Indonesia is a country immensely rich with culinary wealth, with each of its province having a distinctively different culinary traits and gems that most times, undiscovered and unknown by many. And how many have we seen being promoted to the best level of restaurant business in the country’s capital city, much less the world?
This understanding is one of the main drive that fueled the conception of 1953, a new Indonesian restaurant that makes use of a beautiful mansion in the intersection of the elite Panglima Polim/Wijaya neighborhood that was built in 1953 for a Dutch company, N.V Rathkamp & Co. The house makes a fine backdrop for their mission of offering conviviality and Indonesian comfort food to the Jakarta socialites.
The interior is elegant yet starkly eclectic. Breaking the cliche, there is hardly any trace of traditional Indonesian elements in the decor. But this is not to be mistaken for snobbery; From its Jepara chairs and dinner tables, its beautiful Semarang made dinner wares, to the classic tegel or manually colored tiles donning its floors and walls, but 1953 is unmistakably Indonesian.
As with the food it represents. “No food. No Revolution. Simply Indonesian” so it says in the restaurant’s colorful menu. Using only local ingredients, you will see simple Indonesian favourites like nasi goreng, soto, sate, and nasi dishes, with just slight twist here and there, and always with beautiful presentation. There’s also the more swanky dinner menu, that only differs in portion and not in types of food offered.
For starters, I was served with the manadonese classic papaya flower salad, served in a deep fried wonton bowl and a bed of deep fried noodles. The papaya flowers are naturally bitter, so if it’s too much for you, it’s better to have something else to eat it with, like the second dish I try: the Sate Maranggi, a version of beef skewers or sate from Purwakarta, which meat has been marinated in coconut sugar and other spices, making it sweet and flavorful. A pleasantly tender meat, served with uli or glutinous rice cakes, sambal kecap manis, and pickles.
I also tried their version of nasi goreng, Indonesia’s ultimate ‘comfort food’, and this time I chose the Nasi Goreng Kluwek. Fermented Kluwek or Kepayang fruit in Malaysia, is the main ingredient used in some iconic Indonesian dishes like rawon that gives a distinct taste and murky black color. Incorporated to nasi goreng, the taste is equally unique. Served with the traditional pairing of fried egg, pickles, and kerupuk, no Indonesians will say no to this dish.
For the drinks, 1953 serves a variety of Indonesian-inspired cocktails, a growing wine selection and simple yet hard to find drinks like tamarind juice and also kedondong or ambarella juice that are both unique and truly refreshing.
With a capacity of 100 seats, 3 private rooms for 10 seats each, a multi purpose function room that could fit 50 diners, “ 1953” belongs to a new generation of Indonesian restaurant who do not lies on the past clichés but would rather dream about a future where Indonesian chefs will mingle around tables and open up their recipe to the diners.
Jl. Panglima Polim 3 (panglima Polim 9), South Jakarta
Phone: (021) 7241953
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