As I have seen, there are only a few South-East Asian Dining (especially Indonesian food) around Kyoto; of course I would be really delighted when I actually find one. I would suddenly feel nostalgic and was attracted to go in and eat. It happens all the time; it's not that I hate Japanese food or something, but hey, I also have this feeling called 'homesick' sometimes...
This actually takes me back to summer; where the weather is humid and hot in the afternoon, cool and breezy at night. Strolling down the streets with pleasant feeling, to love and to be loved...
My boyfriend and I was discussing on where shall we celebrate our first year anniversary of being a couple, and we remembered of this certain restaurant around Karasuma, which is called Alam Bali.
It is an Indonesian cuisine restaurant run by local Japanese people, and the current owner is the second one. Our good friend is actually working part-time in this settlement so that is pretty much how we knew about it.
The ambience inside really makes you feel like you are in Bali, and as an Indonesian, it successfully took my soul home, even just for a moment.
We started off with some complimentary appetizer, or 漬物 (tsukemono), as Japanese people would say, it was these lovely Pickled Oysters.
a portion for two
I could say that whoever is going to be my partner is going to be fortunate since I do not really eat meat. You could say I am a half vegetarian.. So I gave my portion away to my boyfriend and he willingly accepts it and ate it happily. Lucky him. Oh, and how was the taste? "Fantastic".
Look at how colorful and pretty it is! Appetizing? Yes please!
Alam Bali's Tahu Gejrot.
Next we have this Alam Bali's Tahu Gejrot. It is a deep-fried tofu dish, then semi-broiled with special sweet tangy sauce. I can feel the sweetness of palm sugar and tamarind in every sip and every bite I took. It was heavenly.
Fried Calamari for the boyfriend. "Crunchy, tangy, spicy. Calamari enough."
Then came our Main Dishes!
Ketoprak (Noodles and vegetable in peanut sauce)
This one does not have the Indonesian taste.. either some key spices or ingredients are missing or maybe the noodle's taste is different. However, one thing for sure is they forgot to put enough peanut sauce and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) for us to really enjoy our homeland tastes. When I mentioned it to my friend, who is working that night, he took our plate and gladly gave us extra sauce. Then the taste unexpectedly improved. Yay!
Alam Bali's Perkedel
A Perkedel is made mainly from potatoes, and basically you can put any toppings in it and later deep-fry it until it is golden brown. It is a local delicacy, and every children in Indonesia grew up knewing it. It is similar as the Japanese's コロッケ / Korokke. The Alam Bali's Perkedel is quite a unique combination of taste between Indonesian and Japanese flavor, and the taste is certainly not disappointing.
oh hai gorgeous.
Banana Millefeuille Pie
My main principle in dining is, "there is always room for dessert", and we both wanted something sweet to end our lovely experience tonight. The chef suggested on this menu and he was right - we LOVED it. The sweetness of vanilla ice cream, topped with coffee powder, melts instantly with the banana pie's heat, and it synchronises harmoniously. It was a very modern dessert, yet overwhelming with nostalgia.
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Well that was nostalgic. I loved the whole dining experience here and personally would love to come and visit them again!If you are interested please do pay them a visit! (There is also a spa and relaxation centre on the second floor!)
日本
〒604-8173 京都府京都市 中京区柿本町406 1F
+81 75-211-1171
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Alam Bali's Official Site
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All pictures are taken and submitted by myself.
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