Bandung eats - Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe Pt 2

Continue from the previous post, which highlight pictures of the surroundings at Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe.

Now it's time to talk about the food! Yeay.

Menu


Menu - Western fare

Hmmm… Western fare, anyone…?


Menu - more Western fare

It's weird that a place brimming with Sundanese culture and nature actually offer even pastas and pizzas.

Guess they have to accommodate the guest that also came in from all over the world…

Menu - drinks/beverages

You see the 2 drinks named, 'Bandrek' & 'Bajigur'? These hot and sweet beverages are unique to Sundanese cuisine and mostly found in Bandung area only. They are consumed mostly by folks living in the colder, mountainous regions; to warm themselves up.

'Bandrek' is usually made with ginger plus an array of other spices that can make even curries blush. Things like cinnamon, star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, lemongrass, palm sugar and sometimes, even a small amount of chillies are also added.

It's also optional to add milk, be it coconut or sweetened coconut milk. And even stranger- pieces of coconut flesh!

'Bajigur', meanwhile, is a much simpler drink made of coconut milk, pandan leaves and 'gula Aren' (a type of palm sugar). Sometimes, they add ginger, salt and even coffee powder.

Myself meanwhile, ordered a cup of ginger tea. I think I had too much 'accumulated wind' (flatulence), that time. That's why I fell sick.

'Kerak telur' vendor

This is how street-side food vendors sell their food. They put the horizontal bamboo pole on their shoulder, moving from one place to another, hawking their fare.

There are other similar 'food vendors' selling stuff like sweets and cakes, all made on the spot, just like how it is on the streets..

'Kerak telur'

Literally translate to 'egg crust'. Maybe because this omelette turns out crispy when cooked.

This is a traditional Betawi dish, where glutinous rice is cooked with egg and then served with 'serundeng' (fried, spicy dessicated coconut), fried shallots and dried shrimp topping.

This came piping hot. On that rainy day, this tasted very, very nice! We packed some and had it for breakfast the next day. Not that good already.

Soto Madura

A definite comfort food, especially for me. With the cool, wet weather outside our hut/bale, my queasy belly totally appreciate this heart-warming dish of piping hot, Indonesian beef soup, which also had diced tomato and shredded cabbage inside.

We also ordered 'Rawon' (not pictured). Originating from Surabaya in East Java; this is a rich, beef soup that's flavoured and coloured black by 'keluak' (black nuts from the 'Kepayang' tree).

Rice set for the soup

The soup came in a set with this white rice, 'sambal terasi ijo' (green chilli with prawn paste) and prawn cracker that comes nicely sealed (for hygiene and freshness).

Batagor

That's short for 'Bakso Tahu Goreng', a popular Sundanese dish where fried fish dumplings are served with peanut sauce.

Nasi goreng Kampung Daun

For a dish that's their namesake, I had expected more from this dish. It seemed that my hubby, who ordered this, felt the same way too.

This is a plate of slightly spicy fried rice, topped with a fried sunny-side up egg with fresh 'lalab' (salad), 'emping melinjo' and a few sticks of chicken 'sate' on the side.

Ayam bakar

There's the 'ayam bakar' (grilled marinated chicken) set that comes with 'sambal terasi' and white rice.

Ikan Gurame goreng

Ikan Gurame (gouramis) is pretty iconic in Sundanese cuisine. It's usually 'butterflied' before being deep-friend, hence the appearance like it's dancing. And because it can stand on its own, it's sometime referred to as 'ikan berdiri' (standing fish).

The whole fish is so crispy and since the bones has been deep-fried as well, all parts are consumable.

Ikan mas goreng

Okay, 'ikan Mas' may literally translate to be 'goldfish' but it wasn't exactly that. It's actually species of the carp fish that is one of the type of freshwater fish popular in Sundanese cuisine.

Unlike the fancy 'Gurame', this one here is deep-fried simply. The bones are generally bigger so only the meat is consumed.

