Indo Kitchen

We have had the first travel post, now it is time for the first taste post. My first taste review is of a cozy little restaurant in Alhambra, Indo Kitchen. My wife always says that this place suits her family well (from Surabaya). I have eaten here before and always enjoyed the spice and specific taste of shrimp paste in most of their dishes. This time, there were quite alot of people coming in and out for lunch on this holiday weekend.

Our first dish:

Squid in Spicy Padang Sauce

This was actually a disappointing dish. It was not as spicy as advertised. The squid was well cooked, however the sauce tasted mostly like watered-down tomato paste.

Our second dish:

Kancun Belacan - Hawaiian watercress in sauce of red peppers, garlic and shrimp paste

This dish never disappoints, this time was no different even though not as spicy as usual. It is a unique taste with spice and shrimp paste creating a pungent aroma. Portion size for a vegetable dish is paltry.

Our third dish:Shrimp with Pete (Indo sator bean)

Ah, the wonders of Pete. Indonesian food is full of "smelly" foods that "at least to them" tastes really good; can you say Durian. Pete is another one of these fruits that the Surabayans love putting in everything. WARNING! This bean usually will make you and all your excrements stink for days to come, kind of like asparagus or large amounts of garlic. The pete today was actually weak (maybe previously frozen). The shrimp are full headed with skin-on, so for those who are queasy about eating shrimps whole, it may be an adventure deshelling and beheading the shrimp.

Our fourth dish:

Deep fried frog legs in butter and thick soy sauce

The artery clogger of our lunch, this was an excellent dish. The frog skin slightly crispy with the meat still juicy, the sauce not overwhelming the main dish. Overall, a very simple dish, yet enjoyable.

Our appetizer:

Martabak Telor

This is egg, red and yellow onions, and capers inside a pastry like exterior baked to a crisp. Even though it was listed as an appetizer, it came very last. The little cup on the side is green chile peppers, cucumbers, radishes and red onions; all pickeled.

The good: Today the frog legs and martabak telor were good. Everything else was on par or sub-par. The price was also good, lunch for the five of us was 40 dollars.

The bad: Except for the martabak telor, the portion sizes were rather small on everything we ate.

Note: This restaurant is a tiny hole in the wall restaurant, with enough room for 25 people max eating at one time.

Overall impression: On a five star rating system, would give it a 3 for this visit.