Wednesday, 2022-11-16
Last Monday, November 14th, our eldest daughter returned from Canada with her boyfriend for a 3-week holiday. The last time she came back was in 2015. She flew on the 10th from Canada and had a stopover in Singapore for the weekend before coming to Jakarta. Her flight arrived on Monday morning at around 10:45, and it took approximately 1 hour to clear customs and immigration. By the time we got out of the airport, it was already past 11:45 and almost lunchtime. She had a craving for fish head curry and I could not think of a better place than Pondok Laguna.
Waited for about 1 hour to pick up my daughter & her boyfriend at the airport.
Happy and excited to finally see her!
Pondok Laguna is located in central Jakarta and is one of the renowned old restos that has been in business since 1987. This resto serves Indonesian food in Sundanese style and is famous for its fresh seafood. It has a large open-air dining area on the ground floor that could easily seat hundreds of people. If you can't stand the heat and humidity of Jakarta's weather, then you can opt for an air-conditioned room on the second floor. The resto is always busy and packed during lunchtime and dinnertime.
When we arrived at Pondok Laguna it was almost 13:00 and the place was still busy. We had to park a bit further down the road.
An open-air dining area on the ground floor, hot and humid yet still become the first choice instead of a fully air-conditioned room on the 2nd floor.
My daughter and her boyfriend did not plan to have a big lunch as they had already had breakfast at the airport before boarding and another meal during the flight. We only ordered 4 dishes, namely: fish head curry, salted egg yolk prawn, stir-fried water spinach (kangkoong), stuffed (prawn) deep-fried tofu as a starter, shrimp paste sambal (chili), and fresh coconut drinks. Our orders came within 15 minutes despite the place being crowded.
The fresh coconut drinks came first. No need to add sugar as the coconut water tasted naturally sweet already. Add a squeeze of lime and throw in some ice cubes. Very refreshing!
Fish Head Curry – Even though I had not been back to this resto for more than 5 years, the fish head curry still tasted the same if not better. The fish head (white snapper) curry is simply one of the best and favorite menus here! The curry is savory, sweet, and salty at the same time, and it's not overwhelming. The fish head had been cleaned thoroughly and properly. There were no fishy taste or smell and the meat was plenty, soft and tender. The curry tasted great even only with rice!
Tahu Kipas – Fried tofu stuffed with bean sprouts, carrots, and prawns is all time favorite starters. Almost every table had an order of this dish as we walked past tables to our seating.
Salted Egg Yolk Prawn – This dish was ordered by my daughter's boyfriend. Anything cooked with salted egg yolk was not my first choice but I have to admit it was very tasty and good. My wife loved it so much.
Stir-Fried Kangkoong – (water spinach) with shrimp paste is one of the most common and popular menus. It can be found in every resto and food stall here. This dish is seasonal, quite rare, and expensive in Chinese restos in western countries. I remember ordering the same dish at a Chinese restaurant in Canada and it cost CAD 15.
Sambal Terasi – is an Indonesian chili sauce made from a mix of chilies, shallots, garlic, tomato, palm sugar, and terasi. Terasi (shrimp paste) is a block of fermented small shrimps, dark chocolate in color, very sticky and pungent.
Before and After – we did a pretty good job finishing our meal!
The whole meal cost around USD 38, reasonable price, and most importantly, tasted excellent. Pondok Laguna is an old-school restaurant that has always been one of my favorite restos. When I want to introduce Indonesian cuisine to my foreign friends or guests, I always take them here. It never fails me. It has a nice atmosphere, perfect for family or office gatherings. The food quality and taste are excellent, friendly waiters and the service is prompt. You sweat as you dine, and you still love every minute of it.
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A baby boomer who's trying to embrace and adapt to the new digital world. Worked for over 30 years in the IT industry before retiring and now run an online vegetable delivery and hydroponics equipment business. Enjoy traveling, cooking, writing, playing pool, and all IT-related stuff. You're always welcome to leave a comment or feedback, and an upvote or reblog is also greatly appreciated. |