Tucking in

Oh, omelette was also ordered, to cater for the kids' preference.

And that finally sums up my 'Bandung Eats' series. Hope you enjoyed reading on this culinary journey just as much as I enjoyed writing and sourcing info about them.

Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe
Jl Sersan Bajuri Km 4,
7 No. 88, Cihideung,
Bandung, Indonesia

Bandung eats - Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe Pt 1

On Day 4 of our Bandung trip, we took a trip up to Puncak, the mountain pass located between Jakarta and Bandung city.

To read on our visit to Tangkuban Parahu, click HERE.

To read on our visit to Ciater Hot Springs, click HERE.

After Ciater, we head down for Cihideung, to Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe. It's supposed theme is simply (Sundanese) culture and nature. Another one located at Lembang is Kampung Sapu Lidi, where one can dine amongst the paddy fields (like in Bali).

Kampung Daun is located next to another famous 'themed' village, the relatively new Kampung Gajah. Here, there are many outdoor activity facilities for kids and adults alike. Not sure for much smaller kids, though.

Entrance

We came right after it just rained so the air felt rather cool and 'fresh'. What with all the surrounding greenery. Kampung Daun is located within a small valley, that's why the lush vegetation is all around…


Checking out the cultural display

Walking past the cultural gallery

We came on weekday, a little after lunch hour so this place was quite empty.

You can see in the background on the left, is a large area with a more communal seating.

Very 'festive' feeling

Walking further into the grounds.

Lush greenery

Finally reached where the dining huts/bales are located.

Staff going about doing their jobs

All the staff members were dressed in traditional Sundanese garb. Different levels wore different types of clothes.

Individual hut/bale

Right opposite us was this stand-alone hut/bale which can only accommodate up to maybe 6 pax. Just too bad, cos' this hut is located right beside the stream that runs through one side of the grounds. There's also a slight waterfall behind it.

Imagine dining amongst such lush greenery, with the subtle sounds of running water in the background…

Oh, a unique system here. See that cylindrical bamboo percussion instrument hanging outside on the right? It's called a 'ketuk' You beat it to get the attention of the staff or call for service.

I find it pretty gimmicky. All the 'ketuks' sound the same. Unless there's a staff stationed near the huts, they wouldn't have known where the sound comes from! We tried and it took more than 10 mins before someone came. And that's because we literally ask them to come over!

Entering our hut

Off with the footwear, before entering!

We were motioned to a hut that can accomodate up to 15 pax. But it isn't standalone as it's a semi-detached 'unit'. Luckily, we don't really have any issues with regards to privacy.

The kids getting comfortable inside…

My niece was the first to 'try out' the low table inside our hut.

…Too comfortable

Soon, she was joined by my kiddo, much to her frustration.

Check that out…!

I don't blame them really. Because it started drizzling outside so everyone stayed in. And the hut/bale was really, really cozy. What with all those cushions…

I didn't hesistate to find myself a nice corner and lie down.

Nice blooms!

Saw this plant flowering all over the mountain terrains. It looks really gorgeous, esp. those plants where almost all the flowers bloomed together. I did some research: it's called 'Brugmansia'. Google it!

Was told this place can get really packed on weekends such that all huts/bales and even the 'warung' (more communal eating areas) seating will be occupied. This is because the Jakarta folks love to come up to this area to wind down from city life and rest, relax & dine.

Highly recommended to come here. Totally great place to chillax. Some people really slept in those huts after their meal!

And once again, this post has gotten to be a tad picture-heavy, so I'll continue with the food pics in another entry, ya?

Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe
Jl Sersan Bajuri Km 4,
7 No. 88, Cihideung,
Bandung, Indonesia

Bandung eats - Rumah Makan Dago Panyawangan Pt 2

**First and formost, I have to apologise for the poor qualities of the pics. I was busy handling my kid and wrongly chose the wrong mode on my camera dial. Hence, most pics appear to be off-focus and overly saturated. And my poor camera was already spoilt, hence we can't re-view the pics on the LCD screen…**

We chose the 3rd set

Seeing that these packages aren't offered on weekends and holidays, well, we're just glad to be travelling on weekdays.

