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Reimagine Nusantara with the menu at Aston Kartika Grogol
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Executive chef Nurdin Suryady shows off some of his dishes at the press conference on March 10.
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ston Kartika Grogol has unveiled its Ramadan menu, created under the helm of chef Nurdin Suryady. With the theme Delight of the Archipelago, the menu will specifically present traditional dishes that are almost extinct.
"Ramadan is a time synonymous with reunions and memories; that's why we were inspired to create a nostalgic feel with the food we shared this year,” said the chef.
Some of the dishes served will be dendeng batokok, ayam tangkap and sayur babanci. Speaking to the media, it was clear chef Nurdin took the time and effort to research and speak to people all over the country to bring the spotlight to dishes that had been forgotten or had fallen into the background, as other dishes became more popular throughout the world.
Now, the dishes will be rejuvenated. Being a mainstay dish, dendeng batokok requires patience and thoroughness in its manufacture. It is essentially dry and crunchy thin slices of meat, wrapped in red chilies, making it even more delicious. There is also ayam tangkap, (loosely translated as a caught chicken), a typical Acehnese fried chicken cooked with curry leaf spices and oranges, which are permeated with the soft texture of chicken meat.
Chef Nurdin, who identified himself as Sundanese, revealed there were still many rare foods that had not been found because of the changing of the times. Coupled with his interest in finding more recipes passed down from ancestors, he is confident Indonesians can find them again, as we will continue to generate spices that showcase unique flavors from each area. Additionally, to add a layer of authenticity, the chef prefers to cook them traditionally.
“[The research was] quite a bit too long because to dig through the stories is quite time-consuming, that's it. Learning from our ancestors in the past, right, so I really learned that it's not just autodidact or whether we can do it ourselves. So, I also bind it with my ancestors originally [from] ancient times, who [indeed] still use it,” he said about the research and cooking process.
“In fact, I explored that knowledge with the temperature directly from the ancestors. So, that's what's a bit difficult, isn't it, because it's the ancestral recipes that are really being ignored, that are really being preserved because they can't be collaborated on, or can't be replaced with other things. For example, this spice or that spice cannot be replaced with anything else,” he added.
One example is the making of sayur babanci, a local dish of the Betawi, which was once known as a dish served for nobles in the colonial era of the Dutch East Indies. To make the dish, utilizing the right spices would determine the aroma and texture. The materials needed are botor or kedawung seeds and akar angin.
Although some of the most-famous dishes will also be added to the ten-day rotation at the restaurant. These include variations of kolak, soto, ayam betutu and fried duck.
“We are enthusiastic about welcoming Ramadan this year, especially since the global situation has started to become more conducive. Seeing that the economy is slowly recovering, we are optimistic that this year's Ramadan will be a time to let go of homesickness with family by breaking the fast,” said Sutan Aulia Masjhoerdin, general manager of the hotel.
The meal that will take you back in time costs Rp 190,000 (US$12.33) per person, featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet. Apart from that, there are also promos such as a 10-percent discount in the early bird period until March 22. Moreover, pay for 10 people will result in a free deal for a person. Orders can be made at +622121193101 and via WhatsApp at +6281231817557.
