Indomania Restaurant |
|
.jpg)
= Scary 
= Pathetic 
= Good
= Excellent
= Flawless
INDOMANIA Dinner: Tuesday – Sunday, 6 – 10 pm Reviewed by: BeBe King Food:
Recently, there has been a proliferation of Asian restaurants in this country. When we were young, a great many decades ago, there were Chinese restaurants which served dishes adapted for the so-called American palate, many of which were totally unknown in China. Now Chinese restaurants serve gourmet cuisine from that country’s many provinces and they have been joined by a host of excellent Japanese, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese establishments in all price ranges. The local choices were augmented by a new Asian cuisine when Indomania opened in early 2007. Indonesian cuisine has evolved over the centuries by absorbing the varied cuisines of the people who live in that county’s 13,000 islands, its neighboring countries and the European powers that vied over the territory for its rich resources of valuable spices. The Dutch ruled Indonesia for more than three centuries until the country got its independence after the Second World War. Indomania specializes in Indonesian cuisine, especially rijsttafel (rice table), a Dutch colonial adaptation of the Indonesian dinner in which rice is accompanied by up to a dozen or more side dishes of meat, fowl, seafood, vegetables, eggs and pickles. What follows may all sound strange to diners who are unfamiliar with this unique and wonderful cuisine. Trust us! You will not regret venturing into new territory by visiting Indomania. The food is complex, delicious and very affordable. It is a welcome addition to the Miami restaurant scene and has been recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of Nine Great Miami Restaurants. As soon as you are seated and have ordered your drinks, a plate of Melinjo Chips, made from pounded nuts, arrives with a spicy peanut dipping sauce. The short international wine list is modestly priced and can be ordered by the glass, carafe or bottle. But we think one of the Dutch or Belgian beers goes best with spicy Indonesian food. We recommend that you start your meal at Indomania with a Sateh (sometimes spelled satay) of chicken, lamb, prawns or tofu; these are the justifiably famous grilled skewers served with peanut dipping sauce. Sumpia, tiny crisp vegetarian spring rolls, are excellent. Other choices among the appetizers are Pangsit, light and crispy dough with a subtle pork and shrimp filling served with a ginger sauce, and Fricadel Jagung, corn cakes with chili-lime dipping sauce. Soto Ayam is chicken soup with bean sprouts, egg, rice noodles and fried onions. Salads are the traditional Gado Gado, which includes string beans, cabbage, tofu and fried onions with peanut dressing, and Urap Urap, a crisp salad with coconut dressing to which optional shrimp may be added. There are four varieties of Rijsttafel on the menu at Indomania. All of them include a bowl of Nasi Puti, steamed rice, Atjar Ketimoen, sweet and sour cucumbers, Sambal G Buncia, spicy green beans, one of two hard-boiled egg dishes, either Telor Belado (with a spicy red sauce) or Telor Besegner (with curry sauce), and either Krupuk Udang, shrimp crackers, or Krupuk Bawang, garlic crackers. The basic RijsttafelI ($18), a vegetarian version ($16) and Rijsttafel Java ($22) and Rijsttafel Sumatra ($26) each include a different variety of side dishes. Among these are Ayam Bumbu Bali, spicy Balinese chicken, Ayam Sateh, the chicken skewers also found among the appetizers., Rendang Padang, Daging Semur or Smoor Djawa, three marvelously rich versions of stewed beef, Babi Ketjap, pork with ginger, vinegar and soy sauce, Sambal G Udang, shrimp in coconut sauce, Oseng Terong, spicy eggplant redolent of cloves, Sayur Lodeh, vegetables in coconut sauce, Serundeng, fried coconut and peanuts, and Nasi Kuning, yellow rice with lemongrass, kunyit and galangal. On one visit we were invited to try a side dish they are thinking of adding to the menu. It is a combination of thin-sliced fruits and cucumber, dressed with a sweet-sour marinade, and is an excellent accompaniment to the spicier dishes.
Three other entrées complete the menu. Nasi Goreng is fried rice and Bami Goreng, is fried noodles; both are served with pork or chicken, fried egg and a skewer of sateh. (We found the noodles a bit dry, but the pork was exquisite.) Ayam Opor is chicken in coconut sauce. The dishes at Indomania, although excellent, are generally less spicy than other Indonesian food we have sampled, but a small dish of fiery hot sauce is provided for those who want additional heat. For dessert we strongly recommend that you order Black Rice sometimes called Forbidden Rice. The myth is that it gained this name because it was reserved for the exclusive use of the Emperors of China. It is indeed deep black and has a nutty flavor. Delicious lightly Fried Bananas are also available. Both are served with a marvelous coconut ice cream, full of shreds of fresh coconut. Other desserts are mango with custard and sorbets. Pieter and Ineke Both are the owners of Indomania. Ineke, who learned Indonesian cooking when her father was working in Sumatra, is the chef. Pieter, a retired fashion photographer, is the host and will guide you in making your choices from the menu and in selecting drinks. They have transformed a tiny space, which used to house a tacky Tex-Mex restaurant, into a sophisticated and understated restaurant. There is a small bar by the entrance and a cozy dining area, with not more than a dozen tables topped with batik cloths. The hospitality at Indomania is informal and welcoming. The service is friendly and deft. You’ll want to return many times so you can try all of the wonderful dishes Ineke prepares. Note: Pictures in this story were obtained from Indomania's website.
|
