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says chef Ragil Imam Wibowo, popping in from his kitchen,
bearing a tray of hors d’oeuvres—and a long tail planted in a
glass of what resembles blood-red soil. It turns out to be eel,
smoked and served with tangy red sauce, a spicy balado.
Looking like traditional Indonesian sambal, balado is a fiery
paste of ground chili, fried with spices, garlic, shallots, tomato
and lime juice in coconut or palm oil. Ragil’s version is
aromatic, home-smoked, zesty. And like everything he plates at
Nusa Indonesian Gastronomy—in the South Jakarta area of
Kemang, known for hip shops—it’s unquestionably authentic.
“Indonesian food is really underrated,” Ragil, who started
cooking at age eight, says, “and the special foods of the regions
have not really been explored.” Nusa is short for nusantara, or
archipelago, and his goal is to promote all the unique eats across
the islands. An extraordinary culinary explorer, he scours
Indonesia for rare recipes and ingredients, and reenacts them
here, detailing the unique spices and preparation methods.
Balado is typical of Minang cuisine, from West Sumatra,
where the eel was sourced. “It’s rice-field smoked,” he says
gleefully. “No other region does it this way.” Of course, Ragil
doesn’t have a paddy out back, but in his kitchen he smokes his
sustainably fished eel with rice stalks and leaves and the same
herbs the Minang use to impart the same flavor.
After a delightful tasting meal (diners chose from set menus
of three, five, seven or nine courses) that transports us from
this century-old colonial mansion whose airy, natural-woodinteriors were designed by his architect
wife, all the way across Indonesia, Ragil
guides us into his kitchen. It looks more
like a laboratory filled with jars and
beakers of exotic ingredients, in various
stages of mixing, marinating or aging.
Much of the equipment is custom-made,
like a hybrid stove that allows him to fry,
steam or wood-cook. On top are slots
fitting the traditional rice cookers that
are used on different islands. So, his nasi
jagung (yellow corn rice) is spooned
from a deep metal vessel exactly like one
used by villagers in Sumatra or Malang.
All the effort yields not only an array of
dishes unique in the city but also an
education in the various cuisines of this
nation of 17,000 islands and its many
varied cooking styles.
Eating at Nusa is representative of my
own culinary journey—exploring the top
new restaurants in Jakarta today, a city
known for its fantastic street food, but
not, as of yet, fine dining. After spending
a lot more time in the Indonesian capital
recently, my wife having taken a job
there, I’ve noticed two things: the
culinary culture is increasingly diverse,
delicious and laudable; and everyone in
it laments how underrated it is. “Jakarta
is getting much better,” says Jean Pittion“You have to try t his!”
From left: The flash
bar at Hakkasan; a
pickled watermelon
appetizer, called
asinan semangka,
at Nusa
Gastronomy.
On the patio at
Gunpowder, the
Grand Thali set,
which includes such
dishes as beef
rendang and crispy
tempe kecap.