How much is that abalone in the window?

How much is that abalone in the window?

By Grace Segran

JAKARTA (JP): When my friend Raymond e-mailed me about the Rp
11,000,000 abalone, I thought he made a mistake and added too
many zeros. A second e-mail confirmed that this was no mistake,
that the abalone served at Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant at Mid
Plaza on Jl. Sudirman does indeed cost Rp 11 million each.

We'll probably never have the chance to taste this
extraordinary gastropod mollusk, unless there is a glut of
abalone and the price falls to a fraction of its current rate. So
we decided to saunter down to Ah Yat for a look-see.

It met us at the door. The abalone, I mean. There it was
displayed in a showcase in all of its splendor. It was dried and
brownish in color, a few times the size of a mussel, and stood
out among its smaller counterparts.

Ben Tan, the assistant manager of the restaurant, explained
why it was so expensive: an abalone takes 35 years to grow to
this size. Moreover, abalones this size and age are difficult to
find because of polluted waters.

Abalones, apparently, are graded according to the number of
pieces per kati. A kati is 600 grams. The Amidori Abalone we came
to see was graded "4 pieces per kati". According to Tan, abalones
could be as big as one piece per kati; I did not dare ask what
these might cost. The next best grade at Ah Yat, "6 pieces per
kati", costs almost Rp 6 million each.

Ah Yat has a special menu for their prized abalones. As a
routine, this menu is not given to guests. The gourmets and,
needless to say, those with deep pockets will know to ask for it.
Because there is a lot of work that needs to go into the
preparation of these abalones, orders must be made a few days
ahead of time.

Being mere mortals, we were handed a menu that was typical of
a Chinese restaurant. However, we were spoiled for choice --
there were 141 items. Tan tells us that they also have many other
dishes which can be prepared on request.

Raymond, who has been to the restaurant 20 or 30 times since
it opened in June, tells me the food is consistently good. There
are nine set menus ranging in price from Rp 155,000 to Rp
4,880,000 per person. According to Raymond, the Rp 250,000 menu
is excellent and good value for money. This is because the fresh
abalone "Ah Yat Style" included in the set would cost Rp 238,000
per piece on the a la carte menu.

We decided to go a la carte. We started with a soup with an
unusual name: Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Also called Fu
Thiaw Chiang, it costs Rp 150,000 per portion. The double-boiled
soup, consisting of sharkfin, abalone, Japanese mushroom, dried
scallop and chicken, was full-bodied.

This was followed by scrambled egg with fish maw, individually
served (by special request) on a piece of shell-shaped salad leaf
with scalloped edges. At Rp 50,000 it is good for four people.

Fried spareribs with "homemade sauce" were crispy and sweet. A
portion has six pieces and costs Rp 38,000. Next we were served
stewed goose web with Japanese mushroom. If one can get beyond
how awful the web looks, the Rp 50,000 dish is worth trying. It
was tender and mostly made up of skin and cartilage. The enormous
Japanese mushroom was even better; it was thick and succulent.

Stewed brisket beef with "homemade sauce" (this one tasted
different from the one used for the spareribs) was cooked in soy
sauce and was very tender. Bits of Chinese celery added flavor to
the dish.

Then came the abalone -- not the dried one that costs Rp 11
million -- but the fresh one that costs Rp 238,000. It was very
smooth with a discreet but distinct flavor that I remember from
my childhood days, when my mother would prepare abalone soup on
Chinese New Year's Eve. I always enjoyed the chewiness as a
child, and this transported me back to those good old days.

In Chinese banquet-style, the last course before dessert was
noodles. We had "homemade" flat rice noodles, or kwetiau, fried
with beef. After the magnificent meal, it was fitting to finish
things off with fresh fruit. Which was complementary, thankfully.

During the meal, we were fussed over by attentive staff. There
were at least 30 on duty on Sunday night in the mid-size
restaurant, that can seat up to 300 people. The modestly
decorated restaurant was busy as the turnover was good.

Apparently, they have over 500 guests for lunch on the weekend
-- many of whom have to wait in line if they do not have
reservations. Ah Yat must be doing something right. We suspect
it's the food.