Being so far away from Asia, I very often crave for good Asian food. Thankfully, the Netherlands is a place that many Indonesians called home due the Indonesia-Netherlands special relationships. For those who did not know, Indonesia was a Dutch colony in the past! Like always, eat where the locals eat and when my Indonesian friend Johnny recommended Si Des in Spuimarkt, I knew where I was headed for my next meal.
I spoke to the lady at the counter and she told me that Si Des has been in business for many years now giving me great expectations of the food it served. After being convinced that I could finish two dishes by myself, I ordered a Gado-Gado and the Ayam Kremes. The Gado-Gado is a classic Indonesian salad consisting of eggs, blenched vegetables, tofu and cucumber. Topped with a rich and chunky peanut sauce, this salad was absolutely mouth watering.
Biting into a mouthful of Si Des’s Gado-Gado, you get the layers of textures and flavours you would expect from the wholesome salad. Crunchy vegetables, sweet peanut sauce and chewy tempeh are all important parts of the bigger picture. While everything was yummy, I felt that only one element was missing! That is a slightly oily-chili-ish touch to its peanut sauce!
Next up was the Ayam Kremes, a deep fried chicken thigh topped with a mountain of tasty crumbs.
Served with a side of rice and a small bowl of sambal, my mouth salivated on first sight. The crispy chicken paired with the fragrant sweetish crumbs were yums! The chicken was tender, and sambal aromatic. What more can you ask from a simple meal of fried chicken and rice? Surely it was not rocket science that this pairing tickled my fancy, but how often do you get something so simple done so well? Not very often I would say.
My lunch at Si Des was a delicious one. I did not quite try the other offerings like the Mie Bakso, Mie Ayam, Beef Rendang and such but for what I had, Si Des impressed. The food was affordable, filling and delicious. Just one week later, I re-visited Si Des and tried their Ayam Panggang or Grilled Chicken. Again it was a simple, and delicious meal. Do note that my friend who has the Chicken Curry and Rice was not too impressed. I do admit that it looked a little sad too.
WenY
