Good food that won't break the bank
Fabio Scarpello, Contributor, Jakarta
Anyone blessed with an average IQ, if posed the question "what makes a good restaurant?" would answer, "a combination of good food, nice environment, attentive, but not overbearing service and a bill that can be settled without having to sell the house".
The same person would probably add that in Jakarta, restaurants that offer the right balance of these essential ingredients are few and far between.
And they would be right.
Lan Na Thai means "rice fields". It is also the name of an area in northern Thailand where, many moons ago, the armies of Rama I stood firm against the hordes of foreigners pressing on the borders. With Rama's success came the fundamentals of the modern kingdom of Thailand.
However, history and etymology aside, to me and you, Lan Na Thai is a Thai restaurant tucked away in Jl DR. Kusuma Atmaja in plush Menteng.
Now, holding my head high, I can say that a bottle of good, medium body red wine (with a light raspberry tinge and a long- lasting aftertaste) was just an ephemeral barrier between me and a full critical analysis and that, the remaining 500 or so words, are the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Lan Na Thai is one of those few places where the trade-off between the quality of the food and the ambience is not on the menu.
It is an all-round first-rate restaurant, run by a competent manager with professional staff and a chef who does not speak a word of English but certainly knows how to handle the wok and mix the spices.
On the night, after a full dinner, the toughest criticism a party of four could come up with was that the Massaman curry was "a touch too sweet".
The fact that one of the four was a vegetarian added to the comprehensiveness of the menu sampled.
At my corner of the table, the grouper proved to be a meaty yet delicate fish that melted in the mouth and the sweet, sour and spicy sauce that garnished it was just that -- a sweet, sour and spicy sauce with the three flavors finely balanced.
Prior to get to the main course, an assortment of appetizers had set the mood. I particularly enjoyed the Pandan chicken, as the menu reads: Succulent pieces of chicken wrapped in a fragrant Pandan leaf and lightly grilled.
It was simply delicious, just like the two salads with a heavy lemon grass flavor we had in between courses.
My dinner companions had similar comments apart from the Massaman Curry that was a touch too sweet.
To that, I might add that, all in all, the food has been Westernized and is not as spicy as in Thailand, although I was told that the sauces are imported from there.
The restaurant itself is located on the first floor of a old Dutch colonial house that was falling to pieces before English- born architect, Frank Drake, met Batak (Sumatran) entrepreneur Haidi Angkawijana.
The two joined forces and transformed it into a pleasure for the eye and a testament to good taste.
The work finished in 1997 and ever since, Lan Na Thai has pulled the right mix of local professionals and expatriates who have kept it above water even during the darkest days of the Soeharto era and the East Asian financial crisis of 1998, when many other establishments folded.
"It was weird to serve people inside, while there were demonstrations going on just a hundred meters away," recalled Canadian-born general manager Stephen Bianchin who has been here since the beginning.
Detail, detail, detail. It's all about details.
Lan Na Thai is stylish and elegant -- not in an up-your-nose sort of way but in a warm, cozy and comfortable one.
Blue curtains, paintings and textiles fill the walls while the various Chinese, Javanese and Thai artifacts add another layer to the visual experience.
This is especially evident in "The Face" -- the name of the bar on the ground floor.
Plants, together with dry and fresh flowers unpretentiously embellish corners and bring the solid wooden furniture and floorboards to life.
Central lighting is avoided like the plague. Instead, low lights, often placed in corners, provide a soothing yet more-than -adequate luminosity. Incense and music complete the mood.
In the restaurant, each table has its own little candle and their tiny lights bounce off the red walls.
Tables are placed far apart, and the room presents various corners giving enough privacy to the guests. Chairs, however, are not that comfortable. Mr. Bianchin, please take note.
Bianchin talked about "soul and ambience," and said that the strength of the restaurant-bar was its feel.
He also said that Lan Na Thai was ideal for couples on a romantic evening and for businesspeople at lunchtime.
On both accounts it is hard to argue with him.
It was also nice to notice that the staff preempted most requests while not breathing down customers' necks or racing to fill up a glass after every sip. By the way, I did not have to sell my house to settle the bill, either.
Lan Na Thai
Jl. D.R. Kusama Atmaja
Menteng
Central Jakarta 10310
Tel. 31925037
lunch 12 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
dinner 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.