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Felix Widmer Premium Member Group moderatorThe company name is only visible to registered members.‘Rendang’ in the land of Rösti
The fish was long, big and thick when it arrived, turning all heads as it was carried to our table. Then, less an hour later, it was bare, stripped to its bones, lying helplessly across the long white plate.
The chunky, half-ripped head with its half-opened mouth was surrounded by drips of yellow, thick, flavorful curcuma sauce and scattered leftovers.
Gulp. Haven’t I been a wild starving beast? Blush. Poor fish. I giggled to myself, disregarding the appalled eyes of other guests sitting nearby.
The two plates next to it were not any better. There were only a few brown crumbs left on the fried rice plate and nothing but chicken bones after my Swiss partner in crime happily finished his savory gudeg Yogyakarta. Adding to the whole joyous dinner was a cup of sambal lado ijo (spicy green chili sauce) and a bowl of kerupuk (Indonesian crackers). Both were, of course, swept clean.
Sigh of pleasure. That was our first dinner at Dapur Indonesia, the one and only Indonesian restaurant in the lively, multicultural city of Zürich-Oerlikon.
And who is to blame for our greed and insatiable appetite? Thanks go to Diane Bucher-Maweikere for making these authentic, taste-like-home dishes.
“Indonesian food has been just ‘piggy backed’ on the menus at Thai, Chinese or most other Asian restaurants here in Zürich. It’s time for us to have our own place offering more of our dishes,” said Diane, who studied hotel and tourism management at the Swiss Hotel Management School in Montreux, explaining why she was driven to start the restaurant.
Having lived in the land of cheese and Rösti for 18 years, Diane broadened her gastronomic experience by working at various restaurants and in different parts of the country.
Her courage to start an Indonesian restaurant is admirable and considered a bold step by most of her friends.
Together with her Swiss-French partner, Rachel Strack, the aspiring couple founded Dapur Indonesia in the first week of March this year, just as the cool air of the colorful, romantic spring was slowly saying goodbye to the city, replaced by the glorious warmth of summer.
The restaurant interior has an intimate feel. Subtle lighting and candles and stone-tiled walls adorned with traditional Indonesian puppets breathe warmth into the elegant floors and black wooden tables.
Another nice touch is the authentic Javanese sculpture of the inseparable couple, Loro Blonyo, sitting by the front window near the entrance. When the sun goes down, the atmosphere inside the restaurant feels cozy and romantic and sitting in the lush garden is a good option on sunny days.
Going through the menu feels like a culinary trip around the islands of Indonesia as it offers various cuisines from Jakarta, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Bali, as well as Java and Madura.
Famous dishes such as the rich rendang, sate ayam Madura (chicken satay), ayam bakar betutu (grilled Balinese chicken), bebek goreng (fried duck) with a light peanut sauce and the soto betawi are some of what the carnivores can enjoy for their main dishes.
Chili lovers will find some fiery excitement in the ayam rica rica (chicken in red chili) or udang kemiri merah (red shrimp), which are marked with double stars to show their spiciness level.
Vegetarians can opt for dishes such as the sayur lodeh, tumis kangkung (water spinach) and the fresh Indonesian mixed-green salad standby, gado-gado.
Now you may wonder, wouldn’t all of this be perfect with a scoop of chili sauce? As an Indonesian, the thought surely wasn’t lost on Diane. She prepares her own homemade sambal lado ijo or sambal terasi to satisfy those who like to compliment their meals with chili’s heat.
What stands out from the starter choices is martabak. These crispy, deep-fried dough pockets filled with chopped meat and various vegetables are served with pickles and sauce, and bring up fun memories of Jakarta’s street-vendors.
Occasionally, the restaurant also has groups of guests who come to enjoy an extensive range of Indonesian items by ordering the rijsttafel (rice table).
When the meal ends, sweet temptations kick in. A variety of local ice creams with mouth-watering flavors is enough to spark anyone’s imagination.
But the thought of enjoying typical Indonesian desserts can be irresistible as well. Sink your teeth into the delectable bola pisang (fried banana balls) or slurp up the cold delight of es cendol or es merah delima. Either way, you’ll end your meal happy.
Dapur Indonesia’s recent addition to the list of dining venues in town seems to have excited the local foodies and has been long anticipated by not just Indonesians but also the locals who love trying new cuisine and Asian food.
As expressed by Nicole and Martin, a Swiss couple who visited once, “Great food, friendly staff, we love the menu and the style of the restaurant very much. The lovely walls match the elegant leather chairs,” the couple said, adding that they planned to return to try other dishes.
Ria Supolo, an Indonesian who is a long-time resident of Switzerland, gushed about how addicted she was to the soto betawi. “It is so genuine. I just keep coming back for it.”
Whatever the reason people have for coming, congratulations are due to Diane Bucher for having such passion and courage to give a home to our rich and flavorful Indonesian dishes.
Dapur Indonesia
Schaffhauserstrasse 373, 8050 Zürich-Oerlikon, Switzerland
http://www.dapur-indonesia.ch
Source: Jakarta Post. Kathy Petite, Contributor, Zurich | Sun, 07/31/2011 7:00 AMhttp://bit.ly/mOHeI1
- 08 Aug 2011, 1:29 pm
