Ya-Udah Bistro, a boost for Jaksa food lovers

Ya-Udah Bistro, a boost for Jaksa food lovers

Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta

There was a time when Jl. Jaksa meant basically just two
things, cheap digs and cheap hooch for the hordes of backpackers
and ne'er-do-well expats who tended to lurk in its dingy watering
holes.

As for good food, that was something that Jakarta's very own
street of shame was not synonymous with.

For despite the large number of self-styled restaurants, they
all confined themselves to serving up the same tired old fare
that the locals mistakenly believed appealed to tourists.

The times, however, they are a changing, and the inevitable
shake up that resulted from the economic crisis has allowed a
whole crop of new operators to get their fingers in the Jaksa pie
(as Warren Buffet once said, it's only when the tide goes out
that you see who's being swimming without shorts).

As myself and a companion found out recently, a new arrival
that will certainly boost Jl. Jaksa's claim to culinary kudos is
the curiously named Ya-Udah Bistro ("Ya, udah" translates as
something like "Ya, OK").

Located at Jl. Jaksa No. 49 (you can call them on 3143932 or
3144121), this particular eatery is a cinch to find, located as
it is right on Jaksa's main drag and only a stone's throw from
Jl. Wahid Hashim.

Decked out in a mixture of loud orange and yellow hues, and
with steel frame chairs and tables, Ya-Udah Bistro's interior
design certainly won't win any awards in the esthetic stakes
(unless the judges are Tellytubbies), and may best be described
as functional.

Despite this, the entire place is as spick and span as you're
likely to find anywhere and, as a bonus, the kitchen is open to
the dining area so you can try to learn something from Chef
Mustopha as he prepares his creations.

The menu has something for everybody, whether German or
British, Asian or European, without degenerating into a culinary
hodgepodge where quality has been thrown to the winds. Of course,
an extensive international menu is only as it should be given
that Jl. Jaksa sees more foreigners in a day than most other
parts of Indonesia see in a year.

For her starter, my companion decided to try out the spring
rolls (Rp 8,500), which turned out to be large and satisfying,
with crispy, paper thin skins and ample fillings, far removed
from the pencil thin versions served up in so many eateries.

As for myself, I found it impossible to resist what I
anticipated would be the delights of the erbsensuppe mit wurst
(German pea soup with beef sausage), accompanied by dark German
rye bread (Rp 12,500). I wasn't disappointed. Presented in an
enormous bowl and more than sufficient to satisfy the hungriest
of diners, this is a hearty North European favorite and, in fact,
could quite easily be considered a meal in itself. A simple dish
designed to nourish rather than please the eye, the well-seasoned
soup and thick slices of rye bread didn't fail to hit the mark in
the taste stakes, and were just what the doctor ordered on a damp
Jakarta evening.

Being rather partial to German food (and spurred on by the
exceptionally reasonable prices), I decided to try out another
starter, ostensibly for sharing with my companion. The choice
this time was the bockwurst (German sausage) and potato salad (Rp
12,500), which involved a full 20 centimeter bockwurst (produced
specially for Ya-Udah by a German butcher in Cirebon), and an
absolutely wonderful potato salad which, according to the menu
blurb, was made to "grandma's secret recipe".

As Chef Mustopha later explained, this was perhaps going a
little overboard.

The dressing is, however, made to a traditional South German
recipe and, as always, it's the dressing that makes the salad.
This one consists of vinegar, oil, mustard and a beaten egg, with
the whole ensemble left to chill out in the fridge for a couple
of hours. All in all, a deliciously tart complement to the
lightly spiced and slightly sweet bockwurst (both pork or beef
are available).

For our main courses, my partner opted for the beef Stroganoff
(Rp 28,500), while I settled for the half roast chicken and
french fries (Rp 22,500).

Served in the well of a daintily arranged circle of white
rice, the Stroganoff was pronounced a fine exemplar of this dish
invented by one Count Paul Stroganoff, a 19th century Russian
diplomat. Funny how his name lives on in the kitchen although
almost completely forgotten in his chosen field.

Officially described as a red wine demiglaze, it consists of
reduced beef stock, red wine, some cream and cayenne pepper. Add
a dash of the old Lea & Perrins and a bay leaf, and you end up
with a true culinary delight, provided you've got the right
touch, of course.

Well, if my partner's word is anything to go by, it would
appear that Chef Mustopha does indeed have the right touch.

As for my roast (rotisserie) chicken and fries, well it could
have been a little warmer, but it was rather late in the evening
and we were more or less the last diners so I'm not complaining.
Besides, the lightly browned fries were done just the way I like
them, dry and crispy.

All meals in Ya-Udah are served with that delicious, sweet
German mustard which, unfortunately, is not available here in the
big smoke but which Ya-Udah imports specially from Germany.

As I finished my meal, I couldn't help asking myself why there
couldn't be more places like Ya-Udah serving up good and tasty
food at reasonable prices? The answer, of course, is that in this
particular city of joy mammon reigns supreme and such things as
concern for the diner and even common courtesy have become
luxuries that have long been dispensed with.

All praise to Ya-Udah for doing something to bring about a
welcome change!