WHY The nasi bungkus at Java Spice is a magnificent Indonesian meal, a picnic banquet swathed in fresh-cut banana leaf that looks something like a pregnant shoe box. Inside are generous chunks of coconut-infused chicken, smoldering chile-laced beef rendang, brightly spiced jackfruit curry, chunky fish cake, tofu nuggets and a blazing scarlet sambal-topped egg, all [...]
September 20, 2012 | Posted in
Discoveries |
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WHY Classic Javanese cooking and crisp fried chicken. WHAT The history of Merry Istiowati’s namesake restaurant traces back to her culinary academy in the Indonesian city of Surabaya. Here in a West Covina strip mall, her cooking is indebted to that past. There is, of course, ayam goreng kremesan, Indonesian fried chicken covered in crunchy [...]
April 7, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Indonesian street food in its natural habitat. WHAT Set up in a parking lot behind a Duarte motel, Pondok Kaki Lima is one of L.A.’s brightest beacons of Indonesian cooking. The weekly food fair is a collection of a handful of vendors, most of which specialize in a single dish, even if they serve [...]
February 3, 2012 | Posted in
Discoveries |
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WHY A long-standing source of Indonesian excellence. WHAT The decades-old, family-run Toko Rame touches on what seems like every possible Indonesian entrée, from lightly charred satay and dishes constructed around the glutinous rice cake known as lontong to carefully executed curries and combination plates like nasi bungkus. There are more than 100 options (because Toko [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Come for the wooden shoes, stay for the sambal oelek. WHAT You could come here for the Dutch groceries (cheeses, herrings, pastries) that the name promises, but the bigger draw for many shoppers is the enormous stock of Indonesian foods. Bumbus (spice bases for curries) and chile-based sambals are on display, along with other [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
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WHY Pretend you’re voyaging through Indonesia and order the nasi pecel leme—deep-fried catfish with a dried shrimp-chili sambal. WHAT Indo Kitchen’s nasi campur combination plates, which might include barbecued pork, chicken and a variety of garnishes, are some of the best bargains this side of Jakarta. They’re also delicious, as are the longtong cap goh [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
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