Sapu Lidi sweeps all before it in Bandung

Sapu Lidi sweeps all before it in Bandung

BANDUNG (JP): What springs to mind when you hear the name
Bandung? The Paris of the East, art deco, the student scene, the
cold? All of these perhaps? For me, however, when I hear the name
Bandung it always conjures up in my mind images of the gentle
Sundanese culture and epicurean delights.

For many, the name Bandung is almost synonymous with good
food, and the people of that fine city take a deep and quiet
pride in their culinary heritage and skills, a pride that is
often found lacking among those staffing the restaurants of
Jakarta, that great melting pot where everyone is a blow-in and
few deign to call home. Aside from the Betawi (native Jakartans),
if you were to ask people on a Jakarta street where they came
from, you can rest assured that most would give the name of just
about anywhere other than the capital, even if they were born in
Jakarta.

Things are different in the capital of West Java, the home of
the distinctive Sundanese culture.

The unassuming pride in local culinary traditions and produce
that makes Bandung such a delightful place to dine is writ large
for all to see at Sapu Lidi on Jl. Cihampelas, the street
renowned as the center of Bandung's jeans shops. The words sapu
lidi in English mean the little twig broom that is used in
Indonesia for light sweeping.

However, this particular restaurant is not just memorable for
its name, as both its design and, most importantly, the food it
serves are outstanding.

Built around a narrow alleyway and, further in, a courtyard
containing a small open-sided Sundanese pavilion, Sapu Lidi
consists of a number of small dining rooms, and some secretive
semi-private booths, all interconnected and conjoined in a way
that suggests the contrasting feelings of intimacy and privacy.

The architecture is reminiscent of what is often referred to
as the Indies style, with high ceilings, windows and doors, heavy
wood paneling and exposed ceiling beams, giving the simultaneous
impression of both sophistication and rusticity. Low lamps
hanging over the tables flicker candle-like, serving to increase
the intimate and romantic ambience. With the rain coming down in
torrents and a black night enveloping all outside, sitting inside
Sapu Lidi one could almost imagine oneself wrapped up in a warm
and protective cocoon, surrounded by the low buzz of pleasant
conversation and the mouthwatering aromas emanating from the
kitchen.

Time to order! The menu contained a veritable cornucopia of
Sundanese, as well as Javanese and even Chinese, dishes, and we
were hard pressed to make a selection. In the end, my partner
decided to try the bubur ayam (chicken porridge), a Bandung
speciality, accompanied by lumpia geleng (deep fried egg roll
with a spicy meat filling) and a portion of kroket lengket
(potato croquettes mixed with ground and lightly spiced meat). As
for myself, I opted for the sop buntut (Indonesian oxtail soup),
followed by ayam jagoan sapulidi (chicken in a Chinese-influenced
barbecue sauce) and lumpia leutik (deep fried egg roll with a
vegetable filling).

Both of us also ordered plain steamed rice to complement our
meal.

Most frequently eaten for breakfast, but not out of place at
any time of day, Bandung's bubur ayam is justly famous in many
parts of the archipelago. According to my dining companion, it
also proved to be just what the doctor ordered on a cold and wet
Bandung evening. The porridge had been simmered in chicken broth,
the litmus test of good bubur ayam, to imbue it with a delicious,
hearty taste, and was topped by a generous portion of shredded
chicken, soy sauce and croutons.

Although chicken porridge is a dish primarily intended for
immediate sustenance rather than esthetic pleasure, the Sapu Lidi
presentation turned out to be a rhapsody of harmoniously arranged
colors, with bright green and red chilies shouting out their
warnings, enticing soft brown croutons, dark soy sauce and
sprightly young sprigs of fennel all competing for the mesmerized
eye's attention.

Meanwhile, the sop buntut I had ordered arrived steaming in a
solid earthenware bowl sitting inside a delightful wickerwork
basket, a superb advertisement on its own for Sudanese
handicrafts. Greasy and well-spiced, with starchy potatoes, soft
carrots and generous and well-simmered slices of oxtail with the
meat literally falling of the bone (the only way to eat this is
to get stuck in with the fingers), one couldn't help feeling that
the Dutch may have had some influence in the development of this
dish. Whatever its origin, however, the subtly spiced broth was
superb, perhaps the best exemplar of the dish I've tasted on my
travels in Java.

Following the soup, my ayam jagoan sapulidi was promptly
served up, as were the meat and vegetable egg rolls, as well as
the croquettes my companion had ordered. Once again, superlatives
were in no way out of place. The sliced, boneless half chicken
was barbecued, with the skin crispy and dry, and was set off to
perfection by a tart barbecue sauce, something akin to a sweet
and sour sauce but less sweet.

The chicken, tender and cooked to perfection, was accompanied
by a cool and refreshing Sundanese salad tastefully arranged on a
side plate. All in all, once again a highly satisfying
combination of flavors, colors and aromas.

The egg rolls and the croquettes (more Dutch influence), were
accompanied by the chef's special sambal (chili) sauce, a mild
and sweet sauce which again brought Chinese cuisine to mind.
Particular kudos to the chef for his lumpia geleng. Praise is
also in order for the outstanding young waiters and waitresses
who kept the plates and the drinks coming without a hitch,
despite the crowds.

Our meal for two came to a grand total of Rp 82,500 (no
alcoholic drinks), exceptionally good value at the present time,
doubly so given the excellent quality of the food. There is no
doubt that with its combination of great value for money,
excellent dining, highly competent staff and a wonderfully
evocative atmosphere, Sapu Lidi is way up there with the best of
them. Strongly recommended! (Bill Blade)

Sapu Lidi, Jl. Cihampelas 107, Bandung, phone: (022) 2034109