Like Padang. Very common across Indonesia, I espied quite a few Masakan Padang (eat padang) signs for small eateries during our countless motorcycle rides to the office. Peculiar about it that the windows of padang eateries always have these dishes all piles up ... a promise of a wide variety of things to eat!
What's so special about Padang restaurants? For starters, you don't have to look at a menu ... great for tourists like me who have no idea what's good to eat in a new place. Serving the dishes is not an easy feat, but here's our waiter bringing in all the dishes with little portions of everything and anything. Imagine, a free acrobatic show before eating (he looks serious here, but with such a natural flair and ease!) These dishes were then spread out on the table, over a dozen dishes, a wonderful sight for hungry tummies ... and then the best part ... everyone digs in! And don't forget the rice and drinks (teh botol or a refreshing fruit shake!).
Padang cuisine is quite spicy and if you are familiar with some Indian dishes, they have a strone influence. Some of the dishes I sampled, and just lived, were curried fish, chili prawns, stewed greens (I think it was kangkong?), curried jackfruit, chili eggplant, curried beef and chicken livers, a sour soup, fried chicken, just to name a few! I couldn't not try the best known Padang dish called rendang, a spicy beef stew. Spicier and saltier than any meat stew I've ever tried.
And of course, the sambals, or a variety of spicy sauces, abound. The best sambal I'd tasted had hints of lemongrass and was more lemony than spicier. So don't let the red chili appearance scare you into not trying!
How do you pay? You pay for whatever you ate. If the dish has distinct pieces of say, chicken, you pay for the number of pieces you've eaten. Or you pay for whatever you've touched.
Truly a feast for the senses! What a great way of eating!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment