Legends Are Made
Although many restaurants have shuttered off permanently during the Covid-19 pandemic, these local icons are here to stay for, and thanks to, the next generation
GADO GADO BON BIN
Long known as one of a gourmet paradise in the heart of Central Jakarta, Cikini is one of its longstanding culinary districts that offers abundant food choices within walking distances. Amid modern popular chains and fine-dining options, one unassuming eatery tucked away in the shaded Cikini IV street, Gado Gado Bonbin, has served diners for more than half of a century.
“It all started when my late mother, Lanny, ran a small shop in 1960 for workers at the old office of Ministry of Religious Affairs,” said Hadi Lingga Wijaya, the second-generation owner of Gado Gado Bon Bin. “At first, we sold only our iconic Red Cendol, which is a sweet dessert made from mung-bean flour jelly combined with fresh coconut milk and palm sugar syrup.” After some time, the customers suggested an expansion of menus since they need something filling during the break time. “My mum then had the idea to make gado-gado with her secret sauce, which turns out to be very popular among locals and tourists,” he said.
At first sight, its Gado Gado Lontong looks just like any other Indonesian salad. It consists of lightly boiled and blanched vegetables served with hard-boiled egg and abundant slices of lontong, a compressed rice cake wrapped and steamed in banana leaf. The key is in its silky yet richly flavoured peanut dressing, which is roasted and not fried to give an intense flavour.
Gado Gado Bonbin has attracted many loyal customers, and its simple dining room holds many memories. “The diners came from different backgrounds, including the former presidents of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri,” Wijaya said.
The eatery never seems to fade even when the large-scale social restrictions policy is in place today to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. “We shifted from dine-in to take away and delivery service using Grabfood as our platform,” he said. Wijaya admitted that sales had dropped slightly earlier during the pandemic, but it has spiked up in recent months since a transition to a “new normal” began. Its sales quickly recovered thanks to its loyal patrons of all generations who craved for that unique tastes of Gado Gado Bonbin. Wijaya believes that his children would eventually continue the culinary legacy of Gado Gado Bonbin. “Although my kids are not yet interested in continuing, I believe that someday they will make me proud with more innovative ideas to grow the business without leaving its distinctive tastes behind”.
HERITAGE BY TAN GOEI
Ever since its conception as a residential area in 1910, the Menteng area has a rich history with many eateries where classic Indonesian and Chinese cuisines meet the influence of Dutch culture. Among favourite establishments is Heritage by Tan Goei, which was a cookie shop that evolved into a restaurant in the 1950s. Tan Goei was established by Boedhi Tjahjono at Semarang city in Central Java before expanding to Jakarta and changing of the name to Miranda—using Chinese family names was prohibited during the Soeharto presidency era. “Tan is my grandfather’s family name and Goei is my grandmother’s family name,” said Albert Boedhi Tjahjono, the chef as well as the third-generation family owner of Heritage. “After Miranda caught on fire in 2015, I re-opened the restaurant in 2017 and changed the name into Heritage by Tan Goei to bring back and preserve the memories of my grandparents,” he said.
Tucked away on the fringe of Menteng, the fusion of historic atmosphere with modern interiors and a buzzing crowd gathering on clusters of wooden tables is the daily occurrence at this restaurant. Although the tastes and culinary scenes in Jakarta are always changing, diners still enjoy the nostalgic experience at Heritage with tasty Indo-dutch cuisines just the way the food used to be. That is one of many reasons why its Beef Tongue Steak is one of the city’s iconic dish. Served on a large hotplate
filled with abundant slices of beef tongue and vegetables topped with a savoury sauce, it is not surprising why this menu is a favourite for many generations. “Our patrons are mostly office workers during the day and families when the sun goes down,” Tjahjono said. “Actors, singers, political figures, and some ambassadors often dine here”.
When Covid-19 first struck abroad, Tjahjono and his team quickly discussed how to prevent dramatic sales declines and to keep the business going before the virus arrived in the city. When the government first imposed large-scale social distancing, Heritage was temporarily closed and shifted its business to food delivery service.
“We are now still doing home delivery service besides limiting the number of diners inside,” he said. “We also launched a kid-friendly catering service to help those who don’t have time to cook due work-life demands.”
Tjahjono, who has the same passion in cooking just like his grandfather, is confident that the economy will recover and has plans to open another culinary business after the coronavirus pandemic. ”We will open another branch in the South Jakarta area in the last week of September,” he said with excitement. “Different from Heritage, our new dining place will be filled with quick-meal menus and focuses more on takeaway and delivery services while still complying with the health protocols.”
RENDEZVOUS
Some time ago, in a small Chinese-indonesian food restaurant in the Gondangdia area, a Japanese man showed Lukman Effendy a piece of folded newspaper in his hands. He pointed to a picture in which Soeharto, the late then-president of Indonesia, indulged in tasty lomie noodles there. Just like any other food lovers from near and far, the man was on a business trip, and he wished to sample local specialities at Rendezvous. It was one of many fond memories Effendy has ever since opening the restaurant almost half a century ago.
