INDONESIAN cuisine is not as well-known as, say, Thai cuisine, Singaporean food or Japanese cuisine, and there aren’t as many Indonesian restaurants in the metro today. But Indonesian cuisine is slowly but surely making its presence felt the world over, and though there aren’t many restaurants that specialize in it, a lot of hotels are now featuring Indonesian cuisine in special food promotions – proof that more and more people are getting interested in it and would like to try it.
Well, last night (August 29, 2013), the Sedap Indonesia: Balinese Delights foodfest opened at the Market Café of Hyatt Regency Hotel & Casino Manila in Malate, Manila, so diners who would want to try Indonesian food have a place to go for authentic Indonesian flavors. The 10-day food promotion centers in on the flavorful culinary traditions from the volcanic island of Bali, Indonesia, which is also known as the Island of the Gods.
The gastronomic journey to Bali features the culinary masterpieces of two Indonesian guest chefs, Chef Ni Made Sadnyani and Chef Kompyang Wikanta, from Grand Hyatt Bali, who planed in from Indonesia to handle the kitchen during the 10-day foodfest and make sure an impressive spread of authentic Balinese fares derived from Indonesian, Chinese and Indian influences is available on the lunch and dinner buffets. Indonesian dishes have been incorporated into the entire buffet, from the appetizers to the hot dishes and live cooking station all the way to the desserts.
For starters, there is a wide selection of krupuk or Indonesian crackers — shrimp, soya bean, rice, emping, potato and spicy cassava krupuk — to go with the various salads, including Gado-Gado (mixed vegetables – stringbeans, carrots, kangkong, cabbage and cucumber with fried tofu cubes and boiled egg wedges, served with peanut sauce), Ayam Pelalah (shredded roasted chicken, chili sambal and Kaffir lime leaves), Lawar Kacang (long bean salad), Sari Segara Sambal Matah (seafood salad, lemongrass, chili, shallots and Kaffir lime leaves), Urab Sayur (mixed vegetables salad with grated coconut), Sambel Be Tongkol (tuna and chili sambal), Ikan Pepes (grilled snapper in banana leaves), and Tum Ayam (minced chicken wrapped in banana leaves).
Since I lean more towards vegetables, fish and seafood, I had a little of Gado-Gado, Sari Segara Sambal Matah, and Ikan Pepes plus a few pieces of Emping Crackers, and I liked them all because the flavors are subtle and refreshing. Nothing overpowering.
Of these appetizers, Gado-Gado is probably the most familiar because it has been featured in almost all Indonesian food promotions I’ve been to. It always comes with Indonesian crackers as well, Emping Crackers being probably the most common of them all.
For the main courses, Hyatt’s Sedap Indonesia: Balinese Delights features a generous spread. This includes Sambal Goreng Udang (prawn sambal), Rendang Sapi (braised beef with coconut sauce), Bebek Menyatnyat (braised duck in Balinese spicy sauce), Babi Kecap (braised pork with soya sauce), Babi Guling (roasted suckling pig), Orak Arik (wok-fried cabbage, carrots and egg) and Karee Nangka (young jackfruit curry). Also available was a variety of sates (Indonesian barbecues), such as Sate Kambing (lamb), Sate Babi (pork), Sate Lilit (seafood), Sate Udang (prawn), as well as beef, chicken, fish and squid sates. They’re grilled in batches and served hot and flavorful.
Nasi Goreng was the perfect rice match for all these main courses.
My own main meal consisted of Sambal Goreng, Karee Nangka, fish and seafood sates, and a small serving of Nasi Goreng. The spice level of the Sambal Goreng is just perfect for the Filipino palate, the Karee Nangka gave me an idea of what to include in the second edition of my vegetarian cookbook, and the sates are an absolute delight to savor. The fish sate is a piece of fish skewered into a barbecue stick and grilled, while the seafood sate is like a seafood paste that has been wrapped around lemongrass stalks and grilled. I had them both hot off the grill, so they were a real treat for me. They’re my favorites of the night. As for the Nasi Goreng, it had a generous amount of chicken and shrimps, and I haven’t yet encountered a fried rice concoction that I didn’t end up liking.
Finally, dessert! Indonesian selections on the dessert spread included Pisang Goreng (fried bananas), Agar-Agar (a gelatin-based dessert), Bubur Injin (black rice pudding), Pandan Cake, and Dadar Gulung (an Indonesian crepe or rolled pancake). I had a quick bite of Pisang Goreng and half of an Agar-Agar.
Sedap Indonesia: Balinese Delights also offers guests five beverage selections: Bali Breeze (coconut mix, banana, pineapple and lime), Bali Sunset (watermelon, orange and banana), Mango Lychee Cooler (mango, lychee and coconut water), Lemongrass Iced Tea (green tea and lemongrass juice), and Pandan Iced Tea (green tea and pandan juice). The waiter recommended Bali Sunset for me, while my husband Raff, who loves lemongrass, ordered Lemongrass Iced Tea. We both enjoyed our drinks along with the food.
Available from Mondays to Saturdays for dinner and on Sundays for lunch and dinner, Sedap Indonesia: Balinese Delights feature exquisite Balinese specialties along with the regular buffet fares for Php1,800 net on weekdays and Php2,100 net on Fridays and Saturdays. As a special promotional offer, for every four diners, one gets to dine for free. Diners also get a chance to win special prizes in a lucky draw that has a two-night stay in Bali, inclusive of airfare and accommodations for two, courtesy of Philippine Airlines and Grand Hyatt Bali, as top prize.
The Indonesian foodfest is ongoing until September 8, 2013.
(Hyatt Regency Hotel & Casino Manila is located at 1588 pedro Gil corner M.H. Del Pilar, Malate, Manila. For more information, call the Food and Beverage Reservations Center at 247-8666.)
