Java Spice!

Off we went, to the namesake of my wife's birthplace, the large island of Java. Hopefully to find Indonesian food that can curb the cravings of my wife's palette. This review is for Java Spice, in Yes! Plaza in Rowland Heights. Overall it did its job, and the "need" to go to Indonesia just for the food has subsided somewhat. This little restaurant is a clean family owned restaurant, filled on a Saturday night with a mixed crowd of traditional Indonesians, Caucasians and Dutch diners. During our stay there, there even was a line waiting outside. Here is what we had:

Weekend Special: Nasi Bungkus (Wrapped Rice)

Kankung on Sizzling Platter

Ikan Pecel Lele

Pretty much everything we ate was a weekend special. Pricier than we thought it would be, but for an authentic taste of Java, it was pretty good. The Nasi Bungkus essentially is rice, chicken, beef, tofu, an egg, and some semi-spicy sauce wrapped in a banana leaf. Personally, I thought this dish compares to every other similar dish from other places that I have had. It was good, but not anything you can't find at other Indonesian restaurants.

The veggie dish, kankung is ong-choy served in a sauce of garlic and trasi (dried shrimp paste). Also served on this plate were 3 quail eggs and 5-6 medium sized shrimp. Usually one of favorite veggie dishes, this dish was sub-par today, I favor the one at Indo Kitchen in San Gabriel. Maybe not enough shrimp paste in this one? 13.00 for a veggie dish is kind of steep too.

The ikan pecel lele is the dish that brought back my wife to the streets of Java. It is catfish, fried, with ample sweet and spicy chile sauce. A couple of cucumber slices dotted the large mortar. The fish was tasty and not overdone, while the spicy chile sauce made the dish what is is.

Overall, eating at Java Spice was a good experience and one I am sure we will repeat sometime. The service was scattered at times due to the hustle and bustle. The 10 tables or so were waited by two waiters, although only one was technically a waiter. Food was brought our from the kitchen by one of the cooks. The food was tasty and had a bit too much MSG or salt. Since it saved us a trip to Indonesia (at least for the time being), I'd say good value! (despite the 40 dollar price tag for 2).