One
of the most delicious things about Indonesia is its fresh fruit, and one of the
best ways to enjoy it is fruit rujak. This is essentially fruit salad made of
tropical fruit with a few optional ingredients and served with a sweet and
spicy-hot sauce called bumbu. The bumbu is made with palm sugar, tamarind,
ground sautéed peanuts, and just a bit of shrimp paste and chilis.
Fruit
rujak is the perfect food. It's healthy, and it tastes wonderful, with an explosion of tastes and
flavors in every bite.
Some of the staff in my office made a big batch of the ingredients for a holiday treat, and let
us make our own individual bowls. There was mango, papaya, cucumber, tofu, pineapple, melon,
and a white crunchy root, the name of which I did not retain. See the pic
below. Note that the green plastic container had extra sambal for those who like things extra spicy. I'm a little sheepish to admit that I went back for thirds. But
 |
| The sublime salad, ready for assembly. Extra bumbu for me, please. |
 |
| The Rujak Elves |
****************************************************************
The
Hotel Majapahit Surabaya www.hotel-majapahit.com is the place I would stay
as a visitor to the city. Built in 1910, the interior is a stunning example of
elegant Deco architecture, with colanades, a green courtyard with fountain, and
what is reputed to be the best Chinese restaurant in the city. I stopped in at
the bar/café to have an espresso while checking out guitars downtown. The
friendly bartender told me that the Hotel is in its original condition, which
makes it even cooler. My copy of Lonely Planet says that rooms here start at
$110, an amazing value. Let me know if you're coming to visit!
 |
| Hotel sitting area; high tea served |
 |
| Entrance decorated for holidays |
 |
| Bar detail with carved wood and stained glass |
 |
| Deco figures in paneled bar |
No comments:
Post a Comment