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)