One of the irritations of eating international cuisine in Taipei is that it generally has the same underlying flavor as local foods. The oil used in the preparation of the dish doesn't seem to vary, the ingredients are all local and the cooks, though capable, create a meal that is labeled differently but may as well have come from the same kitchen.
It was therefore something of an "ah-ha experience" when I sampled the nasi goreng at Pondok Mutiara Restaurant. Not unlike Proust and his madeleine, I was transported back in time and a couple of thousand of kilometers away to Indonesia, where I first enjoyed the dish. It had an authentic taste. It may have been just refried rice, onion, garlic, chili and soy sauce, with the addition of shrimp paste, a lightly fried egg, some cucumber slices and prawn crackers on top -- but it didn't taste like Chinese food.
It obviously helps that Diana Lu Chang (張盧鵬英) was originally from Indonesia (albeit 45 years ago) and still has ties with the country. She started her family-run restaurant 27 years ago and it has been at its present address on Fuxing North Road for over 10 years. Chang has become something of a celebrity and is often invited to demonstrate her culinary skills on Formosa TV.
PHOTO: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES
We sampled one of the set meals and added some dishes, which gave us a range of flavors: from the coconut curried chicken; to the Holland spring rolls of chicken, butter and mustard, wrapped in a thin wheat flour pastry; to the uniquely Indonesian shrimp paste-flavored vegetables; and the condensed milk, ice and sweets confection that came at the end. Chang recommended the curry fish heads, for the brave, and rendang sapi, a spicy beef dish in coconut and chili sauce.
We were full but a meal would not be complete, she said, without sampling the homemade thousand-layer cake and some Javanese coffee. She was right. The coffee was strong, dark and full of character. The cake was delicious, light, honeyed and satisfying. We were told that there were, in fact, only 18 layers. Further research found that it is quite an art to contrive a genuine thousand-layer cake (it is made of flour, yeast, sugar, lard and red dates, steamed, rolled and folded) and that it was originally a Chinese recipe. Boxes of the cake are sold on the premises as the "authentic taste of the Dutch royal family."
Some restaurant critics would take issue with the decor. They might say the place had an antiquated feel, that the lighting and general appearance were uncoordinated. Such comments put style before substance and are incidental to the food and the enjoyment of "authentic" cuisine.
Selamat Makan (enjoy your meal).
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