Real, affordable Italian cuisine comes to Jakarta

Bill Blade, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

For those of us partial to the odd spot of pizza, Jakarta can often seem like a barren, depressing purgatory indeed. It's not, of course, that there's any lack of pizza joints -- many of the octopus-like international chains, and a few local one's as well, are all flogging their wares and trying to cut each others' throats with gusto here in the big smoke.

But there always seems, to me at any rate, to be something seriously missing in the Jakarta pizza stakes. Call it whining if you will, but I really do like the odd chunk of mozzarella on my pie, something virtually unheard of in some of the city's would- be pizzerias. Of course, you can also get the opposite extreme: lots of mozzarella coupled by a virtual famine on the tomato- sauce front.

As for the pepperoni, forget it -- you might as well be gobbling down low-grade vulcanized rubber (probably a lot tastier). And, of course, such luxuries as basil and oregano seem to be almost as valuable as pepper and nutmeg were 500 years ago, not to be sprinkled or given away lightly.

Yes, its a sad fact, at least as far as the chains are concerned: no matter how flashy the restaurant, snazzy the uniforms (or ridiculous, as the case may be), or expensive the prices, it seems that there's a major inability to produce quality pizza in this great metropolis.

In fact, large servings of blandness and mediocrity, with additional toppings of insipidness, have become the order of the day.

So why not go somewhere a lot cheaper but where the pizza you'll be served is every bit as tasty, if not more so, than in the chains, albeit in simpler surroundings. A number of such "people's pizzerias" have sprung up around Jakarta of late, including O'Sole Mio, for my money, far and away the best.

Location: Cuci Mata Food Court, Millenia Store, Taman Ria Senayan (for deliveries, call them on 5741674).

Hours: 10 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m on Saturday and Sunday.

What's it got?: Just a simple food court stall with no fancy trimmings, this is nevertheless one of the best little places for a taste of genuine Italian food that you'll find this side of Suez, serving dishes that combine tongue-tickling tastes and eminently reasonable prices.

Owned by an original-of-the-species Italian matron, Senora Thea Pancotto, O'Sole Mio brings, possibly for the first time ever, real Italian cuisine at affordable prices to the nation's capital.

As regards the menu, well, truth to tell, its not very extensive. But what's lacking in choice is more than made up for in taste.

Rather greedily, we decided to venture a little bit of almost everything (which wasn't really that difficult as there are only four kinds of pizza on offer), starting with the pizza margherita (all pizzas are Rp 8,000 per generous slice), a pizza crust topped with mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, capers and zesty oregano. We also tried the pizza Bolognese (ground beef, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil and garlic), and, my personal favorite, the pizza 4 stagione (a vegetarian pizza topped with succulent mushrooms, crunchy zucchini, tingling peppers and, of course, deliciously gooey mozzarella).

All the pizzas are marked by their generous, fresh toppings and absolutely delectable, crispy bases, the secret of which, as with most of the dishes on offer, the Senora says she learned from her grandmother.

There's no doubt about it, these pies are way up there with the best of them!

As for the pasta dishes, well they certainly weren't prepared to lie down and play second fiddle to the pizza.

We started on our mini pasta voyage of discovery with the penne al tonno (Rp 19,800 per 100 grams). A wonderful Southern Italian combination of tuna, fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, peperoncino (chili peppers) and capers, this is a refreshing but filling dish that brings to mind warm, fragrant Mediterranean evenings, and treats the tongue to a gratifying barrage of competing tastes -- the bite of the peperoncino, smoothness of the tomatoes, tartness of the capers and the refined, delicate flavors of oregano and basil.

No less impressive is the spaghetti aglio, olio, peperoncino (spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and peperoncino). Also at only Rp 19,900 per 100 grams, we found this particular dish to be both subtle and satisfying, with the garlic providing a delightfully delicate undertaste.

But the highlight of the pasta, for me at any rate, was the exhilarating macceroncini alla puttanesca (Rp 20,350 per portion), a superb rhapsody of pasta, olive oil, and generous contributions of black olives, fresh tomatoes, oregano, capers and peperoncino, as pleasing to the eye as it is to the taste buds.

Minus points: One major potential problem (although not on the day of our visit) is that the food is precooked. Thus, if you were to pay a visit during a slow part of the day, there's a possibility that what you get could be a little tired and dried out.

Also, be warned, there's no alcohol available.

Verdict: Well, what can one say other then it really is great to see affordable Italian cuisine coming to Jakarta. As Senora Pancotto says, "I really am determined to introduce Jakarta people to the sort of fresh, homemade food we grew up with in Italy." Well, good luck and every success to you, Senora!