We added on another 3 sets of grilled fish and chose watermelon juice.

At a little more than SG$6 per head for that much food at an established restaurant, it's quite a steal!


Initially served

We were served this rather not-so-sweet tea and the rice was served in this basket lined with banana leaf. The whole set-up was completed with a carved, wooden scoop.

Lalab

Mention Sundanese food and this will come to mind. A platter of raw greens which include the likes of cabbage, lettuce, basil (kemangi), tomato and mini cucumbers (timun lalab/padang).

I really look forward to this and will 'attack' those greens with gusto. Refreshing… satisfying!

Sambal terasi

Or as the Malays will call, "Sambal belacan" (chillies grounded with shrimp paste).  An accompaniment for the 'Lalab', actually.

As you can see, there's a rim of oil around the sambal. Unlike the Malays, Javanese folks actually fry their ingredients a bit before they make it into this chilli paste (sambal). And they also add tomato.

Aside from this 'sambal terasi', we were also served 'sambal kecap' (sweet soy sauce with chopped birds-eye chillies and shallots).

Pepes Oncom

'Oncom' is a by-product from the production of other foods that's almost similar to the popular 'tempe'. It is usually derived after the processing of either soybeans (tofu), peanut, tapioca or even coconut products.

There are 2 variations of 'oncom', namely the red and black. The difference is due to the type of product and bacteria (yeast) used to ferment it. I asked my domestic helper, who's a big fan of 'oncom' and she told me that the red one taste better and has better texture.

'Pepes', meanwhile is where a food item is packed in banana leaf with spices and then cooked by either steaming, boiling or grilling. Also known as, 'Pais'.

Pepes tahu

This one has cubes of tofu that appeared freshly made. Soft, yet spingy.

Both the Pepes Oncom & Tahu were steamed with spices that tastes slightly different and compliment both ingredients nicely. Both taste really good with piping hot, fluffy white rice.

Mixing some 'oncom' into the rice reminds me of 'Nasi Tutug', somehow. Another Sundanese speciality  where rice is mixed with 'oncom'.

Tumis kangkung

Unlike our popular 'sambal kangkong', here it's stir-fried simply with only a hint of chilli.

Karedok

I should have flipped over, one of those 'emping melinjo' (crackers made from 'melinjo/belinjau' nuts) over so that you can see what this dish is all about. Another Sundanese food icon, it's almost similar to the 'Gado-gado' that we're more familiar with, save that the veggies here are mainly raw.

Unlike the 'gado'-gado' which has blanched veggies, boiled potato and bite-sized pieces of fried tofu & tempe, 'karedok' had raw sliced/chopped veggies like cabbage, bean sprout, long beans, basil and eggplant (usually 'terung pipit').

The peanut sauce is similar to 'gado-gado', with a strong hint of 'kencur' (aromatic ginger).

Sate ayam & Ayam goreng

Ten sticks of chicken sate (satay) were served on a hotplate and the accompanying sauce was slightly different that what we're used to. One thing is that it's kinda sweet. Maybe attributed by that sweet soy sauce they drizzle on top...

The sate itself... wow! It's just so delish! Kiddo alone had 3 sticks, I think.

Here in SG, I get my Indonesian-style satay/sate fix from Waroeng Penyet. Soo nice..(and expensive)!

The fried chicken comes in large pieces and is marinated simply, if marinated at all. But they're a hit with the kids.

Ikan Baronang bakar

'Baronang' is a type of saltwater (sea) fish that's popular in Central Java region. It's also known as 'rabbit fish'.

Here, the fish is butterflied and then grilled, before being slathered with this delightful tangy, spicy sauce. My BiL was so crazy about this dish that he went around to see if there were any left-overs from the other side of the table.

