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Weekly 5: Five classic restaurants of the capital city
JP/Indah SetiawatiLiving in this metropolis, Jakartans tend to change rapidly in many respects, including lifestyle and even culinary trends
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JP/Indah Setiawati
Living in this metropolis, Jakartans tend to change rapidly in many respects, including lifestyle and even culinary trends. Amid the rapid change, some restaurants have successfully survived the test of time to serve their loyal customers who are always in search of the old flavors. Here are five restaurants that have existed for decades in the capital.
Oasis Heritage Restaurant
The former private residence of a Dutch millionaire, Oasis Heritage Restaurant is currently a heaven for foodies and antique lovers in the capital.
Located in a well-preserved old building on Jl. Raden Saleh No. 47, Cikini, Central Jakarta, Oasis Heritage Restaurant attracts enthusiasts not only with mouth-watering Indonesian and Western dishes but also ancient decorations.
It is told that the building has stood in the area since 1928. However, only in 1968, it began to be used as a restaurant, which offers a luxurious dining experience assisted by female waitresses in elegant kebaya (traditional costume).
However, customers have to dig deep into their pockets for this dining experience as its main courses offered start from Rp 115,000 (US$8) with the desserts from Rp 50,000.
Cahaya Kota
Established since 1940, Cahaya Kota is one of the most-sorted restaurants for Chinese food enthusiasts in the capital. It also reportedly became a favorite restaurant of first president Sukarno.
With time, the restaurant has gained popularity from it managing to serve hundreds of different authentic Chinese dishes, like udang gandum (wheat coated deep fried shrimp), gurame asam manis (fried Gourami fish with sweet and sour sauce), and dori telor asin (fried Dory fish with salted egg).
Although it is one of the older restaurants in the capital, Cahaya Kota is not situated in a neighborhood among Old Dutch or Chinese-Indonesian buildings. Instead, it is located in a normal building on Jl. KH Wahid Hasyim No. 9, Menteng, Central Jakarta, with ordinary furniture that even serves its food on white plastic plates rather than Chinese cutlery.
Nonetheless, visitors always flock to the restaurant due to its authentic tastes, which are offered from Rp 80,000 up to Rp 800,000.
Ragusa Ice Cream
Located on Jl. Veteran I in Central Jakarta, Ragusa Ice Cream shop has been running for at least 82 years.
The shop was first opened by Italian brothers Luigi and Vicenzo Ragusa in 1932. When they returned to their home country, they handed down the business to businesswoman and Betawi dancer Sias Mawarni in 1972.
Favorite ice cream flavors in the shop include spaghetti ice cream, Cassata Sicilia and banana split. The price ranges from Rp 15,000 for one-scoop to Rp 35,000.
Besides ice cream, visitors also can enjoy Betawi dishes such as rujak juhi (vegetables served with shredded dried squid and peanut sauce) and asinan (pickled vegetable) as well as chicken satay from street vendors who are stationed next to the shop.
Those who want to visit Ragusa need to be patient as the place is often crowded, especially during lunch hours, while seats are also limited.
Gado Gado Cemara
Niawati Setiawan opened Gado Gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce) Cemara on Jl. Cemara in Menteng, Central Jakarta, in 1947. The restaurant moved three times before finally settling on Jl. Tanah Abang 5, also in Central Jakarta.
What has made this restaurant survive over the years is the flavor of its peanut sauce, which is mixed with cashew nuts, giving it a distinctive flavor.
Satria, 27-year-old worker, said that he became a regular at the restaurant once he tasted the gado-gado.
“I eat the gado-gado at least twice a month,” he said, adding that he never tasted the same gado-gado anywhere else.
He even recommended the place to his friends. “Many people said that the price is too expensive for a vegetable salad. However, it is worth the price for me,” he said.
One portion of gado-gado cemara without lontong (rice cake) is tagged at Rp 35,000 while regular gado gado is usually sold at Rp 10,000.
Besides gado-gado, the restaurant also offers many traditional dishes like asinan, lontong Cap Gomeh (mixed curry served with rice cake) and ikan pesmol tenggiri (fried mackerel with yellow sauce).
Trio Restaurant
Trio Restaurant on Jl. RP Soeroso in Menteng, Central Jakarta, opened in 1947 is well-known for its Cantonese cuisine.
The restaurant offers more than 200 choices written in Indonesian and Mandarin. Customers can even find some rare dishes like shark fin, swift nest, abalone and frog cooked in many ways.
Unlike other restaurants that usually change its interior according to the era, Trio’s owner has kept its decoration and design unchanged, so visitors can still feel the nuance of dining in the 1940s.
