Time-honored traditions at Bi Bet restaurant

Time-honored traditions at Bi Bet restaurant

JAKARTA (JP): Sundanese food offers some of the best of
Indonesian traditional cuisine. Recommended eateries offering
such food are numerous. Ratu Kuring on Jl. Buncit Raya, Jl.
Mampang Prapatan and Sari Kuring on Jl. Melawai, in Kebayoran
Baru, both in southern Jakarta. But there is one Sundanese
restaurant that offers even cheaper prices than either of the
above places.

Bi Bet Warung, Jl. Kemang Raya no. 90 A South Jakarta; Phone:
7181007 or 7180859; (across the road from Jimbani Cafe). Bi Bet
stands for Bibi Beti (Auntie Beti) who owns the eatery and who
hails from Bandung, West Java.

Open: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. It is busiest at lunchtime.

What's It Got: Various kinds of Sundanese dishes such as pepes
(steamed chicken, fish, egg, or tofu wrapped in banana leaves),
nasi timbel (rice wrapped in banana leaves), karedok (uncooked
vegetables stirred with peanut salad dressing), soto Bandung
(clear soup consisting of soybeans, minced meat, and radishes),
sayur asem (sour vegetable soup), and lalap (uncooked vegetables
served with chilli sauce) including jengkol and pete beans.

Various kinds of fried food; banana, pineapple, jackfruit,
fried rice, chicken, fish, salty fish, tofu, tempeh, various
parts of the cow -- babat (tripe),usus (intestine), lidah
(tongue), limpa (spleen).

Sundanese desserts; colenak (fermented cassava covered with
liquid palm sugar and shredded coconut), urap buah segar (fresh
mixed fruit covered with liquid palm sugar and shredded coconut),
serabi manis (sweet pancake), kolak (banana or taro boiled with
palm sugar and santan (coconut milk), tape ketan (fermented
sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves) are available.

All the usual soft drinks, beverages and Sundanese beverages;
bandrek (boiled palm sugar and water, stewed with peanuts, ginger
and coconut), bajigur (boiled coconut extract, ginger and palm
sugar), es cendol, es cincau hitam are also available.

Price Points: Cheaper than most well-known Sundanese
restaurants in Jakarta. Pepes costs around Rp 2,000 to Rp 7,000,
nasi timbel for Rp 2,650, nasi timbel komplit (a package of nasi
timbel) at Rp 12,450 is on offer, soto Bandung for Rp 4,950,
karedok at Rp 2,950, fried gurame fish for Rp 29,500 (the most
expensive dish on the one-page menu), fried rice for Rp 8,650.
All the beverages are priced around Rp 1,200 to Rp 5,250,
desserts are between Rp 2,750 and Rp 3,750.

Looks: Bi Bet looks like a traditional Sundanese house. Its
two dining rooms are set in a traditional atmosphere. The wooden
chairs and tables are all in the traditional Sundanese furniture
style.

Piles of bricks serve as the floor with wooden walls painted
in natural colors. Landscape paintings and animal sculptures line
the top of the wall.

There are many interesting Sundanese style hand-made household
objects on each table such as a cempor (kerosene lamp), an
ashtray, a tissue box and a glass jar.

Typical warung (streetside eatery) features are also found,
such as a row of glass jars storing rangginang (crackers made of
dried sticky rice) on a long table in front of the minibar.

Efficient service and a warm welcome from waiters wearing
batik trousers are other positive points. Do not worry about
toilets, air-conditioners and public telephones. Bi Bet takes
care of these public utilities.

Popular with...: Workers from Jl. Kemang, office and retail
staff along Pangeran Antasari, Jl. Sultan Iskandarsyah as well as
residents from the surrounding Mampang area.

Taste Factor: Bi Bet truly understands how to make delicacies
that can satisfy the Sundanese tongue. Recommended dishes are the
delicious fish and tofu pepes, a basket of fresh lalap, hot
sambal and a timbel that has the typical smell of banana leaves.
A small portion of Bi Bet's fried rice and appetizing soto
Bandung could be a worthy alternative choice.

Minus Points: Don't complain about Bi Bet's parking area when
it is busy because it can only accommodate three cars.
Unfortunately, this otherwise romantic place for dinner has damp
batik table cloths, dusty chairs and damp walls.

Verdict: Cheap prices, delicious pepes, and a romantic place.
Bi Bet is an authentic Sundanese traditional eatery, suitable for
a family or group party (available for 80 people) for either
lunch or dinner. (Deni Putri)