'Eye-wateringly' good Manado fare at Beautika
JAKARTA (JP): Four years ago Beautika was a small beauty salon whose owner also happened to enjoy cooking. Many of the clients at the salon, located at the bustling Jl. Hang Lekir junction across from the campus of Dr. Moestopo University, would ask for a bite to eat while they had their hair done.
Both activities fused when the owner decided to open a small restaurant at the site, at first selling Manadonese savory porridge, fried bananas and Manadonese noodles. Word spread about the great fare, the curious came in droves and stayed and the menu duly expanded. Today Beautika is perhaps better known for what it cooks up in the kitchen than the snipping, cutting and styling going on in the salon.
Open: Daily, from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. except on Sunday and holidays when closing time is 5 p.m. They recently opened a small outlet at Dermaga Food Court in Pondok Indah Mall.
What's it got: Take your pick from a variety of famous Manadonese dishes, such as ikan kuah asam (red snapper or tude fish in sweet and sour sauce), which is spicy but delicious, or sop brenebon (their variety has chicken instead of beef in a broth mixed with vegetables and kidney beans) as appetizers.
And then there is fish, chicken or beef. Try their chicken or cakalang fish in spicy gravy, a flavorsome, hot (your mouth will feel like a furnace) but appetizing dish; ayam woku belanga (spicy chicken curry); ayam ganemo (sauteed chicken with melinjo leaves); cumi woku (sauteed squid in an ultra-spicy, green chili- based sauce); ayam tuturuga (chicken sauteed with coconut milk, with small chilies and potatoes), or chicken coated in chili. Not all the dishes are available every day (and be aware that there are also traditional Manadonese meats, such as bat) so every visit has something different in store.
They also serve vegetables such as sayur bunga pepaya (tasty sauteed papaya flower with cakalang fish), sayur garo (papaya leaves sauteed with kangkung (morning glory) and melinjo leaves, or rica rodo (sauteed eggplant, string beans and sweetcorn).
In addition to the usual white rice, they also have rice steamed in leaves from Manado, nasi jaha (glutinous rice wrapped with leaves and roasted in bamboo), best served with beef in chili sauce or ayam Tuturuga; Manadonese saffron rice served with abon ikan (sliced fish that has been boiled and fried until dried), scrambled egg, cucumber and shrimp chips.
Manadonese desserts are always something special. There is es kacang (kidney beans with ice and milk, durian lovers can ask for a few bits of their favorite fruit); es palubutung (flour-coated bananas with ice and syrup); es buah (various fruits mixed with syrup and ice), and also gohu/Pepaya Tono (sliced papaya in a spicy vinegar dressing).
Most of the well-known traditional Manadonese cakes are on display at the small counter near the stairs to the upstairs dining area. These include apang, panada and Manadonese layer cake. Beautika's specialty is klapertaart, which is made of slivers of young coconut with raisins, canary nuts and cinnamon on top.
Price points: Quite reasonable. It's about Rp 8,000 to Rp 10,000 per portion of vegetables for two or three diners. Fish, chicken or squid are priced at about Rp 15,000 per portion. Beverages and desserts verge on the cheap, about Rp 1,500 for the former and Rp 2,000 for cakes, except the vaunted klappertaart, which is Rp 20,000 for a medium-sized cup.
Looks: This two-story restaurant (they renovated the upstairs due to the growing popularity of the place) is clean and calm, a pleasant place for a meal. There are paintings on the walls, vases of flowers on the tables and the waiting staff do not mind if you just want to sit a while after you have finished eating.
But prepared to wait in line for a table as they are always very crowded, especially at lunch time, even though they have more than 150 seats in the restaurant.
Popular with: White-collar workers from offices around Jl. Sudirman, Senayan and Kebayoran Baru area, and also young wives spending time with friends. On Sundays and holidays many Manadonese families have lunch here. Celebrities such as Desy Ratnasari, Paramita Rusadi and Ayu Azhari reportedly often come for a meal and a waiter informed me that tennis star Yayuk Basuki and her entourage come every morning for porridge.
Taste Factor: Hot, spicy but delicious would be the most suitable description. Except for the vegetables and desserts, almost all of the food was eye-wateringly hot, but it does come together well, with all those spices blending in perfect harmony.
Minus Points: Parking because of the location at the junction; finding a space at lunchtime can be a bit of a nightmare.
Verdict: A great lunch spot for a healthy, delicious meal at a reasonable price. And if you love spices and chilis, then you will be in seventh heaven. (Trisna Wati)