FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- SUNDAY --- 19 Sept

FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- SUNDAY --- 19 Sept

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ANPAd..r..
Asia-cuisines-recipes

Same name but different taste

Sudibyo M. Wiradji
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The name may be the same but the taste is different -- that
seems to be the story with many foreign dishes served up in
Indonesian restaurants.

China's Peking Duck, for example, is much more spicy and
sweet than it is in Canton, where the dish originates.

"By adjusting typical Chinese foods to the Indonesian palate,
our local guests leave our restaurant with full stomachs and
happy smiles," said Ricky Tan, the operation manager of the
Shangri-La Jakarta, one of the five-star hotels in town that has
a Chinese restaurant.

Chinese favorite black pepper beef has also been adjusted to
suite the tastes of Indonesian people, who mostly like spicy and
strong flavors, he said.

In fact, the adaptions that have been made to local tastes has
to many foreign foods, particularly those from China, Japan,
Thailand and India, being among the country's favorite cuisines.

Various other Asian delicacies are not only prepared based on
recipes that have been adjusted to suit Indonesian preferences,
but have also been renamed to make them more attractive.

Japan's contemporary Pop Sushi is one example. Sushi Little
Tokyo is blended with beef, while sushi Kalimantan Roll is
combined with sliced birdseye chilis.

Apart from the fact that they have been combined with local
ingredients, non-Indonesian Asian foods are generally popular as
many of the other ingredients are similar to those used in
Indonesian cuisine, such as turmeric, union, garlic cardamon,
ginger and coriander.

Non-Indonesian Asian cuisines are available not only in
restaurants in malls and plazas but also in top star-rated hotels
as more local people develop the habit of eating out and sampling
different kinds of food.

Restaurants offering Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Thai
specialties are now popular dining places in Jakarta. Such
restaurants are often packed, particularly for lunch and dinner.

China's Peking duck and dim sums, Japan's sushi, sashimi and
teppanyaki, and India's kebabs, curries and biryanis -- to name
but a few -- are among the favorite Asian dishes here.

Asian delicacies are also often served on special occasions,
such as birthday parties, wedding receptions, thanksgiving
ceremonies, Valentine's Day meals, and the Idul Fitri, Christmas
and New Year celebrations.

In addition to the Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Thai cuisines
that have long been present in the local market, more foreign
dishes from neighboring countries, such as from Laos, Cambodia
and Vietnam, are now available in town.

Asian restaurants, which are mostly casual in style, are
always attractive to those who like dining out. The "purity" of
Japanese cuisine, which is relatively free of foreign influences,
despite the introduction of pizza rolls and contemporary Pop
Sushi, also has its own appeal.

Japanese delicacies are widely available in many Japanese
restaurants, including Enoki on Jl. HR Rasuna Said, Kav. B IV,
Ikaya at the Sahid Apartments, Taichan Ramen, Shunju in Kemchicks
in Kemang, Sushi Tengoku on Jl. Radio Dalam, Miyama in the
Borobudur Hotel and Kinokawa in the ATD Tower.

Compared to restaurants offering other non-Indonesia Asian
cuisines, Chinese restaurants are much more widespread. They can
be easily found along Jalan Mangga Besar in downtown Kota, five-
star hotels and major office buildings, such as Sam Place in the
Shangri-La, Teratai in the Borobudur Hotel, Tien Chao in Hotel
Melia and Ming's in the Setiabudi Building.

The Asian delicacies served in five-star hotels are normally
more tailormade, catering to customer demand and whether they
want "authentic" delicacies -- dishes that are served based on
original recipes -- or non-authentic ones.

With many Indonesian-Chinese people traveling abroad, the
number of food enthusiasts who fancy "authentic" Asian food is on
the rise. "We get regular groups of customer who request
authentic Chinese foods, like shark's fin and Peking duck," said
Ricky Tan of the Shangri-La.

Other favorite "authentic" foods include China's Hainanese
chicken rice and Hokkien noodles, Thailand's Pad Thai, Japan's
shabu-shabu, sushi and sashimi, tempura or teriyaki and India's
kebab, curry-based dishes and lentils.

The increasing demand for "authentic" Asian foods has prompted
restaurants, particularly in top star hotels, to make particular
efforts to keep the authentic taste by, for instance, hiring
experienced chefs from the country of origin and importing
special spices.

At Sam Palace Restaurant in the Shangri-La, Chinese dishes are
prepared by a chef from Hong Kong. "Customers are more satisfied
with "authentic" Chinese dishes prepared by a Chinese chef from
the country of origin even though non-Chinese or Chinese chefs
here can prepare them," said Ricky.

But aside from having expertise in preparing Chinese dishes
with an authentic taste, the chef should also be skillful in
serving "non-authentic" foods based on recipes that have been
adjusted to take account of local tastes. "Therefore, a chef
should also travel a lot to become familiar with the local tastes
of different countries," he said.

Meanwhile, Kinara Restaurant employs three chefs from India
and one from Pakistan, with each having his own specialties and
areas of expertise, such as curries, tandoori food, or bread and
desserts.

"To keep the authentic taste, we use some imported spices from
India," said Kinara Restaurant's assistant marketing manager, Mia
Farahziska.

Indian cuisines are popular among Indonesians as both cuisines
use similar spices. "Often, Indian cooking is distinguished by
the use of a greater variety of vegetables, and Indonesians also
like vegetables," she said.