Food in Review: Loving Hut Indonesia
On a recent trip to Indonesia, a colleague and I ate at Loving Hut three times in three days. While there is a plethora of vegetarian restaurants in Jakarta and vegetarian options available pretty much everywhere you look (the restaurant at our hotel vegan-ized the gado-gado, the signature pasta dish, and the Indonesian rice plate for us), Loving Hut really is the best of the best!
And how could you go wrong with vegan versions of classic Indonesian dishes like Nasi Goreng or Nasi Lemak and Western dishes like steak and potatoes or fried chicken drumsticks? Over the course of our three-day trip, we managed to scarf down a variety of succulent dishes, including the tom yum soup, fried potato skins, spicy dumpling noodles, Nasi Bali Risjtafel, Jakarta golden soup, and the Thai rice plate. But these were our favorites:
The banana pancake with chocolate was our dessert of choice by far. We also sampled the Eskimo’s Delight, which was a cool and refreshing mix of traditional Indonesian jellies and cereals in soy milk over ice, but when it came down to it, banana and chocolate is a combination that almost nothing can top.
The golden noodle soup, which is a take on the Indonesian classic mie ayam, was my favorite entrée (although the Thai rice plate was a close second!). The broth was fragrant, and the rice crackers served alongside it were perfect for soaking up all that flavor.
And to save the best for last, the fancy nut sate—which can be ordered as an appetizer or as a main dish served alongside rice—is the restaurant’s star dish. Each skewer of faux meat is slathered in rich and creamy peanut sauce and topped with crunchy garlic chips.
Drooling yet? If you live in Indonesia or visit Jakarta, be sure to head over to Loving Hut. There are branches throughout Jakarta, but our favorite was this one:
Loving Hut Indonesia
The Plaza Semanggi, Lt. 3A, No. 3A
Kawasan Bisnis Granadha
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav. 50 Jakarta Pusat, 12930
(021) 2553 9369 (tel./fax)
Enjoy!
Posted by Ashley Fruno
