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curry, and semur lidah sapi Betawi, ox-tongue stew in sweet soy sauce and nutmeg, are the next food items they pair with rice. Upon learning about the delicious semur, Iwan immediately says: “Oh, this is just like the smoor in the Netherlands.”
Next, they bite on the soft sate lembut Betawi— grilled, spicy minced-beef satay with smoked, shredded coconut complemented with sayur gambas udang, stir-fried luffa, mushrooms and prawns—and acar kuning, which is carrot and cucumber pickles in turmeric sauce. Bites of kerupuk udang, deepfried prawn crackers, and emping, deep-fried melinjo nut crackers, throughout the meal enhance the experience.
Seeing the familiar tempe, both diners eagerly speared one each and right away Natascha commented: “It’s a bit spicy and there’s a new taste in there.” In fact, the spices used are lombok ijo— green chilies— and taoco, or preserved, fermented soya bean paste. “We can handle a bit of heat, like Padang cuisine,” says Iwan. The Kips relocated here around a year ago since Iwan, General Manager at Etihad in Indonesia, accepted the position—and their adjustment is clearly going quite smoothly.
They then test their taste buds by trying sambal ijo teri, spicy green chili sauce with baby anchovies, together with udang goreng kering, or crispy prawns. Finding it a tad too hot, the dessert of es selendang mayang is a welcome sight. “This is so refreshing,” Natascha says as she stirs and crushes a hunk of ice floating in white coconut milk and brown palm sugar mixture.
“What’s in here?” she asks. In it there are green and chewy rice-flour puddings tinted with pandanus leaf extracts. What a perfectly Indonesian way to close our lunch date before Iwan rushes back to the office and Natascha dashes off to pick up the kids.
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Jl. Teuku Umar 1, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat Tel: +62 (21) 390 0899
In keeping up with Lexus’s tradition of being one of the country’s premium car brands, Lexus Indonesia has now launched the all-new Lexus GS 200t series for drivers who are in search of the ultimate in modern yet sporty rides. The magic all starts on the outside. The exterior of the GS 200t series boasts an inviting feel with this particular model’s trademark spindle grille. The vehicle also comes with three LED headlights, the highest feature specification in this class, as well as a backlight, making it all the more visually stunning, especially under starlit skies.
Meanwhile, the interior features of the all-new model are both grand in size and provide drivers with optimum safety features, as well as enhanced comfort. Semi-bucket seats, for example, provide firm and stable driving position with its Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) feature. The car’s stable wheel system also offers optimal handling in all conditions. For a more exciting driving experience, the all-new Lexus GS200T series comes with a 4 Drive Mode select with Sport + Mode feature, coloured HUD as well as the 17 speakers high resolution audio by Mark Levinson .
The all-new Lexus GS 200t series comes in two models: the GS 200t Luxury and the GS 200t F-sport, making it the most complete collection of the series in Indonesia. These particular models give drivers the power to push the pedal hard, while also maintaining a steady speed and course—essential when driving on the variable local conditions that drivers face in Indonesia. Technologically advanced, all the driver needs is at hand at the touch of the button or the turn of a dial.
GS stands for Grand Tourer Sedan and these cars are certainly the former; they also bring a massive helping of class to the table. This is the fourth-generation of the Lexus GS series—the first was launched in 1993—represents all that both the brand and the series stand for, along with an elegant and modern twist. All in all, the epitome of sporty modernity. n