Why aren't local 'warung' being trated seriously?

Aida Greenbury, Contributor, Jakarta

Have you ever heard comments or read reviews written by oh-so- mighty food critics about the cuisine of Indonesian's traditional eating establishments known as warung?

Some smart comments credited chicken satay as "very nice" and orange squash as "fresh", of course. Just imagine if a food reviewer describes fried rice with meaningless big words such as "an accomplished dish of well-balanced flavors -- a unique creation by a local culinary conquistador" -- that would be such a laugh, no?

Why don't food reviewers give the food from traditional warung or food stalls the same treatment as those of fancy restaurants? Is it not sophisticated enough for their high expectations? Is it because of hygiene -- the typical PR boast of whether their raw ingredients are washed with sterile AQUA, or merely tap water -- and who would know for sure anyway?

I found that as long as the food sold by the humble warung involves a thorough cooking process, then it's safe -- especially for the bug-sensitive foreigners' digestive system.

The warung-type restaurants I frequently visit are located on Jl. Pecenongan, Central Jakarta. After six o'clock in the evening, the whole roadside transforms from a street teeming with car dealers and skin-whitening centers to a busy, gastronomically challenging nightlife, producing sweet fragrance from their temporary kitchens. All varieties of food, from noodles, sate to roast pork is on offer. However, nothing can beat their nasi uduk and its condiments.

The nasi uduk is always fresh and obviously has been boiled with the precise amount of coconut milk, then steamed with pandanus leaves, thus creating fragrant, moist but fluffy rice. Their chicken, beef and the massive tofu and tempeh are cooked in a concoction of coconut milk, spices with a dash of turmeric and coriander seeds before being fried in a gigantic iron wok. The results are tender, slightly sweet fried chicken, while the tofu and tempe are a great option for vegetarians.

One hiccup that I managed to overcome is the oil, especially on the meat. Dabbing them with kitchen paper before consuming is by far the healthier solution. The "no fuss" dish is served with spicy peanut sauce. If buzzing cars, unconditioned air or boys who try to sell battery-operated sexual devices bothers your appetite, I suggest you simply take it away and enjoy it at home.

The fun part in writing reviews about Kemang's dining scene is that once you've finished one article about a particular restaurant, several new eating places pop up. Kemang is developing unbelievably. What has the massive foreigner population got to do with it? Beats me!

Stuck in between rows of western-style cafes down on Kemang Raya, there's Bi Bet, an Indonesian traditional "kampung-style" warung, which serves a range of inexpensive Sundanese food. The blackboard outside the warung lists their daily specials, from pepes ikan or ayam (spicy chicken or fish wrapped in pandanus leaves), gado-gado lontong (mixed steamed vegetables with peanut sauce and rice cakes) to the refreshing dessert of kue serabi (sweet rice cake soaked in palm-sugar syrup).

I found the taste of their special menu item, the pepes, was slightly disappointing: One could say the taste was mediocre. The old Sundanese dishes were missing the special touch -- like good quality fish and the richness of the spices. Although I have to admit that it matches its price -- you get what you pay for.

I also believe that their interior design should be elevated somehow. Perhaps better lighting would help? When I was there, it was so dark I could hardly see the huge chili I almost popped into my mouth. The nice quirky thing about this place, which makes me want to come back from time to time, is their tapai ketan (sweet fermented glutinous rice). The sweet cakes are tiny and individually wrapped in banana leaves. They represent the sweet memory of an Indonesian childhood.

Last, but not least, on my favorite warung list is Mie Sambas, which is famous among certain members of the Indonesian-Chinese community in Jakarta. A good friend who was born in Pontianak, Kalimantan, initially introduced me to this simple noodle restaurant. Located on Jembatan Besi, the place sells a kind "Pontianak-style" noodle dish. Served with meatballs, fresh prawns and sliced shrimp cake, the dish has a warm flavor, the noodle is firm and tasty with a slight zest of bacon in it. If you still feel hungry, the place next door also sells Bubur Pedes, which is a bowl of spicy rice porridge, adorned with selected tropical rain forest leaves freshly picked from the lush green heaven of Borneo.