Huize Trivelli: A taste of old 'Indische' cuisine

Features - June 03, 2007

Susanna Tjokro, Contributor The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Are you getting bored with the modern, funky eateries around town?

Looking for a homey restaurant that serves dishes made from the old recipes handed down from generations? Tired of paying expensive restaurant bills?

Then drop by Huize Trivelli (House of Trivelli) where the food is made from scratch, without using any chemical additives -- just like grandma's cooking.

Opened in November 2006, Huize Trivelli Heritage Resto & Patissier serves Indische cuisine at reasonable prices. But, what is Indische cuisine, which was born in Dutch colonial times?

As stated by the owner, Wahyuni Baliningtiyas J. Soe'oed, Indische cuisine is traditional Indonesian dishes that have been adjusted to the Dutch palate.

Croquetttes and risoles are but a few items of popular Indische food. Using her family's old recipes, Wahyuni cooks the dishes herself, to ensure top quality.

However, in addition to offering food, Huize Trivelli also sells an ambience. It feels more like home than a restaurant -- a beautiful one that was built in the early-20th Century.

The pretty stained-glass windows filter sunlight through and provide some natural light.

Situated on Jl. Trivelli, formerly known as Trivelli weg -- a prestigious area in Dutch colonial times -- Huize Trivelli also offers a slice of history.

The owners are a husband and wife who inherited the house and its antiques from the man's parents. An abundance of artwork is scattered throughout the property, from wooden furniture to an old gramophone player to a very beautiful vase from the Ching dynasty -- and they serve some of the dishes on old crockery.

Feast your eyes on old family photos of the owners and get a fascinating glimpse of life in a bygone era.

As for the food, my appetizer was delicious, fresh-from-the-oven Trivelli Insulinde Pastei (a blend of potato puree, vegetables, ear mushrooms, chicken, milk, cheese plus vermicelli). The dish was a bargain at Rp 12,500.

Trivelli Chateaubriand Aux Champignons (Rp 45,000) -- pan-fried beefsteak -- was my main course, served with vegetables and topped with luscious mushroom sauce.

Unlike the steaks at some eateries, mine was perfectly pan-fried with butter and the beef was tender and did not turn out dry and chewy.

Bir Pletok a la crŠme (Rp 12,500) was my drink. "Bir" is "beer" in English, but bir pletok does not contain alcohol at all. Instead, it is made from water, sweet-smelling pandan leaves, cinnamon and cloves, and is spiced up with ginger that warms your body.

My other main course was Trivelli Kerrie Laksa Njonja Molenvliet. It was curry laksa, an aromatic, spicy coconut-based curry soup with Chinese vermicelli.

Warm flavors heady with spices mixed with fresh, succulent prawns, pieces of hard-boiled egg, bean sprouts and slices of steamed chicken were drowned in a creamy, hot curry soup that was simply irresistible.

The dish was perfectly spiced, with no overwhelming flavors. Sambal (chili paste) was also served for those who prefer their laksa spicier.

The restaurant also offers rijsttafel, a Dutch term, which literally translates as "rice table". Rijsttafel, which was created during Dutch colonial times in Indonesia, is a complete rice banquet with a selection of dishes and accompaniments -- a representative sampling of Indonesian cuisine.

The idea is to have a taste of many things rather than a full meal of any single dish, as all five or 10 (or more) dishes arrive at one time and Trivelli Kerrie Laksa is just one of the many dishes in the rijsttafel served at Huize Trivelli.

Instead of serving a full-size rijsttafel, the restaurant offers a mini-rijsttafel, so that guests will not feel too full.

In the past, high society, including top-ranking Dutch government officers and plantation owners, enjoyed eating an array of many dishes in small portions that sometimes covered the whole table.

Although created by the Dutch, rijsttafel has its roots in Indonesian cooking, as most Indonesians traditionally take a meal from a big bowl of rice with other dishes arranged around it.

Due to its complexity, reservations at least two days in advance and a minimum of eight guests are necessary. A set of mini-rijsttafel (seven dishes) including dessert and drink is priced at Rp 60,000 to Rp 70,000.

"Besides home-made dishes, we also offer a slice of history to our patrons. Built in the early-20th Century, this house used to belong to some Dutch families. My husband's family has owned this house since 1953, and now the building serves as a restaurant as well as our home," says Wahyuni who used to live in the Netherlands with her husband.

Wahyuni says that during Japanese colonial times, the Japanese used the houses on Laan Trivelli (known as Kamp Tjideng) to accommodate Dutch women and children.

Today, Huize Trivelli (which was also part of Kamp Tjideng) is the only original old house left on Laan Trivelli (Jl. Tanah Abang 2).

She plans to organize a "Kamp Tjideng Nostalgia Tour" in the near future, so more people, including tourists, can learn about the history of Indonesia.

A homey atmosphere, mouthwatering food and reasonable prices are the things that keep diners coming back. The antique collection is also a bonus, especially if you are keen on old artifacts.

Huize Trivelli Resto & Patissier

Jl. Tanah Abang 2 No. 108
Central Jakarta
tel. and fax: 3865803
website: www.huize-trivelli.com
e-mail: info@huize-trivelli.com

open Mondays to Fridays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed Sundays)