Epicure

“There’s no doubt that introducin­g Indonesian cuisine to other countries would be a great success”

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although I think there are still so many of our regional dishes which are still unknown here. We have all the ingredient­s available. What we need are more Indonesian chefs and restaurant­s who dare to go beyond serving gado-gado and prove that there is so much more to Indonesian food than just peanut sauce,” enthuses Prasadani.

Amsterdam receives roughly 5.7 million visitors per year. To many pleasantly surprised tourists, Amsterdam is where they experience Indonesian cuisine for the first time, making the city the perfect getaway to introduce the flavoursom­e cuisine from the archipelag­o to a wider audience outside its country of origin. “We have been serving the rice table concept to internatio­nal guests and they were always blown away,” shares Meta van den Boomen, manager of Restaurant Blauw.

First opened in Utrecht, Restaurant Blauw quickly gained recognitio­n for serving authentic Indonesian cuisine in a contempora­ry setting. It opened its Amsterdam branch 10 years ago, powered by a team of talented Indonesian chefs with their own heirloom family recipes, from Ikan Asam Padeh to the crowd-pleasing Sate Kambing Restaurant Blauw offers à la carte dishes as well as three different rijstaffel set menus; these gastronomi­c treats are served in exquisite small bowls.

Nearby, a new Indonesian restaurant has been making a splash in the leafy historical neighbourh­ood called the Plantage. Mama Makan Indonesian Kitchen, located adjacent to Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, has been receiving rave reviews for its swanky design and flavourful Indonesian delights. Its associatio­n with a five-star hotel has also elevated the image of Indonesian cuisine and cemented its internatio­nal reputation. At the heart of Mama Makan Indonesian Restaurant, is Rosmina Napitupulu, an Aceh-born and Jakarta-raised chef. Together with her Indonesian kitchen team, the culinary veteran is upping the ante on Javanese and Balinese regional cuisine.

 ??  ?? The Indonesian talents behind Restaurant Blauw: Isti, Asep Kuswandi and Felix Pontoh.
The Indonesian talents behind Restaurant Blauw: Isti, Asep Kuswandi and Felix Pontoh.
 ??  ?? Restaurant Blauw’s tasty rijstaffel also caters for pescateria­n and vegetarian diets.
Restaurant Blauw’s tasty rijstaffel also caters for pescateria­n and vegetarian diets.

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