Gado-Gado Bon Bin Cikini: Serving You Since 1960

They were around when Orde Lama changed to Orde baru.

A tweet from NatTravelerIndo streamed through my timeline this morning : "Cikini, Sudut Kota Lama Yang Terlupa."  Or in English : Cikini, The Forgotten Part of Old Town.

While that might rings true for the generation above me, I have just recently discovered this area through the beauty of food. Lontong Cap Go Meh Cikini was one of the rare find. This time, it's the joint nearby: Gado Gado Bon Bin.

Bon Bin was short for Kebon Binatang, the street name it's on before they changed it to Cikini IV. The place has been around for more than half a century and still maintains its classic beauty. Chinese incense on the beaten-worn-out walls. Wood tables and red chairs that resemble a typical home style Chinese restaurants. The half rounded ceilings. Most importantly the dynamic duo, Ngkoh Gado-Gado & Ncik Gado-Gado, one prepare the food, the other one handle the cash.

Ancient. (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

One portion cost you IDR23k without lontong, and IDR25k with lontong. Three times the price of any street vendor gado-gado around the area. But I guess it's the premium people are willing to pay for nostalgia, brand, and taste.

Before. (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

After. (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

The first thing you'll notice is the softly grinded peanut sauce. Words on the street they use cashew nuts, thus the rich flavor that sets it apart from normal gado-gado. It was interesting at first, but after a while the lost of texture was too obvious. I will still opt for the much coarser sauce in usual gado-gado. Sorry, Koh. It did impress me, although not for long.

Better hygiene? At least less hand germs. (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

The rest of the dish wasn't particularly superior in taste, but the fresh ingredients was very noticeable. It's another kind of hygiene level over here. One that would definitely not include hand germs.

Besides that, it is a very fulfilling portion eaten alone. I would suggest having it shared, and use the additional space in your belly to try the next door lontong cap go meh or asinan. If you're around the area, might as well.

Wanderbites Verdict: Somewhat fancier gado-gado. Cashew nut is a plus. Try for curiosity.

Until our next food safari,

Ruby
Your fellow Ngkoh

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Gado-Gado Bon Bin Foodporn Style. (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

Gado-Gado Bon Bin
Jalan Cikini IV No. 5
(Formerly Jalan Kebon Binatang III)

Lontong Cap Go Meh : Cikini's Legend

Origins

Lontong = Rice Cake.

It is Google's literal translation of what it's made of, but I don't think it describe the features of this traditional Javanese dish fully. Lontong comes cylindrical in shape, usually wrapped with banana leaves, and steamed until the rices are mushy and somewhat cohesively sticky. It is the alternative for rice in many local dishes.

Lontong Cap Go Meh is one of the variety. It is a crossbreed of traditional Chinese and Javanese culture. It begins as must have dish after Chinese New Year celebration, now it has grown to be a popular menu in Indonesian restaurants. 

Serendipity

That particular afternoon I was bored with waroengs. There's a limit to the amount of scrambled eggs and tempe orek that you can force feed yourself. I called a break to the routine and decided to consult my Makan Sutra guide, the very first Indonesian version, written and curated by our own Arie Parikesit. I was lucky to be in Cikini area that afternoon. The stars were aligned right, it is as if the universe was conspiring to bring me to this place. Funny, I just happened to have a sudden craving for lontong cap go meh. Off I go to find Cikini IV. 

The Original Street Name (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

The old skinny grandma greeted us in her weak little voice. Took the effort to get up from her station, brought the menu and asked what we would like to eat. I have a sense she's been around on that chair for years, if not from the very beginning when they put the original store sign. Yes, this joint has celebrated its 50th anniversary years ago. You can imagine the amount of nostalgic story Jakartans can relate to here. 

As for me, it was my first encounter, and I must admit it was a pleasant one. 

Halfway in preparation. (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

A plateful of Legendary Lontong Cap Go Meh - IDR35K (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

The lontong was everything I ever expected of. Rich sayur lodeh, flavorful tempe orek, juicy chicken breast, spicy telor pindang, and beef empal. Generous toppings for IDR 35k. 

The only setback for me was the broth which I personally think could be a bit more thicker and creamier. I guess I can blame the rise of gas price for their attempt to cut cost and therefore bet on the somewhat more inferior broth. The rest of the plate was delightful. Still funny to have acar hidden underneath the pile of food. And the irony is no matter how hard I tried to run, I eventually came across eggs and tempe orek again here. You two just love me that much, eh? That's okay. I have enough love for everybody. 

Lessons Learned

A well attempted variety killer I must conclude. I guess it is necessary to go out of the monotonous day-to-day activities once in a while. I personally think routine is counterproductive to creativity. We need a bolt of newness, a dash of salt if you always have sweet, a little rain in a long summer stream. Something to get us off our comfort zone. For me it can be as simple as new food. It allows us to feel again and eventually trigger new things in our synapses, resulting in fresh ideas and many good ripple effects. 

Ah, I'm blabbering. I. Must. Stop. 

