Brains for Lunch

I had brains for lunch today.

Two pieces of brains bathe in savory and spicy broth

Yes, I didn't lie when I told you that I had brains for lunch. It's common in Indonesia to eat brains, or lungs, or chicken feet, or liver and hearts. What it seems to be bizarre to you is actually being consumed daily by us. In Indonesia, brains are not as bizarre as you think they are. In my case, whenever I want to eat brains, I can always walk to a Padang Restaurant around the neighborhood and buy some. 

So, today, my Mom and I paid a visit to this Padang Restaurant named Saribungo to buy some dishes for lunch and dinner. We bought fried chicken, fried chicken in green chilly mixture, fried lungs, cooked brains, and some cassava crackers. I have tried brains before, but I forgot what it tasted like, so I decided to refresh my memory by buying some. 

The brains that they sell in a Padang Restaurant are cow brains, usually boiled and bathe in savory and spicy broth. The broth is creamy and a bit thick, and it is rich in flavor. Brain itself has a unique texture. It has the creaminess of tofu and the chewiness of liver. The physical appearance is not pretty, as it looks like a crumpled wet paper that has lumps at random places. It is yellowish white in color, but it also has some parts that has fifty shades of grey. As I took a bite of the brain, I couldn't help but to feel like Sylar. To be honest, I don't think brain will be a favorite of mine for the time being. It didn't taste that bad though, it was pretty good actually, but it was not to my liking. 

One of the worker in Saribungo, scooping some broth onto a plate

A spoonful of brain

Lungs, on the other hand, is my favorite Padang Restaurant's dish! It is light and crispy, yet it is also chewy. The physical appearance of lungs is not pretty as well, for it share similar appearance with rocks. It taste a bit salty and savory, and it's also airy on the inside. 

The physical appearance of a fried lung

This two dishes that I mentioned in this post is available in most Restoran Padang that you can find in Indonesia. Sure, they might taste a bit bizarre and somewhat funky, but Andrew Zimmern once said "If it looks good, eat it!".

Rumah Makan Padang Saribungo
Jalan Caman Raya, No. 9
Jatibening, Bekasi 17412

Phone: (021) 8690 3856 / (021) 8690 3857

Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 8AM - 10PM

The Almighty Century Egg

Have you ever heard of this bizarre food? The name is Century Egg and it's a must-try food for those who happen to fancy food-ventures, especially the bizarre ones. Preserved for weeks in a mixture of clay, salt, ash, lime, and rice hulls, the result is simply jaws-dropping. If you crack open a hard-boiled egg, you'll find yourself a squishy egg white, along with a firm and full of protein yellow-colored egg yolk. But, when you crack open a Century Egg, you'll find a transparent black-colored albumen (egg white) and a dark grayish green colored vitellus (egg yolk). Pretty funky, huh? 

Last week, when I was sleeping over with my best buds, Icha and Dila, my Mom had dinner with her sister. They dined in at a restaurant named Furama, and I'm pretty envious for not being able to join in the fun because the restaurant has lots of food that I've been wanting to try, including the Century Egg. Fortunately, Mom sent me a picture of the food at Furama and offered me a take-out. I immediately pleaded her to bring home some Century Egg. 

The next morning, I went home in the late afternoon and found myself a wrapping of what it seemed to me like Century Egg. I opened that plastic wrapping and I went, "I'm seeing a Century Egg and I can touch it with my own hands! Thank you, Lord!"

The egg was somewhat out of place, maybe because it was kept in a plastic bag all night long. My hands were fidgeting. the urge to take a bite was unbearable. I want to be able to savor the uniqueness of the so-called Century Egg. I don't want the egg to disappear in a snap of a finger. I decided to slice the egg into two parts, one to be eaten in the afternoon and one for dinner. "This is it, self, the moment you've been waiting for," I said to myself, "You're finally going to taste a Century Egg!"

I smelled it, hoping that it would smell either like Hulk's armpit or Captain America's sweaty suit, and it pretty much share the same odor like a normal hard-boiled egg, yet somehow acidic and tangy. I took a bite of the transparent black jelly-like egg white. It was pretty much tasteless, although I was very much amused by its' color. Then, I proceed to try the eeky-colored egg yolk. I took a bite. At first, the egg yolk tasted like how yellow egg yolk would tasted like. But then, the flavor started to come out. It was pretty acidic, has a vinegar-like flavor, very savory like how an egg yolk should tasted like, creamy yet firm, and I think it was delicious!

In my personal opinion, Century Egg is a fine delicious dish that I love better than mushroom. It has a very unique flavor and color, and it tasted unique as well. Although this particular food has the ability to make people go, "Eeeeewwww!", it is very tasty and it has a strong flavor. Do not hesitate when you spot a black colored egg when you dine in at a restaurant, order some and enjoy the acidic taste of the egg yolk!