The interior of Djoeroe Masak Restaurant on Jalan Veteran 44, Bandung, West Java, is predominately white. From the doors and window frames to the curtains, tables, railings, and some accessories that decorate the wall, all are the color white.
This sparse color scheme creates a spacious, clean, and serene impression. The atmosphere really does reflect the restaurant’s motto of “Eat, Enjoy, and Relax.” Colorful flowers in small pots placed in the restaurant give a very sweet touch, while the warm lighting and soft acoustic melodies in the background fill the room with a romantic atmosphere.
The colonial architecture of Djoeroe Masak Restaurant takes us back in time to a typically old European home. Arni Setyorini, the restaurant’s public relations manager, says the restaurant was designed to make diners feel at home.
“We hope that diners can feel relaxed and enjoy spending a long time here,” she says.
And it’s not just the soothing atmosphere that keeps customers in, the food, a range of Western and Asian, is a quite a treat.
“We want this restaurant to fulfill the various wants of our visitors. There’s steak if they want, and there’s also Sundanese food,” Arni says.
We were excited to choose meals that were marked “DJ” on the menu, meaning chef’s recommendation. Among others we ordered nasi goreng matah (matah fried rice), grilled fresh lemon fish fillet, nasi katumiri, and pumpkin zuppa soup. As for the beverage, we chose ice Kahlua mocha, kedondong juice, and a strawberry tea mocktail.
The grilled fresh lemon fish fillet was definitely one worth trying. The dish was composed of a fillet of dory topped with fresh lemon sauce, with a side of thick-cut potatoes and a vegetable mix of broccoli, beans, and carrot. The fish fillet was medium sized, roughly 15 centimeters in length, and was grilled just perfectly.
The Nasi Katumiri dish was also one of a kind. Katumiri means rainbow in Sundanese and this name reminds us of the recently popularized rainbow cake. The rainbow on this menu refers to the mix of white rice, yellow turmeric rice, and rice served as tumpeng or in the shape of a cone. The sides include chicken, tahu goreng (fried tofu), lawar (spicy shredded vegetables with minced meat), orek tempe, telur pindang (seasoned boiled egg), and sambal terasi (chili with shrimp paste).
But the specialty was actually not its colorful rice, but the very spicy chili sauce, lawar nagka. Lawar is made of young jackfruit and beans that are minced and mixed with spicy flavored grated coconut. It tasted just like the original from Bali.
Like the restaurant’s refreshing atmosphere, Djoroe Masak also pays close attention to how they serve the food. The fried rice for example was served wrapped in a thin fried egg that was sliced and placed across the top. The fried rice itself wassn’t so special, but the chili stood out. The chili sauce is made of onion, garlic, slices of chili, lemongrass, and banana.
We then washed the meal down with the very soothing strawberry tea mocktail, one of Djoroe Masak’s specialties. This refreshing beverage is made with small cuts of fresh fruit and sweetened with a dollop of strawberry syrup. Served in a large jar, the beverage is enough for 2-3 people to share.
The dishes at Djoeroe Masak aren’t as impressive as the interior design, however the cooks make the most of it through their presentation. Prices range from Rp15,000 to 85,000. The restaurant also comes with valet parking, a piano, WiFi, and most of all, a homey atmosphere guaranteed to offer a relaxing and soothing experience.
ISMA SAVITRI