Ya-Udah Bistro boost for Jaksa foodies

============= 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 mains, 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 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.

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!