Fine continental, fusion fare at Warna by Pernique

Fine continental, fusion fare at Warna by Pernique

Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta

If you happen to take a trip down the rather salubrious drag
that is Jl. Kemang Raya, it could come as something of a surprise
to you (if you didn't know better, that is), that the country
happens to be in the grip of one of its worst recessions since
the Dutch packed up their kit-bags more than half a century ago.

For despite all the travails that Jakarta has gone through
over the last couple of years, restaurants and bars have
continued to pop up all over the place down in Kemang, which just
goes to prove that the spirit of enterprise is still alive and
well in Jakarta.

An eatery that's been around for about two years now and which
has recently been relaunched is the suave and sophisticated Warna
by Pernique, in my book one of the most romantic and relaxing
restaurants that this great city has to offer. And although in
its previous incarnation Warna was not particularly renowned for
its food, all that has now changed dramatically.

Guided by its knowledgeable proprietor, Reeza Budhisurya, and
with chef Budiana holding the fort expertly in the kitchen, this
really is the kind of fine eatery that will long be remembered,
and be eagerly revisited time and again.

Apart from the exquisite food (which I'll come to later), what
really impresses about Warna by Pernique is its setting in a
beautiful garden reached only after passing through a fascinating
gallery of antique Javanese furniture and delightful
handicrafts.

In fact, the entire ensemble is housed in one of those fine
old villas that used to line Jl. Kemang Raya. But unlike most of
these, which have been gutted and turned into business premises
of one sort or another -- usually fronted by garish, neon signs
-- Warna has kept the interior of the villa and its accompanying
back garden intact. Thus, the feeling you get as you browse
through the tastefully decorated chambers of the villa on your
way to the restaurant is akin to that of a guest in the home of
an urbane and cosmopolitan friend.

In fact, one could happily spend most of the evening admiring
the tasteful collection that Reeza has set out for us to admire
(and hopefully buy -- although you'll need to bring your double
plated platinum card along).

And then comes the real revelation -- the wonderful garden
centered around a cooling pool, replete with emperor palms,
hanging bougainvillea and delightful little pendopo (open-sided
pavilions) for dining in the Javanese lesehan style (sitting on
the floor on cushions around a low table).

This really is an enchanting venue for an evening of superb al
fresco dining as one listens to the gurgling of the water and
watches the joss stick smoke dreamily drift in front of the
footlights strategically placed all around the garden (but be
warned, as always with outdoor dining in the tropics, mosquitoes
may be a problem -- pays to bring along some insect repellent).

And so, time to order from the extensive menu that chef
Budianta has prepared, a tour de force of mostly Continental
epicurean treats, complemented by some fusion, that will have all
lovers of fine food drooling expectantly.

While my partner opted to forego an appetizer, I decided that
such attractive surroundings merited the works. It was a real
toss up between the seared beef loin with mesclum lettuce and
cilantro dressing (Rp 35,000) and the herb salmon crepes with
caviar, lettuce and basil cream dressing (Rp 38,000).

In the end I opted for the latter and was certainly not
disappointed. The two salmon filled crepes, light and refreshing,
turned out to be the perfect starter, tantalizing the taste buds
in anticipation of what was yet to come.

Which for me, as it turned out, was the consomme of duck with
liver dumplings and shredded vegetables (Rp 30,000). This
particular choice was something of a risk on my part as I've
never been overly partial to clear French broths, but was swayed
by curiosity as to the form of the liver dumplings.

Well, there's no denying it, these certainly hit the mark. The
consomme, however, as feared, was rather bland to my palate.
Perhaps I would have been better advised to have gone for the
seafood bisque with scallops, prawns, leeks and cayenne pepper
(Rp 35,000) or, indeed, the Indonesian chicken laksa soup (Rp
25,000).

And so, on to the entrees -- a fusion creation of U.S. beef
tenderloin served with pekcoy vegetables and topped with Chinese
black pepper sauce (Rp 70,000) for my partner, and the roast duck
breast served with honey mashed potatoes and a rosi sauce for
yours truly (Rp 70,000).

The tenderloin came artistically served with baby potatoes,
baby tomatoes, yellow and red capsicum, sweet corn and red beans
-- all in all a veritable riot of color and flavors. To say that
my partner was ecstatic is something of an understatement, with
the only complaint being that the chef could have been a little
more generous with the ladle when it came to the black pepper
sauce.

As for the duck, well, what can one say! Perfectly tender.
lean and melt-in-the-mouth, this particular duck would be enough
to send even the most unresponsive taste buds into a tizzy.

Complemented by wonderfully creamy mashed potatoes and the
piquant sauce, this is a dish that I'll certainly be going back
to Warna by Pernique to savor.

Ending off a memorable meal with the light (and almost fluffy)
Warna style cheesecake served with mixed berries sauce (Rp
27,000) for yours truly, and the warm apple pie served with
vanilla ice cream (Rp 30,000), we left this delightful eatery
sated and contented, and more than a little impressed. Well
recommended on all fronts!

Warna by Pernique, Jl. Kemang Selatan No. 101, Jakarta 12730.
You can call them on 71793536. Hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sun. to
Thurs., and 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. All quoted
prices exclude 21 percent tax and service. All major credit cards
accepted.