A splash of Japanese delight around the corner

Main thoroughfares are always busy, but we can always turn into one of the smaller streets to chill out.

Stifled by the spillover of business places in South Jakarta, Jl. Lapangan Ros Raya in Tebet is hectic
during workdays. But in the next street, Jl. Tebet Utara, you notice a different air. The ambience is quieter, tempting you to drop into one of the small restaurants or cafes.

Nuria’s Deli is a new restaurant located on the street, tucked around the corner of a facade of business buildings. It was not difficult to find the small restaurant, thanks to its cheerful green color and a few tables and chairs put out on the terrace.

The small restaurant offered a cozy atmosphere, which was mixed with the busy sound of kitchen chores. On the green-tea colored wall hang dozens of cute frames containing funny and inspiring notes and pictures.
Gyutadon: — Photo courtesy of Nuria’s Deli

Dubbed as a restaurant offering modern budget Japanese cuisine, Nuria’s Deli may be one of the few places in town that provides cheap Japanese delights. The food and beverage prices range from Rp 7,000 to Rp 50,000 (US$5.5).

I ordered a chawan mushi for starters and was satisfied with the smoothness and deliciousness of steamed egg custard. One of the highlights of the restaurants are the Titanic Sushi Rolls, which are priced at only Rp 20,000.

The sushi roll was smothered in a mix of crab, kyuri and tempura and capped with a piece of salmon. On top of the salmon was red beet crumble and mayonnaise. The sushi was sublime, offering a texture combination of the crunchy beet crumble and the soft tempura and salmon.  
Titanic Sushi Rolls: — Photo courtesy of Nuria’s Deli

Next in line was spaghetti ramen, which was in fact, comprised of Japanese ramen blanketed in a spaghetti sauce. Those who are fond of strong flavors may like this dish as the sauce has a vibrant sour and salty taste, but it is definitely not for me.

The other favorite item on the menu is gyutandon, which is beef tongue presented with rice. It is in a small portion, which may suit those who want to maintain their diets.

Aside from a strand of hair that had slipped into my rice, the gyutandon was also a must-try treat. If you happen to find the same hair, just ask the waiter to replace it with a new one.

Nataya Naia, the media relations officer for Nuria’s Deli, said the restaurant was owned by Nuria Inaya, who recently graduated from the École Ritz Escoffier and École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse in France.

The chef and entrepreneur, Nataya said, produced the sweet treats like cupcakes and macaroni in her own kitchen at home. The owner’s family also has a bigger Japanese restaurant offering the same menu as Nuria’s Deli but with higher prices.

“We manage to provide affordable prices for the menu in Nuria’s Deli because we adjust the portions. You can see that the portions here are relatively small but still decent enough,” she said.

Spaghetti Ramen: Photo courtesy of Nuria’s Deli

Nuria’s Deli has potential, but the young owner should adjust some technical aspects, such as the availability of some menu items; edamame beans, for example, were not available when I was there. Some of the restaurant’s waiters still looked confused when I asked about the best selling dishes.

Nevertheless, I look forward to returning to the restaurant to try other offerings and get back to the yummy chawan mushi and sushi roll.