shakes of a lamb's tail as well done as even my partner likes it. But, it still makes me wonder -- how often do chefs listen to our requests, even in the best eateries?
As for my ossobucco, well, words simply cannot do justice to the delightfully textured, sweet, tender, fall-of-the-bone meat that graced my plate, which, together with its Gremolata topping, presented a wonderfully enticing rhapsody of color, textures and flavors -- a veritable masterpiece! And as for Milanese style short-grain rice fried in butter and olive oil, and simmered in meat stock -- simply divine! There's no doubt about it, this is the sort of dish that makes the difference between a mediocre and a great restaurant.
Ending our superb meal in Domus with some coffee, followed by a glass of fine brandy and a cigar in the lobby bar, we staggered out the door into the dark, humid Jakarta night well-sated, purring like Cheshire cats and in full agreement that Domus has definitely got what it takes, despite the small problem with the steak!
I-BOX:
Domus, Jl. Veteran I No. 30-32, Central Jakarta. You can call them on 3447288-9, Homepage: www.domus.co.id e-mail : domus@pacific.net.id