Yummy Indonesian Adventures: Saffron in Bintan!
A few weeks ago, my friends and I went on a very spontaneous trip to Bintan, Indonesia. With the lack of good beaches here, they say that the nearest good beach around would be an hour’s worth of ferry ride from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, to Bintan, Indonesia. I was more than game to get my dose of beach-lovin`, for I love, love going to the beach!
I promise you better photos when I go back, for the weather wasn’t so nice when we went there - it was pouring. My goodness. We only managed to stay for a night there and return the day after, but one unforgettable thing we did there was definitely dining in Saffron, one of Banyan Tree’s fine dining restaurants.
Banyan Tree is one, big luxurious spa resort that has really jaw dropping pool villas and accommodations. As we checked in the Angsana Resort, the resort nearby Banyan Tree, we requested to be driven there for dinner. We dined in Saffron, a very Asian ( well, Thai and Indonesian, to be exact ) restaurant, and from the moment we went in, we were mesmerized.
The restaurant was dim-lit, hence, these kinds of pictures. Red everywhere. Very cozy chairs, eye candy utensils, and very courteous and accommodating staff. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a very friendly receptionist who put orchids near our ears, as she ushered us inside. We ordered food, and with that, the mini-feast had begun!
For our soup, we shared Soto Betawi. It is considered Indonesian cuisine, which consists of coconut soup, beef tenderloin, tomato, and potato. This was actually our favorite dish of the night. The soup was very, very delicious. The coconut soup mixed with their spices tasted really nice. Not so spicy, but peppery, mixed with beef is just great.
Poo Phad Pong Goree is Stir Fried Crabmeat with Curry Cream Sauce. This was the spicy dish of the bunch. It wasn’t exactly super spicy, but you would have some aftertaste that would tell you so. This is real crabmeat, I feel, that has been manually extracted, for this was a crab shell stuffed with crabmeat. I felt relieved that I didn’t have to do anything anymore as crabmeat was there, ready for me just to eat! The curry cream sauce was very delicious. I never realized that I could appreciate curry with coconut, but this was just delightful. This was a pretty hefty serving that we all had difficulty finishing.
Last but not the least, was Pepes Ikan. Pepes Ikan is Steam Fillet of Snapper wrapped in banana leaves, turmeric and chili paste. I’ve never tasted anything like this - This was just fish baked, or roasted alone, with spices on top. Clearly, as I sinked my teeth into the fish, the flavor just burst into my mouth, giving such flavorful aroma, that I still could not forget until now. I never truly believed that spices could just seep in fish like that. It was just so strong!
Before I leave for Manila for good, I will surely promise myself that I will go back to Bintan, Indonesia. It’s such a beautiful place that I just need to see it one more time, this time, in good sunshine. The food is also terrific, so every reason is pointing me to go back there!
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