Do An dishes out excellent 'pho'

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 11/19/2006 12:11 PM | Life

Hendrayatna Tafianoto, Contributor, Jakarta

Back in the '90s, eating Vietnamese food meant only one thing: going to Pho Hoa, a fast-food chain selling various kinds of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). I remembered trying it once and found nothing to like about pho.

Nearly a decade went by before I rediscovered pho and this time, loved it. Unfortunately, Vietnamese restaurants in Jakarta are few and far between, so I ended up returning several times to a particular restaurant in Cikini, Central Jakarta.

When a friend of mine gave a glowing review on Do An, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Kelapa Gading area of North Jakarta, I knew it was time to try something new. (Besides, I could always return to Cikini if things didn't work out.)

Braving Jakarta's traffic one Monday night, my companion and I managed to reach Do An a little after 7 p.m. Situated in a shop-house typical of most Kelapa Gading eateries, Do An is decorated with wallpapers of a large panoramic photo depicting Vietnamese girls on scooters and bicycles.

With its bright lighting and simple setup, the restaurant is clearly geared toward family and casual diners. A small sign on the table proclaims Do An's most popular drink is Ca Phe Sua Da (iced coffee with milk), at Rp 17,500. I ordered it on a whim, while my companion chose Tra Xa Da (iced lemongrass tea) for Rp 9,500.

The iced lemongrass tea had a familiar lemon-like taste with an aromatic twist and just the right amount of sugar. The iced coffee with milk, however, was a little more complicated.

It began with a glass filled with a layer of sweetened condensed milk. On top of the glass sat a cylindrical metal contraption, a drip filter. Ground coffee is put inside the drip filter, compacted and then hot water is poured into it to percolate the coffee into the glass. Minutes later, when the drips slowed to almost nothing, a waiter removed the filter, stirred the mixture and emptied it into a glass of ice cubes.

So how did it taste? Do An's most popular drink certainly did not disappoint. It was neither too sweet or too milky and the coffee's strong flavor was still intact. The waiter assured me that the coffee came directly from Vietnam, but I wondered how it would taste if the coffee was replaced with Indonesian specialty, such as Toraja coffee.

Moving on to the appetizer, we had Goi Coun (fresh spring roll with chicken & prawn, Rp 22,500). Stuffed with rice vermicelli, chicken, prawns, mint, lettuce and slivers of egg omelet, the spring rolls are big and clearly made for sharing. The accompanying dipping sauce tasted a bit like plum sauce and imparted a spiciness taste that complimented the other ingredients.

Our next meal was Com Sot Ca (tomato rice, Rp 9,500), a simple tomato fried rice with plenty of scallion thrown in and garnished with bits of fried garlic and shallot. The rice tastes rather sweet and has a soft, though not yet mushy texture.

The best-tasting dish that night was Pho Bo (beef noodle soup, Rp 36,000), a big bowl of rice noodles generously topped with scallion, cilantro, onion and thin slices of beef in piping hot broth. Rich and fragrant, the beef noodle soup is a mouth-watering delight.

A condiment basket containing bean sprouts, chopped green chilies, lime wedges and Vietnamese mint (rau ram in Vietnamese) is provided to further enhance the already excellent taste. The bean sprouts add texture while the green chilies are for those who like their pho hot and fiery. The lime wedges mellows the rich broth by adding some acidity and the Vietnamese mint gives off a unique flavor that goes well with the beef.

We ended the dinner with a small bowl of Sihn Sa Hoi Luu (mixed ice dessert, Rp 9,500), a concoction of red chewy sweets, grass jelly, green jelly and cassava that evoked the taste of an ordinary es campur (Indonesian mixed shaved ice).

Overall, Do An is a worthy addition to a small, but growing list of Vietnamese restaurants in Jakarta. Hopefully, Do An can maintain the quality of its cooking and -- like the slogan on its business card -- will continue to offer its patrons a ""Vietnamese experience"".

Do An
Jl. Boulevard Raya Blok CN3 No. 26
Kelapa Gading
(also at Mal Artha Gading and Cilandak Town Square)
Phone: (021) 45845525
Opening hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Email: doan@cbn.net.id

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