IO, Jakarta – The amount of culture owned by Indonesia gives its own color to the world of culinary in Indonesia. In every region from Sabang to Merauke they have special characteristics in giving flavor to food. One of them is the food of Aceh, Sumatra. Many people identify with the typical culinary dishes of Aceh such as the popular Aceh noodles, chicken catching, or Gayo coffee. Arguably, only very few people in the capital deeply know about the culinary heritage of the Earth Veranda of Mecca. If you are interested to know more regarding the specialties of Aceh, occasionally try to stop by for a casual dining in the SCBD, South Jakarta called The Atjeh Connection. Although, the size of the restaurant is not so great, but the restaurant is apparently hiding the wealth of flavors that Jakarta citizens have not widely explored.
Here you will be served a series of traditional menus unique to Aceh. Ranging from snacks, main meals, up to typical drinks are served in a modern way to pamper the culinary connoisseurs in the archipelago. Instead of ordering mainstream menu like Aceh or chicken noodle fishing, try a snack of various specific menus such as oysters cook Aceh Aceh, keumamah (wooden fish), crabs jamaica, vegetable rice, savory rice, or rice duck Aceh.
The menu of savory rice, for example, is slightly different to most coconut rice familiar to Java. Although, similar and equally cooked with coconut milk, savory rice ala Aceh has a taste that is more strong than liwet rice, uduk, or lemak. Additional local spices and fried onions make this savory rice of Aceh as the name suggests; very tasteful. Moreover, the presentation comes with Balado eggs, rendang typical of Aceh, sauteed tauco, tempeh Orek, and crackers.
This restaurant is bringing distinctive tastes of Aceh which tends to be more ‘spicy’ dishes rather than Javanese food. In addition to the typical variety of main meals, The Atjeh Connection offers a unique range of snack menu. Starting from Aceh typical fried bread, cakes ade, timpan cake, durian Pulot, bakpia Sabang, until bread ari, and Linca alias sweet salad.
Ade cake has the shape, texture, and taste sweet like typical Java blend mud cake and pastry specialties bingka Pontianak. Meanwhile, the durian Pulot also known by the people in Java as durian sticky rice. Meanwhile, ari bread is steamed bread mixed with milk and butter. On the other hand, bakpia sabang has a unique flavor. Although derived from Sabang, bakpia is very similar to cake pia pia Surabaya and Bali. The texture of her skin a bit more crunchy than bakpia stakes, but the contents are a unique blend of peanuts and green beans.
If you want to taste a cake that is really typical of Aceh, try ordering timpan cake menu. This snack is a type of traditional cake made of glutinous rice containing srikaya and jackfruit. This cake is suitably eaten with warm or Gayo coffee served at gatherings. Other typical cakes are steamed sponge cake or typical BHOI Aceh. This cake is very popular in his native region, and usually eaten by way dipped in coffee or hot tea. In Aceh, this fish-shaped cake is commonly used as an offering for the bride at the wedding.
In closing, it feels incomplete if exploring the culinary of Aceh without mentioning coffee Sanger. The Atjeh Connection also helped to serve coffee that recently began to skyrocket in popularity among the citizens of Jakarta. Recognized by The Atjeh Connection Owner Resto Coffee Amir Faisal, the story of Sanger coffee has its own story in the “Land of a Thousand Café”. Apparently, in the past two years the popularity has increased significantly, including in his Resto Coffee.
Arguably, coffee Sanger is the ‘face’ of coffee Aceh. Made from processed coffee beans, the drink is served with a mixture of milk that is not too much so that the texture of the coffee tasted more viscous than the milk coffee in general. Just for the record, Sanger name has been taken from the combination of words ‘equally understand’. At first, these coffees were made to accommodate the needs of coffee lovers who want to enjoy coffee with milk but with a minimum budget.
So the price can be lowered, the coffee seller in Aceh reduced the usage of milk so that the coffee taste is more dominant. However, this time the coffee Sanger has become one of the most popular drinks of Aceh. The Atjeh Connection itself, sanger coffee uses coffee beans imported directly from the central highlands of Gayo.
As a restaurant serving typical native Indonesia, it would be perfect if you visit this restaurant to just feel the pleasure of serving food menu and coffee from Aceh. (aldo)