Savor Indonesia in Laguna

MANILA, Philippines - The restaurant’s name may not be Indonesian, but the food certainly is. John Bamboo at Solenad Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, is the latest addition to Raymond Magdaluyo’s Red Crab group of restaurants.

Owner-partner and executive chef Peter Ayson, who grew up in Indonesia, is ably assisted by Indonesian chef Nur Deslianto who is from Jakarta. “We speak Bahasa. We understand each other, even if no one else in the kitchen does,” Chef Peter says. “My job now is to introduce authentic Indonesian cuisine to Filipinos.”

The 6,000 islands comprising the Indonesian archipelago possess a variety of diverse regional cuisines, informed not only by local culture but also by a number of foreign influences. “It has Dutch, Indian, Chinese, and Malaysian influences. It is multi-cultural. It is a melting pot of flavors,” Chef Peter remarks.

Some like it hot: Green chili sambal paste was rubbed on the tilapia before it was deep fried.

Sate (satay to us) is one of Indonesia’s most popular dishes. At John Bamboo, it is one of the fastest moving. Although it also uses bamboo skewers, “Indonesian sate is not the same as the Filipino barbecue,” Chef Peter explains. The marinade is different, and also the meat, which is usually a mix of lamb, beef, or seafood. There is no pork sate in Indonesia, Chef Peter says. But they have it at John Bamboo, an adaptation to the Filipino taste. “We use local charcoal, which gives more flavor than the gas grill,” Chef Peter says. We were served an all-meat sate sampler as well as mixed seafood sate of fish, squid, and prawns served with peanut sauce. You can get an order of six sticks, 12 or 24, good for sharing.

For beginners, Chef Peter recommends the mie goreng or fried noodles, which is similar to pancit canton, which most Filipinos are familiar with. The noodles are imported from Indonesia. “It is made of 70-percent eggs and 30-percent flour,” Chef Peter explains. “You can feel the texture is different. It is lighter.”

Duck Martens: Bebek goreng dengan sambal or fried duck

Among the dishes we enjoyed most were the Soup Buntut, which is a classic light Indonesian soup with herbs and spices and exquisitely soft and tender chunks of ox tail, as well as the Bebek Panggang Dengan Sambal or grilled duck, which I preferred, although the Bebek

Goreng Dengan Sambal, or fried duck, was also good. The fried tilapia was flavorful. Green chili sambal paste was rubbed on the fish before it was deep fried, Chef Peter shares.

There are 60 dishes listed on the menu, which Chef Peter changes every six months. These are mostly regional dishes that are Balinese, Sumatran, and Javanese. We enjoyed the Balinese Seafood Chowder which was rich and creamy with a hint of cumin, as well as the Javanese grilled chicken wings.

The spicy Beef Rendang was just right for my taste, as well as the Kangkung Tempe with tofu. Chef Peter says they continue to experiment with the dishes in order to get just the right level of spiciness to suit Filipino tastes. To complete the meal, we had two kinds of Nasi Goreng (fried rice), mixed seafood and gila, which, loosely translated, means “crazy,” perhaps referring to the casual combination of rice and bits of meat tossed in.

Indonesian desserts are mostly made out of cake flour and grated coconut. What looked like bread pudding had the slight scent of fresh coconut, with a little bit of spices. It was not too sweet, which was just how I liked it. The Bika Ambon cake was made of eggs, sugar, and coconut milk, while the Kue Pancong was made from flour, coconut, sugar, and salt.

Sate is one of Indonesia’s most popular dishes.

The coolers were refreshing, perfect for the hot summer day.

Not like your usual fruit shakes and juices, the Markisa 7-Up has soda as its main ingredient. The Soda Gimbira is a mix of soda, grenadine, and condensed milk, which suggests the Dutch influence. “Sa kalye lang nga yan nabibili doon, pinaganda ko lang.(You can buy those drinks in the streets of Indonesia, I just upgraded them),” Chef Peter says. “I play around with a lot of street food. They are cheaper, affordable. People can identify with them. They can connect.”

Since John Bamboo opened recently in Nuvali in Laguna, people have been trooping to the casual eating place ideally located right beside Claw Daddy, another popular restaurant by the Red Crab group, and the four-hectare man-made lake where you can feed schools of golden koi or take a relaxing boat ride. “We realized that the people who come here are not only from Sta. Rosa or Tagaytay,” Chef Peter observes. “They also come from Parañaque and Alabang. It’s shorter for them than if they were to go to Ortigas.” Nuvali is about 50 minutes away from Makati, 30 minutes from Alabang, and 15 minutes from the Sta. Rosa exit.

Chef Peter Ayson invites you to John Bamboo Sate House by Red Crab at Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“Try it,” is Chef Peter’s invitation. “Come back. It’s something different. It’s an adventure.” What’s the word I’m looking for? In Tagalog, it’s “masarap.” In Indonesian, it’s “enak.” In any language, it’s good.

* * *

John Bamboo Sate House by Red Crab is located in Solenad Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna with telephone number 861-9563.