Now, the food.
Chef Donny Kumala, executive chef of Cafe Batavia, curated a slightly eccentric mishmash of Dutch, western, and traditional Indonesian food in the menu.
We ordered two traditional food, Betawinese gado-gado and Manadonese’s salmon gohu, and bistik lidah “Harmonie” (“Harmonie” grilled beaf tongue).
The latter being the artisanal food in this restaurant.
The dish that melted my heart and got my mind right, however, was bistik lidah“Harmonie”, a velvety, spicy, well-cooked beef tongue brimming with vegetables such as broccoli, carrot, and peas.
It is a lovechild food of Dutch-Indonesian.
The Dutch element is on the potato krokketen, while Indonesian influence is on the soy sauce.
Salmon Gohu was outstanding, too.
It is a delicate, rich, raw marinated salmon, with potent sour flavor.
Think of sashimi when you hear salmon gohu, but the latter is bolder and sexier.
There is an urban legend among restaurant critics that upscale Indonesian restaurants often offer bad taste food.
