Feel like discovering Indonesia? Head to Djakarta Bali for a taste of refined exotic cuisine, in the quiet of a little street in Paris's 1st arrondissement.
Just walk through the doors of this Asian restaurant and forget the hustle and bustle of Parisian life. We're cut off from the world, intoxicated by the scent of jasmine incense. Heavy velvet curtains hide the large windows, giving the place a subdued ambience. A complete change of scenery.
The cuisine here is lovingly prepared with respect for products and traditions. Everything here is homemade, right down to the shrimp chips. Since 1984, the Hanafi family (political refugees in France) have been welcoming the curious and the Indonesian to their traditional restaurant, , a veritable Indonesian embassy!
As if in a dream, you're guided to your table. You'll feel as if you're in a temple, soothed. Order a Sumatra tea with fresh ginger, one of the house specialties. The charm of Djakarta Bali is at work.
Djakarta Bali 's menu features a wide range of traditional Indonesian dishes, served in tasting portions to discover a multitude of flavors that reflect Indonesia's cultural melting pot.
Want to discover it all? Let yourself be tempted by the Rijsttafel Bandung menu, which includes Soto Ayam soup (chicken and Indonesian herbs with a little vermicelli), Lumpia (fried roll with shrimp and very lightly spiced vegetables), Sate Ayam (chicken brochettes topped with a soy and peanut sauce that will leave you speechless), Rendang Daging (beef simmered for eight hours in a sauce combining various spices and coconut milk), accompanied by vegetables in a sweet-and-sour sauce, sautéed vermicelli and fragrant white rice served in a basket lined with banana leaves, which can be sprinkled with homemade toasted coconut - a process that takes no less than three hours!
The chef's specialty is nasi goreng special, Indonesian-style stir-fried rice with saté ayam (you've got to try it at least once in your life). But if you prefer the flavours of the sea, Djakarta-Bali offers prawns steamed in a banana leaf(pepes udong), a delight to savour with rice.
The result is a rich and complex cuisine. Each dish is distinguished by a skilfully measured blend of spices that explode in the mouth thanks to long cooking times.
Save room for the tasty, light Indonesian desserts, such as Dadar Gulung, a Balinese pancake flavored with coconut, or the Kolak cup made with banana, jackfruit and palm fruit in coconut milk!
After this touch of sweetness, we end this exotic rendezvous with a cup of coffee. You can sample the finesse of Kopi Tubruk or the power of ginger-flavored Kopi Jahé.
Following in his parents' footsteps, Nin Hanafi (the owner of the place) continues to visit the islands of Indonesia to promote Indonesian culture in Paris and inspire Parisians to travel to one of the 13,000 islands, each with its own culture. In fact, every Friday evening, dinner is accompanied by a Balinese dance performance.
Does this sound like something you'd like to try? Djakarta-Bali has launched its food-to-go offer, with tasty platters!
Register
Dates and Opening Time
Starts December 10, 2024
Location
Djakarta Bali
9, rue Vauvilliers
75001 Paris 1
Official website
www.djakarta-bali.com