This Bengaluru food festival is the perfect place to savour authentic Indonesian delicacies

Indonesian cuisine might seem simple but in reality, it’s composed of a variety of recipes and cuisines, because of its approximately 6,000 populated islands with more than 1,300 ethnic groups. Therefore, we were very excited to try out the ongoing Indonesian Food Festival: A Culinary Journey to the Heart of the Archipelago. The menu, curated by home chefs Syane Nathalia and Rika Udayani, featured delicacies that showcased Indonesia’s diverse culture and cuisine, offering an opportunity to savour authentic dishes that have been passed down through generations.

We began our dinner with Bakso Ayam (chicken meatball soup). The soup, which was more watery, was lovely for a rainy evening but as we added some sambal to it, the flavours just exploded in our mouths. It made the soup spicier and the occasional bite of the succulent meat balls was like the cherry on top. Next, we savoured the Gado Gado, which was mixed vegetables (beans, cucumber, carrot and tomato) with peanut sauce. This flavourful and sweet delicacy was the perfect salad and appetiser before we moved to the main course. But before the main course, we also savoured Sate Lilit (Balinese minced chicken skewers) and Udang Bakar Saos Madu (sweet honey glazed grilled prawns). The chicken skewers were on point with the flavours and the prawns were fresh and juicy.

Moving on to the main course, we were served Ayam Rendang (slow cooked chicken stew with lemongrass), Tongseng Kambing (Javanese mutton gravy with sweet soy sauce), Woku Fish (Manadi style fish curry) and Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice). The fried rice, which has small pieces of prawns and chicken, went really well with the mutton curry. We loved it so much that we asked for another serving.

We ended our dinner with Kue Lupis (steamed glutinous rice with coconut and jaggery syrup), Kue Putu Ayu (pandan steamed rice with grated coconut) and Kue Pukis & Kue Cubit (Indonesian style teacakes). What we loved about these desserts was that they were not overpoweringly sweet and tasted just right!

INR 1,800 onwards. On till July 28. At La Utsav, Grand Mercure Bengaluru Gopalan Mall, Old Madras Road.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com

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