Sup sayur Asem

Yet another Sundanese food icon. Sour, salty, spicy and slightly sweet soup consisting of an array of vegetables like 'labu Siam' (chayote), 'daun melinjo', cabbange, long beans, corn (both baby & sweet corn) plus nuts like groundnuts and whole 'melinjo' nuts.

My MiL complained that the soup is 'too sweet', unlike the normally sour-spicy-salty type that she normally cooked. I told her that Sundanese food has always been a wee bit sweet. She then decide that she dislike Sundanese food in general. "Already so sweet, still serve 'kecap manis'!"

Haha. And you know the irony? My MiL, she's Javanese. Born and bred there till she's a teen. But she married and man who's a descendant of the Minang region and she got so used to preparing food that suit his tastebuds.

Fresh mangoes

A sweet end to our meal. That plate above? Those cubes come from only 1 mango.

These mangoes were not part of the package. There were on display up front, near the entrance. Seems like it's a breed from those 'high-end cultivars'. Somewhere along the line of the famous 'Alphonso' mangoes.

The mango flesh was thick, very sweet and only slightly sour. Definitely juicy.

And yes, a bit pricey. :P

So there's our experience, dining at an established Sundanese restaurant. It's almost a must to try dining at one when in Bandung. It's just like how you must try eating 'tom yam' when in Thailand.

Next up will be this delightful experience of dining at the famous Kampung Daun Restaurant. Coming soon.. I hope!

Bandung eats - Rumah Makan Dago Panyawangan Pt 1

For Day 3, we went to Trans Studio Mall & Theme Park. Click HERE to view.

After Trans Studio, we ventured around Dago area and partake in a 'must-do' while in Bandung-- shopping. At their numerous factory outlets, especially.

Come evening time, we eventually settled down to have our dinner at Sundanese restaurant that my BiL patronised before and liked. FYI, Bandung is like, THE place to get Sundanese food. Even the Jakarta folks drove up here over the weekend to eat (hence the traffic jams)!

Sundanese restaurants are almost everywhere, here. Sunda is a region in West Java and their cuisine is easily defined as 'fresh, simple and clear taste'. In my own words, the food is more often than not; sweet.

Famous Indonesian restaurants in Singapore that serve Sundanese cuisine are Gurame, Desa Kartika and of course House of Sundanese.

Rumah makan Dago Panyawangan is located right smack where the fashion outlets and hotels are located. Yes, a tad 'touristy' but we are after all, tourists, aren't we?

First and formost, I have to apologise for the poor qualities of the pics. I was busy handling my kid and wrongly chose the wrong mode on my camera dial. Hence, most pics appear to be off-focus and overly saturated. And my poor camera was already spoilt, hence we can't re-view the pics on the LCD screen. Pfft.

The menu

'Ayam kangkang'

My BiL was laughing away when he saw this pic. "Poor chicken! The legs in a split like that!"

Ok, ok… 'Ayam Serundeng' appear to be a dish of fried chicken that's served with crispy, fried spices that are in shredded form. The spices are made of (usually) shallot, garlic, cumin, galangal, bay leaf, lemongrass, tamarind and dessicated coconut. The large or leafy items had to be thinly sliced or chopped up so that they will turn crispy when fried and then served with the fried chicken.

I've had this dish numerous times, be it in Sundanese restaurants here or even home-made by my Indonesian relatives. It's awesome..!

Water feature

Bridge

The restaurant is huge and has many sections. There's a sizable dining area up front, close to the entrance. I think that section is meant for smaller clusters of diners. Pretty cosy.

Then there's a fish pond in the middle and we need to cross a bridge to get to another bigger dining hall (where the kitchen also is).

Dining hall

Our long table


Seems like this is where they accomodate large groups (tour entourage, perhaps?) Rows after rows of long tables. We dined in this section.

Hmm... I think I need to separate the food pics into another post. Coming soon!

