When you find yourself in or around the Tebet area of South Jakarta, beware. Some say Tebet is a hotspot for the mafia. It’s where gangsters, ‘preman’, and even the Yakuza come to hang out.
But, as one often learns in this country, the ‘mafia’ people are talking about in Tebet is actually an akward abbreviation of ‘makanan favorit orang Indonesia’ (Indonesians’ favorite dish), and it refers to a popular restaurant in the area, Nasi Goreng Mafia.
Nasi goreng is not only a staple of Indonesian cuisine, it is also beloved in other countries as well. It managed to make the #2 spot on a CNN reader ranking of the world’s most delicious foods (coming in second only to rendang – yeah this particular poll might have had a lot of Indonesians voting in it). But when ordered on the streets Jakarta, it is often very similar in flavour and seasoning, with very little variation from one nasi goreng vendor to another.
Not so at Nasi Goreng Mafia. The restaurants claim their nasi goreng is the first in Indonesia to incorporate a wide range of spices – with some combinations you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the country.
Take the nasi goreng ‘Gangster’, which the menu recommends as the restaurant’s best-selling dish. Utilizing 15 different spices, ranging from chili, turmeric, ginger, and even a secret ingredient, the Gangster criminally delicious, with a complex flavor profile offering zesty, sour and savory notes to offset the fierce heat of the dish.
Depending on how adventurous you’re feeling, you can order your nasgor Gangster with a ridiculous amount of spice. For the weak of tongue, there is beginner ‘calming’ level, but the spiciness level escalates to ‘tempting’, ‘suffocating’, ‘worrying’, ‘regret’, and, if you dare, ‘deadly.’
This dish is definitely for lovers of spicy food. Mind you, I only dared to try the ‘calming’ level, which was cooked with just one piece of chili, and even that I found to be quite spicy. But even through the heat of the chili, I could still appreciate the multitiude of flavors from the other 15 spices. It was absolutely addictive.
Other than the Gangster, the restaurant also offers similarly criminally-themed dishes such as the ‘Brandal’, ‘Preman’, ‘Yakuza’, ‘Godfather’, ‘Triad,’ and like the Gangster, all of these can be ordered with your preferred level of spice. If you can’t do spicy at all, you can opt for the ‘Bandit’ which doesn’t use chili.
The very reasonable prices range from Rp. 13,500 for a plate of the bandit to Rp. 20,500 for the Gangster and a few other varieties. The menu is limited – there is nothing but the different nasi gorengs and a few toppings such as egg (Rp. 8,000) you can add on to your dish.
But having such a limited menu is usually a good thing – it means the kitchen should really knows what it’s doing when it comes to that particular dish. And the folks at Nasi Goreng Mafia, who must cook up hundreds of servings of fried rice per day, really know what they’re doing. The palService is fast even when the place is quite busy.
Nasi Goreng Mafia actually got started in in Bandung where it quickly became popular, leading the chain to open up shop in 17 other locations throughout Indonesia, including outlets in Pekanbaru, Riau, Depok, Yogyakarta, and Bali. If you love spicy and you love fried rice, then you’ll probably be able to understant why this mafia is taking out the competition.
Nasi Goreng Mafia (Tebet outlet)
Jalan Tebet Raya No. 27D, South Jakarta
www.nasgorMAFIA.com
twitter @nasgorMAFIA
Ph: 0812890777827/02183785343 (delivery available)
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