Kitchenesia visits Meradelima at Street Gallery Pondok Indah Mall, South Jakarta. We learn that Chinese culture blends perfectly in Indonesia, to the point we are mistaken some Peranakan Food as indigenous Indonesian.
Kitchenesia.com - So I am told that Meradelima is part of Pakis Culinary Group. However, this restaurant seems the contrary to its sisters. It gives me an impression of a humble and laid-back restaurant instead of pretentious, fine-dining places.
While others Pakis' restaurants feature Indonesian cuisine, Meradelima highlights Peranakan. The restaurant brands itself as the mirror of the straightforward name it bears - referring to the red color that plays important role in Chinese culture.
There is another common thread that seems to be unifying all Pakis' restaurants. Nearly all of them are nestled in a standalone building, and Meradelima is perhaps the only one that rents a space in a mall.
Every type of restaurant indeed has a specific target market, but smaller restaurant has been attracting customers lately. Meradelima in Pondok Indah Mall seems to be a spinoff version that joins this business trend.
As the old political adage says, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
Minus all Peranakan ornaments like flowery ceramic plate, Meradelima is pretty simple. The brown and red schemes are easy on the eyes. Having the restaurant located at the front makes Meradelima gets a plenty sunlight exposure from front and right windows.
Inside, through the entrance to the inside, there are several long tables with at least 4 chairs around them. This setting, however, seems to ignore solo eater existence. It is such a pity considering the fact that Meradelima is located in business and residence area, a region where many solo eaters come from.
Not only that, Meradelima doesn't provide facilities that makes solo diner more comfortable. I'm talking about something as simple as power socket to charge smartphone or laptop.
To certain extent, I can understand why Meradelima overlooks some amenities that are convenient to single diner. Meradelima is aptly family-restaurant idealistic.
Chef Tjie Putra, a Chinese Indonesian who is day-to-day in charge of the kitchen, told me that Meradelima dreams of bringing the quintessential Peranakan: sharing home cooking foods with family.
My lunch highlights reels in Meradelima are as follows: Serantang Nasi and Rantang Engkong, two special set menus served in Peranakan-style tiffin carrier.
I was kind of putting my hope too high for wanting it to be served in stack, and seeing the waitress opened the stack in front of me. The reality was the otherwise, unfortunately. The bowls were not stacked and served just like any other ordinary restaurants out there.
Serantang Nasi, consisted of four bowls, finally arrive. One contains white rice cooked with torch ginger, with few bitter beans put on the rice. The other two bowls contain several side dishes, consisted of sautéed squid, tempe oreg (tempeh cooked with sweet soy sauce), sweet shredded chicken, and Manadonese rica rodo (sautéed spicy eggplant). The set menu comes with a spicy lick-the-plate-clean sambal and crackers.
I know the rice and side dishes are supposed to be eaten on a single swallow, that’s how to enjoy this homemade food best. But there’s a subtly sense of fulfillment in the core of fried rice torch ginger that makes it is sufficient enough to be eaten alone. It exudes a fragrant of torch ginger (don’t fret about the bitter beans because it doesn’t make the rice bitter), and is rich with the profound savouriness.
Oh, sautéed squid also deserves recognition. It comes with chewy, firm meat – but not rubbery – and slightly sweet. It is a typical dish that makes us embarrassingly says 'ahh-ahm' while munching it.
The next set menu somehow incites me of a feeling of nostalgia. It reminds me of a passing septuagenarian neighbor who sold steamed rice – rather mushy – as breakfast. Perhaps others also had the same experience as I had, thus Meradelima names this set menu Rantang Engkong (closely translated to “grandpa’s tiffin carrier).
I am not a big fan of nasi tim (steamed rice topped with mushroom and chicken); no really, I dislike it. For me, Meradelima’s Nasi Tim is okay. Remember, this is from someone who dislikes nasi tim. I like how its mushroom chicken tastes appropriately sweet with subtle savory.
Perhaps Meradelima thinks of “family restaurant” concept too seriously. It seems to fail to understand the concept of "human portion", let alone serving them. Like this Gurame Telor Asin (fried gourami sautéed with salted egg), whose size - exaggeratingly of course - makes it visible from space.
Jokes aside, gurame telor asin is the main star among other three gourami dish. It is a big-cut battered gourami fillet, and sautéed with salted egg. As a technique, it is most likely to be coated with season flour first before it is deep fried. Then it is stir-fry after brown.
Gurame telor asin from Meradelima is rich with savouriness of seafood and oil, although, it only has a few greasy feeling from it.
You might think Meradelima only serves comfort food only, for the “Peranakan” term is being flung around many times. The answer is no. Instead, Meradelima boosts several artisanal beverages and desserts whose names are, sorry not sorry, downright strange.
While other restaurants are blatantly put every ingredient as the F&B name, Meradelima works differently. How do guests guess (no pun intended) the ingredients contained in a beverage named Ni Hao?
Ni Hao is a special beverage to celebrate Chinese New Year. Don’t worry, it is still available last time I checked. Loaded with fresh fruits like mango, dragon fruit, and pineapple, Ni Hao is the best juice to drink at any season. For the taste, it is subtly sweet with hint of sourness.
I finish with a sweet dessert named Es Cina Makan Sirih; and yes, Meradelima is back to fool us again. For those who don’t like betel leaves for its spiciness and fragrant, fear not. Es Cina Makan Sirih doesn’t contain betel leaves in any form. (Ps: in English, sirih means betel leaves).
The dominant coconut milk usage makes this dessert has similar taste to es teler, a traditional fruit mocktail. However, Meradelima’s Es Cina Makan Sirih is more fragrant, thanks to ingredients like pandan and basil leaves.
Considering heavy gridlock in Pondok Indah area, it requires much effort to get to Meradelima. But I’m very pleased I made it. This small restaurant – considering that it is part of Pakis Group – is made with heart, run by enthusiastic group who is determined to bring back old eating ritual, when internet and social media are not part of the dining table.
Meradelima Restaurant, Street Gallery, Ground floor, Jalan Metro Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.