“Back in the 1970s, our cosmetic business was slowing down, and my wife had an idea to create an authentic Chinese-style restaurant,” Effendy said. “We opened the restaurant in 1973 near Bioskop Menteng before relocating to this outlet at Johar street permanently in 1985.” Until today, both the menus and interior design of Rendezvous have not changed much than a few modern touches to keep that nostalgic vibes loved by many. Furnished with high-quality wooden chairs and tables, the restaurant has added small food stalls for snacks and juice stations inside since its renovation three years ago.
Consistently serving high-quality traditional Chinese-indonesian cuisine while sticking to its roots earned Rendezvous an award on the 488th anniversary of Jakarta, which was given directly by the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. One of the secrets behind the taste is to use all spices and seasonings directly from Hong Kong to keep the traditional taste.
One perfect example is the traditional Cantonese-style shumai made from fresh fish paste wrapped in soft dumpling skin before being steamed. Topped with sour-spicy peanut sauce as a local take to the dim sum staple, it is the perfect start before enjoying juicy Chinese-style beef steak with butter sauce and springy lomie noodles. Another long-time favourite is the Es Pelajar dessert, which is a glass of shaved ice filled with tapioca pearls, coconut, pineapple, avocado and sugar-palm fruits. “Our siomay and Es Pelajar were first introduced in 1979 and are sure crowd-pleaser menus until today,” he said proudly.
Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Rendezvous is still thriving thanks to its loyal customers. “Those who come to dine here are mostly families and business people who run their errands around here,” said Lilyana. “Both our existing and new customers are just like our families, which is why when the government imposed large-scale social restrictions, we closed temporarily to prevent our customers from getting infected by the virus.” To prevent food shortage when the people’s movement was limited, the couple would buy food supplies in bulk up to a month before. “Fresh ingredients and spices can be pretty pricey so buying in big batches would save some money, and we can freeze our ingredients,” she said.
Thanks to their strategic planning, the restaurant was able to fulfil many delivery orders and to re-open recently without worry of spikes in food prices or shortage. Lilyana and Effendy’s children have also beginning and developing Rendezvous to continue their parents’ legacy. “We are not that young anymore to run the restaurant business, which is why we want to pass down both our family values and culinary secrets to our kids. Our daughter has jumped right into the restaurant work and has invented a few new menus,” she said proudly.
This page: A table full of yummy Rendezvous specialties.
Opposite page: Lilyana and Lukman Effendy. Loyal patrons come to enjoy comfort Chineseindonesian dishes
VARIED SUBHEAD POINT SIZE RAGUSA
With the season in Indonesia transitioning from mostly sunny to intermittent rains, the best cure for humid tropical heat is a scoop of ice cream. Its colourful flavour variations and creamy textures, served with an abundance of mix-ins, hits the taste buds just the right way to cool down the body. Although there are many ice cream shops around Jakarta, nothing delights the heart more than the classic flavours of Italian ice cream at Ragusa.
Located in the Gambir area, Ragusa has been serving up scoops of delicious ice cream for almost a century. The picture of the first Italian owners, Luigi and Vincenzo Ragusa, is still displayed neatly on the wall. “From 1932 to 1945, Ragusa gained a huge popularity among the townspeople of Batavia. After Indonesia gained its independence in 1945 until 1972, visitor numbers went down because many foreigners returned to their country,” said Hj. Sias Marwani, the current owner of Ragusa Es Krim Italia. “The Ragusa brothers also went back to Italy, so they trusted my husband and me for the ownership of the store.”
The relationship between these two generations of owners first happened when Hj. Mawarni and her husband once supplied milk for the Ragusas, which has given the ice cream a distinct fresh flavour loved by many generations. Ragusa is full of customers most nights, especially on Saturdays, and people are willing to stand in a long line outside the store to maintain a safe distance while waiting for a scoop of durian ice cream. “Besides durian ice cream, the most popular menus here are banana split and Spaghetti Ice Cream, which is always on demand since we created it in 1982,” she said. “We have less tables now that they are widely spaced between one another, but those who could not get a seat are still willing to eat the ice cream outside near the parking lot or inside their cars.”
All the ice creams from Ragusa have to be enjoyed straight away since there is no added ingredients and preservatives inside. “When I was in doubt whether to close the doors or to keep the business running, my employees shared some ideas to improve delivery service as a way to maximize our sales during Covid19 pandemic,” Hj. Mawarni said. The ice cream shop was also open for takeaway with strict health and safety measures in place.
Besides customer service, Hj. Mawarni also values kindness and education. “Ever since I was a kid, my parents always told me to share kindness with everyone, just like the Ragusa brothers. By treating our employees
right, and teaching them my knowledge and skills, they will be loyal and continue to work with me until today.” Hj. Mawarni also teaches these values to her children. “They will be the successor of Ragusa, which is why good education is important to run the business well,” she continued while enjoying some durian ice cream. “This is why I sent them to study abroad to make sure they learn from the best. We are always looking for fresh ideas and groundbreaking innovation to give the best for our customers, employees and Ragusa itself.”