Spices not just skin deep at Ayam Bakar Ganthari

Spices not just skin deep at Ayam Bakar Ganthari

JAKARTA (JP): Grilled chicken is such a popular dish in
Indonesia that many provinces have their own special ways to
prepare the meal.

We visited a famous sidewalk eatery in the Blok M area that
offers grilled chicken a la East Java.

Ayam Bakar Ganthari: Opened about six years ago, the makeshift
restaurant is located right between Jl. Bulungan and Jl. Mahakam,
facing the back entrance of Blok M Plaza. A waiter at the
restaurant said ganthari literally meant what people hope for
when they pray. The word is from an East Javanese language, and
is also the combined abbreviations of the names of the children
of the restaurant owner, he added.

Open: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

What's it got: Spicy grilled chicken is the only dish offered.
A small portion of fresh lalap (raw vegetables like cucumber,
sweet basil and lettuce) along with sambal goreng (fried chili
paste) are complimentary. Rice, just like in any other Indonesian
restaurant, is, of course, provided. Various traditional crackers
made of soybean, shrimp or ground nuts are also available. The
drink list includes regular soft drinks, various fresh fruit
juices, coconut juice and tea.

Price points: Quite reasonable. For Rp 6,000 you can enjoy a
piece of grilled chicken thigh or breast. The rice is only Rp 500
per serving. A member of the staff said it was the restaurant's
policy to serve a small portion of rice at a cheap price because
they wanted the customers to focus on savoring the chicken.
Drinks vary in price from Rp 2,500 to Rp 3,500, while the
crackers start from Rp 500.

Looks: The chicken looks very tempting, but the restaurant
itself is very modest. It has a makeshift roof over the main
area, where the small kitchen and several tables are placed, and
a knockdown tent under which the charcoal grill and more large
tables are placed.

The restaurant is quite clean, though the tables and floor
might be in a dirtier state if you come later in the evening.

Try not to freak out if you are used to using spoons or forks
and there are none on the table. Customers are encouraged to use
their right hand to eat with, "so that they can eat the chicken
to the very last bite without having to laboriously work with a
fork and knife -- and they can lick the sauce off their fingers,
if they want to", said one of the staff by way of explanation.

A small finger bowl is provided to wash your hand. But, of
course, if you insist, they will give you the cutlery you
require.

Popular with: Mostly the young and those who like to hang
around in the Bulungan/Mahakam area. A number of young TV
personalities like sinetron (television soap) actress and model
Vera Yuniar are also reportedly fans of Ayam Ganthari. And they
get even younger -- the waiter said child singers, accompanied by
their moms, are among the fans of the joint.

Taste factor: The grilled chicken is damn delicious. Unlike
with some other grilled chickens where the spices are only skin
deep, at Ayam Ganthari you taste the spice in every bit of the
chicken.

That's probably because the chef smartly and generously
marinates the chicken in seasonings, but the staff at Ayam
Ganthari refuse to reveal the secret combination. They disclosed
only the basic ingredients of chilies, shallots, garlic, salam
leaves, lemon grass and turmeric. The spiced chicken is then
boiled until it is almost done and then set aside, ready to be
brought to the restaurant and grilled.

The marinating doesn't stop at the boiling. The chicken is
smeared in sauce, which is made from the spices used in the
earlier cooking phase, before being grilled over charcoal.

It's delicious, but the chicken, as well as the sambal goreng,
are rather sweet. Perhaps it is intended for people who like
spiced, sweet meals, because a bottle of sweet soy sauce is
available on every table for those who want to sweeten things up
even more.

Minus points: It is situated right on the street; its small
kitchen and several tables are on the sidewalk and it has taken
over half of the street with its grill and more tables. Flies and
dust are therefore unavoidable. There is heavy traffic all
around, particularly on weekends when young people head to the
Bulungan/Mahakam area.

Verdict: Highly recommended. But if you want to sit down to
enjoy the food, better visit before 8 p.m. when the place gets
full. Alternatively, take the chicken home, reheat it and enjoy
it down to the bone. And feel free to lick your fingers clean in
gluttonous abandon. (Chris Tumelap)