Now it's time to talk about the food! Yeay.
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…
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.
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..
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.
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).
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.
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.
There's the 'ayam bakar' (grilled marinated chicken) set that comes with 'sambal terasi' and white rice.
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.
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.
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
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