I got to know Ajengan five years ago, in a brief, torrid affair where I found myself visiting almost every weekend, seduced by the aromatically heady lure of be siap sambel matah (roasted chicken with the Balinese spice paste of crushed shallots, garlic and chili).
While Le Seminyak has the polish of its upscale mall setting, the main claim to fame of Ajengan, located in a house amid the abbreviated streets of Jl. Panglima Polim, is that it serves no-frills, down-home Balinese cooking at bargain prices.
I pronounced Ajengan a great discovery several years ago when I first reviewed it, and advised readers to try it very soon because, at the time one of those quiet places where the shuffle of feet and a cassette being shoved into a tape player signaled the arrival of a guest, it would probably become a crowded dining spot as word got out about its spicy offerings.
And then, for some reason, I stopped going; as with so many broken relationships years on, we often can't remember the reason, although I do recall something about a very long wait for our food the last time I visited.
Five years on, not much has changed. Last Saturday night, it was still quiet, with a party of Japanese male package tourists the only other real guests when we arrived (the owner's daughter and a group of friends were also busy on their laptops at a table behind us).
And, most importantly, the food was still just as good as I remembered it. We feasted on the Balinese chicken once again, bean sprouts in peanut sauce and chopped green beans in coconut and spices, the heaping portions served on simple crockery.
We finished off the meal with a big plate of boiled bananas with a generous sprinkling of coconut, accompanied by black glutinous rice. For food and drinks, the total came to Rp 200,000.
I'm glad to have rekindled my relationship with Ajengan (rumor has it a branch of the restaurant will open near Thamrin very soon). I hope others will get to know about her spicily enticing offerings, but even if they don't, I will be a devoted visitor once again.
- Bruce Emond
Ajengan
Jl. Panglima Polim 1/65
South Jakarta
Tel. 722-0227
