I recall Bakmi Golek as a restaurant that my parents and I used to visit when I was a kid. I don't have many memories about the noodle house, other than the wooden bridge inside the restaurant which leads to the ladies room and the Koi pond where you can find fat and squishy fish huddling up on a chunk of bread, but I do remember how my Dad made a ruckus during one of those nights when we dine in.
We sat at a table that was facing a television. A soccer match was on air that night. I remember how mesmerized I was with Bakmi Golek's fried quails egg that tasted rocky, oily, and savory, so I didn't pay attention to the soccer game. My Dad focussed his gaze at the television while slurping his noodles repeatedly. As the match got intense, Dad got more anxious. At some point, my Dad abandoned his noodle and set eyes on the screen. Suddenly, a loud roar of "GOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!" echoed inside the building. In front of me was my Dad, standing up with his fist on the air, he accidently punched a lamp above him. People were eyeing us, and I remembered how 4-year-old me went, "What just happened?!"
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| Apparently, Bakmi Golek doesn't serve pork |
Last week, my parents and I paid a visit to Bakmi Golek to have lunch. I was a bit full because we were just from my Dad's friend's house and we were served with KFC's Kolonel Yakiniku. But then, the waitress came to our table and served us with a pair of Bakmi Golek Ayam Special. The sight of the noodle was mouth-watery, so I ended up ordering a portion for myself.
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| Left: Es Rumput Laut, Right: Fresh Orange Juice |
As I waited for my noodles to come, I had a glass of Es Rumput Laut, or an Algae Beverages literary translated. I had never had Es Rumput Laut before, so I decided to give it a shot. I was hoping that the beverage will be colorful and funky, yet it was somewhat transparent and dull. The algae had a crunchy and wet texture, and it was bland. The water was sweet from the liquid sugar. It tasted nice, although I was hoping for a more fun physical appearance and shocking flavor.
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| The transparent algae |
A few minutes later, my bowl of Bakmi Golek Ayam Special arrived. The noodle was topped with bean sprouts, meatballs, quail eggs, diced chicken, and cabbages. It came with a small bowl of savory and hot broth. I pour the transparent and flavorful broth into my bowl of noodles and dig in.
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| Bakmi Golek Ayam Special |
The curly noodles were nicely cooked, but a bowl of that special noodle was a bit too much for me. Next time I went to Bakmi Golek, I would settle down for half a portion of the noodle. The broth was hot and savory, and it tasted good with strings of noodle and a little bit of everything. The meatball tasted great, unlike other meatballs that you can find at street vendors! They were soft and a bit chewy, and they tasted like how meatballs are supposed to tasted like. But, do keep in mind that Indonesian meatballs, or bakso, are different from meatballs that you see in Disney's Lady and the Tramp. My favorite side dish was the fried quail egg. When I was smaller, the eggs looked bigger and fatter to me. Now, they were just puny and fragile. Yet, they tasted awesomely same!
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| Want some? |
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| Bakmi Golek's soft and savory meatball |
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| My all-time favorite, the fried quail egg |
We also had half-a-portion of deep fried dumplings. The crispy skin was very delightful and enjoyable, yet the filling tasted slightly off. It has this texture of a food that just came out from the freezer, stiff and rigid, and it tasted a bit too salty for my taste. But, I enjoyed the crispy skin, which is my favorite part of deep fried dumplings. All in all, lunch was great, and my parents and I ended up reminiscing how my Dad throws his fist into the air fourteen years ago.
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| Half-a-portion of Bakmi Golek's deep fried dumpling |
Bakmi Golek
Jalan Kalimalang Raya, No. 14A
Duren Sawit, Jakarta
Phone: (021) 8660 5967
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