Until next food safari,

Fellexandro Ruby 

Food Photographer & Storyteller

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Opor Ayam. Tempe Orek. Lodeh. Empal. Generous (Taken w/ Samsung NX300)

Lontong Cap Go Meh 

Jl. Cikini IV No. 1

Sala Lauak & Pragede Jaguang : Snacking in Padang

We all have our own little 'guilty pleasure' kind of dish. Ignasius Chan (owner of Iggy's Singapore) secret late night indulgent is Ma-Ling canned processed meat. I myself when in doubt, I usually go for Fiesta's Fried Karaage. They are just so good that it keeps you wanting more, and it somehow possess this ability to make you crave after departing from them for a while.

I guess it is what Perkedel Jagung for Dina of Dua Ransel. I could see her eyes glow upon seeing this on the street side of Pasar Atas, Padang. We were around the area of Jam Gadang, and decided to take our own stroll inside the famous market when we met this gerobak parked among the lines delman. 

I was curious with the name, googled it and turns out it is one of the local's specialty. Sala Lauak is said to be part of Pariaman culinary. Another coastal city 50km north of Padang. Sala means fried, while Lauak means fish. When tasted it does has the aroma of salted fish, but not of the flavor, a bit soft but still harder than a perkedel. I reckon it has been modified from the original recipe in Pariaman. 

If I had to choose though, I'd have more of Pragede Jaguang. It was sweet with a strong dominance of corn all over. Crunchy without forgoing the texture of the corn. I imagine dipping it in a homemade sauce or chili, it would be just perfect. 

What's funny around this area is that it is so populated with people and tourist but they seem to be less interested with the history. Upin and Ipin made appearance here along with Sonic The Hedgehog and Mario Bros. Just as with many tourist spot, it has become more of a money-making venture than an attempt to preserve the story. What do they have to do with Jam Gadang? I haven't got a clue. Well, I'm happy at least we could still trace some of the story from the food. 

More Padang & Bukittinggi stories coming. But before that, I'll be leaving for another two weeks trip. I won't be able to write much without my gears. But I make sure I'll come back with heaps of stories and pictures. =)

Keep in touch with my live tweets @Wanderbites as I travel & scour on good food. I won't spill where I'm heading. Stay tuned! 

Brunei Darussalam's Landscapes & Greens (Ep. #2)

Continuing my previous post, I owe it to you guys to share the depths of Brunei.

The first thing I noticed about this country is the little (or almost zero) availability of public transport. You'll be surprised seeing less than a handful taxis wandering around the airport, and I haven't seen even one single bus during my four days stay there. After uncovering more facts from our lovely driver, the answer is that because almost everyone in Brunei owns a car. The exact number is one private car per 2.09 person. That makes Brunei withhold one of the highest car ownership rate in the world. The reason is attributed to the low import taxes and definitely one of the lowest fuel prices in the world, with only 0.35 $ / liter for diesel gas, and 0.53$ / liter for unleaded gas. How convenient does that sound in comparison with the current protest against subsidy cuts in fuel price in Indonesia? I suppose that can only happen in Brunei where there's only 415.000 citizens and the government really manage its resources well.

This phenomenon resulted in more and more curiosity in me. Further discovery leads me to another joy of being a Brunei citizens: rice and housing are all subsidized by the government. Added to that, healthcare is provided by government as well. Healthcare for citizens is charged at 1$B per consultation.

Ain't that lovely?

Indeed. Now what's lovelier are the pictures I'm going to show you. It's funny that when I typed in "places to go in brunei" on Google, there's only 5 places shown even on Lonely Planet website. But we were lucky to have friends who've been to places in Brunei. Some of the highlights are:

Labi with its beautiful landscape, greens, and trees. During our visit there, the water level was on the lowest, which was quite an attraction cause we get to see the living grasses that usually hidden under water. 

Kampung Ayer where you could see the indigenous people who lived practically in houses on water. They make bridges to connect from one island of houses to the other and travel to the land using boats. They even managed to set electricity with poles on the water.

Beach & Woods at Empire Hotel where we were staying. It was probably the most luxurious and complete hotel / villa complex in Brunei. I'm sorry that I couldn't reveal anymore than this as it would spoil the surprise we prepared for the couple I was photographing. In the mean time, this will do to represent.

Jerudong Park where the Sultan keep his breed of horses. I didn't take photos of them though. They fleed as I fired the flash. =p

 
Here is Gadong night market where street hawkers and food vendors are mashed up with the hungry night eaters (read: me!). They practically sell anything here, from clothes, bags, daily groceries, until soft lenses! Credits to Erika for the Gadong photos. It was one of the most fun dinner, we bought a bunch of foods from the traditional 1$ Nasi Katok, Roti Melaya (which is what they call martabak manis), to the finger foods such as Cheese Chili Dog, and a lot more. We brought it back to Empire, our hotel, and bash it together.

I never expect Brunei to be this flavorful. But I guess that's the beauty of travelling. With fresh eyes you see, discover, and experience new things, and hopefully it will trigger fresh thoughts, enlight your soul, and free your mind from clutter. I did. And I hope this post will spark you too.

I've got one more in store. Another food adventure in Brunei. Until then, tune in, smile on.

Will travel for food,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites