Here Are Some Special Archipelago Cuisines That Are Suitable For Dishes During The Month Of Ramadan

Mandalika Rijsttafel, a dish consisting of various toppings typical of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara with a taste of spices that has never been explored before. (AMONG)

JAKARTA - Lombok has become increasingly popular after becoming the official location for the 2022 MotoGP world championship series. One of the special things that should not be missed from Lombok is its signature culinary which is known to be legendary and rich in taste. Here are some Indonesian culinary delights that are worth a try.

Savory rice, tanjung grilled fish, pusut satay, gecok tripe, ebatan, to sambal beberuk are some of them. However, what happens if all the menus can be enjoyed simultaneously in one taste? Of course, there is a unique taste of its own.

This is a combination of favorite local street food dishes from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara which are packaged into Mandalika Rijsttafel.

Mandalika Rijsttafel

This Mandalika Rijsttafel is one of the lesser known local culinary dishes of the archipelago or 'Unexplored Recipes' which is specially presented by Executive Sous Chef Heri Purnama and his team for visitors who want to enjoy Ramadan culinary at Signatures Restaurant, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Jakarta.

The name Mandalika Rijsttafel was deliberately created by Chef Heri who wanted to tell the interesting story behind Mandalika through the touch of the food he offered.

"Actually, I created this Mandalika Ritjstafel when I won a competition at a hotel, long before the Mandalika MotoGP event. This idea is a combination of the favorite local street food from Lombok, NTT." "The name Mandalika itself is unique, because I have lived there, worked there, and there are many stories in it, so I created it in Mandalika Rijsttafel, which coincidentally the moment is busy because of MotoGP. I feel lucky," said Chef Heri. To make Ramadan even more special, Chef Heri and the team also created other new menus that are under the unified theme of "Ramadan Culinary Rijsttafel, go local eat global", by exploring the natural wealth of East Nusa Tenggara. , starting from sei beef and chicken and pa'piong.

Pa'piong

Pa'piong is a typical Toraja dish consisting of miana leaves mixed with free-range chicken or goldfish. The meat inside is mixed with grated coconut which has turned yellow because of the spices that are packaged and burned with banana tree trunks. Usually, pa'piong is often served as a dish for big events, such as funeral ceremonies, to wedding celebrations. According to Chef Heri, Pa'piong is what foreign tourists are interested in when visiting Signatures Restaurant, because of the cooking process and the story behind the unique traditions of the Toraja people.

Gandul Rice

In addition to a menu of typical dishes from eastern Indonesia, Chef Heri also serves a special menu typical of Pati, Central Java using spices that are rarely found in the market. His complete menu of nasi gandul and nasi rames is guaranteed to be unusual and can satisfy the tastes of local tongues as well as foreigners.

Complete Rames Rice

The Nasi Rames dish is one of the typical Indonesian snack menus that are identical to the food of the small people. This is because rames rice uses cheap ingredients and very small portions, which are generally often consumed by people from lower economic circles.

Slightly different from the usual nasi rames, the Signatures Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Restaurant adds a menu of chicken opor with light coconut milk sauce, and green chili beef stew. The combination is combined as a form of enlivening the nuances of Eid even in the month of Ramadan.

“I made this Nusantara special menu with different processing techniques, plus unusual ingredients and spices, which are rarely found in the market. However, fortunately, I have many connections with local residents in remote areas who still grow these spices," said Heri in a special interview with ANTARA, Wednesday (23/3).

When ANTARA had the opportunity to taste special dishes made by the chef who once served traditional Indonesian menus to the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth, on her birthday in 2014, it really deserves a thumbs up.

The touch of spices that seep into every layer makes the texture of the meat soft and blends in every bite. The spices that are combined in a recipe that is rarely explored by the public seem to give their own story of various legendary stories.

Signatures Restaurant Hotel Indonesia Kempinski combines a fresh atmosphere with a touch of Indonesian embellishments, which brings visitors to explore the legendary culinary arts of the archipelago.

In addition to serving a variety of menus, ranging from Mandalika Rijsttafel to the complete rice rames described by Cher Heri, this restaurant also has a mainstay dish of the legendary chicken porridge.

Chef Heri's efforts to elevate the culinary wealth of the archipelago should be appreciated because by preserving and introducing it to the public, Indonesian specialties will be increasingly popular, not only by this nation but even by foreign tourists.