Our epicure expert continues a sting operation to bring you the truth about the culinary scene of Indonesia. No spoon is left to chance in the quest for revisions honest, balanced, established favorite long for the hottest new restaurants in town.
This month, warm and authentic Spanish tapas restaurant :. Euskera
The term "tapas" is overused in the catering sector today; it has become quite high on my list of peeves animals when I see it on menus where it is diverted. Each culture room has its own name to describe bites or snacks, small France ( appetizers ) to Korea ( anju ) in Mexico ( botanas ) to Greece ( meze ) in China ( dim sum ). To ignore the etymology of crop room is to create a great disservice to all of them, and the Spanish tradition.
In the Basque region of northern Spain, the terms and tapas pintxos are interchangeable with northern Aboriginal preference for the latter, and they are wonderful little bites of tasty heaven . In the Basque restaurant, it is a delight when you enter through the front door.
This is a magical moment, walking in, where a stage is like jumping through a wormhole flying dinner away from life in the big city of Jakarta in a cavernous rustic Spanish tavern encountered on the Camino de Santiago. The sterile and metallic buzz of the office building where the restaurant resides disappears, and the warm glow of incandescent lamps and rich red rusted bricks laid and solid dark wood beams provide further suggestion of where we were taken for evening. The patio seating canopy did not spoil the feeling in the dark of the night either.
The envelope around the bar near the entrance allows for plenty of thirsty customers to stand shoulder to shoulder to drink and eat as expected Spanish. A good selection of traditional pintxos is displayed for good measure, with a slice of bread Nestled below, and toothpicks. It reminded me of one of my favorite dishes in Spain: standing and conversing cheerfully during a long evening with a belly full of various marinated seafood directly from boxes with plates of cold cuts, glasses on glasses Rioja and discarded toothpicks crammed into a small fortress in front of me.
The wine list is extensive and designed to complement the food. A good selection of Spanish wine, although be prepared to pay an amount higher compared to Spain, where a few euros to spare change in your pocket can easily buy a good bottle. A current favorite, the Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2011, is available in the bottle and this wonderfully when decanted. It is a full-bodied Tempranillo, and carries with it the strong vanilla and oak flavors that are the perfect companions for the dishes served here.
Seafood is presented in Basque, and is highly recommended should you be at a loss for what to order. So what better way to enjoy the menu with tapas? The Pulpo a la Gallega was tender and moist, though somewhat lost without a little salt to bring the flavors of the octopus and some key ingredients. The technology was there, however, and it was a pleasant surprise to find octopus Galician style on the menu because it is something quite frequently eaten in Spain and not on Java.
Mussels Marinera
We also ordered the Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, which was a plate full of famous ham shavings Iberican served with toast Catalan topped with a fresh tomato sauce ( pan con tomate ). It is one of the simplest, but most delicious tapas available, and created true to form here. Unfortunately for ham, he had probably seen better days as the chips we met were dry, unevenly sliced and consisting of pieces and odd pieces. Most rich, nutty, creamy flavor of ham had disappeared; perhaps because of age and too much exposure to air during storage. At best, it was almost as good as jerky gas station.
The Tortilla Alioli with Brava Sauce, we endearingly nicknamed 'The Hockey Puck "because of the striking resemblance, was as tasty as a Spanish tortilla could be. Aside from his rather poor shape, the potatoes were tender and off-the-plate licking accompaniment brava sauce was good. This particular dish can be served hot or cold, wet or dry (with the egg cooked particularly well or somewhat runny), burnished or not ... and the list goes on; but it is a mainstay at any decent tapas bar in Spain. The Chipirones (baby __gVirt_NP_NN_NNPS <__ fried squid) were lightly fried and served with small green peppers, aioli and a further tightening of lime. Our Country Pate was presented a bit on the cold side. He could have used a few more minutes to warm up to room temperature to allow full dissemination of flavors of pie.
However, without hesitation, the Sopa de Mariscos is one of the best dishes I've had the pleasure to discover in 2016. It is a wonderful seafood stew, with all that is good and saint in food. Although the kitchen decided to add broccoli and baby corn, which would have a less than average sopa Veer almost similar to the horror that is a disaster tuna and- Asian sweetcorn pizza, each additional ingredient was suitable for a balance between rich and heady flavors of the stew.
Nothing can be more satisfying to Jakarta at the moment a large bowl full of this sopa and soft and crispy ciabatta bread served. My partner and I had lunch no qualms struggling during the last drop.
Regarding the service - which has become the bane of my existence after dining at fine establishments in Indonesia for a few years only to experience the ignorant service staff and management do not responding - it was surprisingly good. From the time of booking when we were presented with the bill, there was never a moment that made me regret my decision to consider the establishment (and regret it, I had quite a few in Jakarta). Our server understood English enough to communicate effectively the elements provided and took the lead on the requests. This gives me some hope that maybe restaurant management around Jakarta really starts to pay particular attention to this area because it can make or break a business.
The verdict spokesman: 4 of 5 stars
restaurant details:
Euskera
8th floor, Noble House Building
Mega Kuningan, Jakarta 10270
Telephone: 021 2978 3111
check please! (Dinner for two)
Power: Rp.470,000
Drinks: Rp.375,000 (based on half a bottle of wine)
Service charge 10%: Rp.84,500
PB1 10%: Rp.92,950
grand .: Rp.1,022,450