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.