Island Time

A NATION’S cuisine is so connected to a sense of place,
there’s inherent difficulty in its reproduction on foreign shores. So
the word “authentic” is bandied about as a kind of promise; as if three
syllables could guarantee the homeland is preserved in the
kitchen—a culinary embassy. I don’t give much weight to claims of
authenticity. Honestly, how the hell would I know? But while eating at
Taste of Jakarta, I had the distinct impression that thousands of
islands had been condensed into one small green-hued dining room on SW
Jefferson.

Maybe it was the photomural of a pristine beach. Maybe it was the
thatched roof covering the register. Maybe it was the nasi
goreng—a massive pile of fried rice heaped on a paper plate
with shredded fried chicken, hardboiled egg, and little fried shallots.
Yes, that’s it. Sweet soy sauce, infusing fluffy fried rice, balances
deeply succulent chicken. Thin sliced shallots crunch lightly with
every other bite, adding earthy onion tones. A squirt of paste-like
chili sauce brings fire and garlic. Then it’s over, and I’m left
blinking at an empty plate like I’ve been staring into the tropical
sun.

This is Indonesia, then, brought to my table next as nasi
padang. Like a string of islands, spicy beef curry, young jackfruit
curry, and spicy hardboiled egg ring a bun-shaped mound of white rice
topped with those fine shallots. The tender beef, reminiscent of pot
roast, is lifted with slightly bitter tones of fresh kaffir lime. The
jackfruit, its texture like steamed artichoke, offers subtle sweetness
and a curry heat that sits insistently at the back of the throat.

There is much playing between savory, sweet depth and freshness in
this food. The nasi kuning is one example—a platter of
fried goodness presented again with the dish’s constituents arranged
around a mound of rice. Here the rice has been cooked in a bath spiced
with turmeric, which turns it yellow. The turmeric brightens the flavor
of the starch, pairing well with fried tempeh, fried chicken, and fried
tofu. The fried tofu is just that, and blank on the palate. But the
chicken is outstanding, besting most with its crisp skin and ultra
tender meat. The trend continues with the tempeh; worlds away from
hippie potluck fare, it’s slightly nutty with a delicate sweet aroma
and flavor. Taken as a whole, the rice, chicken, tempeh, and bits of
fresh cucumber and tomato commingle to create a rolling flood of
flavor. The menu goes on like this, and suddenly all I want is to be
stranded on these little food islands, surrounded by a sea of rich
coconut broth.

There are adventures to be found here. Add tripe and Jakarta-style
beef to the broth and you have the heroic nasi soto Jakarta,
which you won’t soon forget. Tripe lovers will rejoice at the huge
chunks of tender honeycomb. (Anyone outside the faithful fold should go
without—it’s an acquired taste.) Also, many dishes come with
tapioca crackers—little fried puffs seasoned with garlic—so
similar to pork rinds you’ll wish you had a bagful in your pantry.

Don’t be fooled by the paper plates, plastic containers, and cutlery
at Taste of Jakarta. They are completely irrelevant. You are exploring
a nation in this food, and it’s best to travel light.