soerabaja sbg

if there is anything that indonesia is famous for, it would be nasi goreng (fried rice) and sop buntut (ox-tail soup).
well, apart from nasi padang of course. nothing better than to see plates of various dishes piled high to accompany rice. rijstaffel or rice table was what the colonial dutch described the smorgasbord of dishes that went with rice.
i digress.
flew to surabaya just to visit its juanda international airport, i kid you not. by the time i landed after countless flight delays, the sun had sunk and the moon looked like a slice of watermelon.
but i was looking for lunch and chanced upon soerabaja cafe. thats the old dutch way of spelling surabaya. what is known as tempoe doloe (tempoh dulu) or olden days spelling.
back to food.
the sniffles of the day meant i was looking for something whisky. or soupy. since there was no single malt available, decided to go for the soup option.
which brings me to soerabaja cafe's sup buntut goreng, which the waiter heartily recommended as a tastier version of sup buntut.
the gourmand in me needed no prodding. anything goreng is good in my book. and in my book this will be called soerabaja sbg from now on.
lo! and behold! the dish came complete with soup, fried ox-tail, a side serving of the ubiquitous sambal and something new too, salted egg with emping belinjo (paddy oat crackers) - the bitter crackers much loved and standard on most indonesian dining tables.
of course, there was some rice too.
the fried ox-tail was to say the least, tasty. and the soup was hearty and heavenly as the caramelised onions went well with the potato slices in the beefy broth.
the salt egg and emping belinjo together with the sambal added a range of flavours to the rice which provided a great base for the soup and ox-tail.
i don't think i can ever take sop buntut as it is anymore. not after soerabaja cafe's version. well, if you want to try it, come to indonesia. otherwise, well, make it at home.

drinking at the malt

took a colleague to the malt in jakarta and there was a table reserved for me. not that it mattered as there were only a few tables occupied for the opening night.
one would think it would be packed but the chill of the global financial meltdown must have spooked many in the indonesian capital.
hence we were made very welcome.
there was not that much by way of choice except for the special on highland park 16 years old or the glenmorangie quinta ruban. we went for the highland park and some snacks.
the single malt came neat with ice cubes on the side, sticks of bittersweet chocolate and a carafe of japanese green tea. yes, the insidious mixture seemed standard at the malt but i would have none of that. asked for water if any was required.
that came promptly.
the highland park 16 years old was a deeper gold as the 40 percent alcohol by volume single malt is sherry casked. its nose had faint notes of smoke and vanilla together with some nuttiness.
took a sip of the dram together with the bitter chocolate - an excellent combination when trying out any single malt. the highland park 16 years old tasted of fruits with some spice and smoke.
the finish was pleasant without any drama. had to have more of the chocolate to keep this orkney whisky a pleasant dram.
by the way it was the gold medal winner - best in class at the international wine & spirit competition in 2006.
there wasn't that much of choice for other single malts as most were sold by the bottle.
will have to round up a crowd to get some of their bottles most of which i have had previously elsewhere. prices are higher than other cities but not as bad as other places in jakarta.
still, its next to the office and that is a plus point.
and this blog has just reached a milestone of sorts.
this is the 100th post.
have i drunk so much? or so little?
cheers!

dancing dalwhinnie

have found many like-minded friends in the pursuit of a good if not great dram over the years. and friends or relatives of friends who flit in and out of london occasionally bring back a good bottle for us to imbibe and wax lyrical.
and so, in a recent moonless night, came this bottle from the highest distillery in all of scotland. the dalwhinnie 15 years old.
it wasn't that moonless actually but the thin crescent of the moon was hidden by dark clouds as we gathered for a feast of good food complemented by great drinks, and wonderful company.
as conversation turned to politics and the chill wind of the global economy left us shivering, our host brought out the dalwhinnie, the highland single malt that is made between the lowlands and the speyside which is part of the diageo group.
the skirl of bagpipes filled my head the first time i sipped a dram of dalwhinnie. but the din gave way to music as the pale gold liquid washed through with a crisp aromatic nose that hinted of peat and some heather.
the 43 percent by alcohol volume single malt tasted soft with notes of vanilla and honey that melded with the acidic tanginess of citrus. But that was just the set-up for a long lingering robust finish that began sweet and then turned smoky and peaty. left me just barely standing but hankering for more of the warm dram and a dance with a damsel.
and so the one litre-bottle slowly finished and the music echoed in my head.

malt follows me

been going past this place outside my office in jakarta and was wondering why it had a sign that simply said malt.
it became clear last night. the lights was on, there was a single girl inside and so, i dropped by.
turns out that malt is a bar and resto, thats restaurant in indonesian parlance. and guess what, they serve single malts. posters of lagavulin, oban and other familiar brands draped the walls around a cosy island bar filled with fine chairs and candle lights.
but no drinks were available last night. and i did not bring along my camera.
but there is a special open night tonight. single malt - either highland park 16 years old or a glenmorangie quinta ruban - together with a partagas cigar for rp375,000++.
pricey.
but i'll be there. at malt. no 2, jalan haji agus salim, jakarta.
tongue ready. camera ready.
and a whole lotta other things to update about.
cheers.