Rumah Makan Dago Panyawangan

Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 137
Cibeunying, Bandung - 40132

Bandung eats - Authentic Nasi Padang

For my itinerary in Bandung, I update about our activities at my 'Mummy blog' because I meant to focus on how my Kiddo spent his holiday.

For our Day 2 in Bandung, we went to Taman Safari Indonesia in Cisarua, Bogor. Click HERE to view.

On our way up there, we asked our tour driver to stop by a Nasi/Masakan Padang restaurant for either lunch or dinner. He stopped at this restaurant.

For those of you who wonders what 'Masakan Padang' is all about, you can go HERE to enrich yourself. Considering that my FiL is of 'Minang' (short for Minangkabau, a region in Sumatra) descent, I can sense his enthusiasm when we stepped in here.


masakan Padang restaurant

This restaurant does 'hidang' (serve) style service. We simply sit down and they will soon serve the 'kobokan'- a bowl of water with a slice of lime, to wash our hands (there's always the sink, too). Later on, there will be a flurry of movements as numerous plates of dishes were served on the table. No, we didn't choose. They just serve what's available for that day. For our group of 13, three sets were served.

Well, you can also walk up to the display counter to choose other preferred dishes that wasn't served. The thing here is that they charge whatever plate that was 'touched' or eaten from. So if there are dishes that you don't fancy, just put them aside and ignore.

MiL observing the plates of food served

Everyone was served with either hot or cold tea.

My MiL keenly observed the food and smiled. She was trained to cook such dishes by her own MiL so she's pretty well-versed in cooking them.

I need to mention that the term 'Gulai' will appear quite frequently in this post. It is actually food items cooked in savoury and spicy coconut milk gravy

Ok, I specially enlarge this pic because I want to mention dishes that didn't appear in the other pictures. On of them is my favourite dish!

There's the 'Gulai telur' on the topmost-right. Hard-boiled eggs in 'Gulai'. Right below it (geez, I wish it can be clearer!) is my favourite: 'Gulai Tunjang'. Cow's foot tendons in gulai. The texture of those tendons… gosh! Sinewy, chewy, crunchy… Awesome!!!

And given the size of those pieces on tendons, that must have come from a pretty large cattle! Totally reminded me of those 'soaked' cuttlefish used to make Cuttlefish kangkong.

Sambal balado

For a start, how can we forget the all-important 'sambal balado', the icon of Minangkabau cuisine? A meal at a Nasi Padang eatery is never complete without this.

That day we had the 'green version', where green (instead of red) chillies are blended together with garlic, shallot, red or green tomato, salt and lemon/lime juice, then sautéed with oil.

This was available at my home almost everyday because it's a must for my FiL to eat with this.

MiL observing the plates of food served

'Pucuk ubi rebus' (boiled tapioca shoots). A wee bit bitter but goes really well with the given 'sambal balado'.

Another veggie dish in the background is the large slices of fried eggplant. Also meant to be eaten with 'sambal balado'.

Oh, you can see a sneak peek of my favourite 'Gulai Tunjang' underneath that plate of sambal balado there, on it's right. The thick tendons all curled up.

Meats

(clockwise from top-left) Deep-fried 'Ikan bilis tamban' (some anchovy-like herring), the very famous beef rendang, fried chicken and … guess what that lump of meat is…?

…
…

It's … 'Gulai Cancang'. Offals or internal organs of the cow; like liver, spleen etc and tied together with the intestine.

Other dishes

(clockwise from top-left) The fried eggplant, bergedil/perkedel (fried potato patty), 'Ayam Kalio' (chicken cooked in gravy that's almost similar to rendang but more watery and lighter coloured).

The lump of meat on the bottom-left is the… cow's BRAIN. Erk??!

That's how much the Minang people love their cattle meat. Almost every bit is used in their cooking. it's really quite an experience, having authentic Padang fare.

Truth to be told, I'd rather eat at those Nasi Padang eateries which we were more used to; by ordering/choosing OUR OWN choice of dishes. Ho hum…