The cynic in me smiles every time I hear the word — authentic. We are in an era where we are inundated with a mix for everything — think buriyani, hoppers, chocolate cake, mousse et al. For someone who cooks quite a bit, and whose taste buds are favouring the organic line of foods, I’ve been shunning a great many erstwhile favourites — restaurants that is. Moreover, the whole mass-produced staples like Chinese Fried Rice seems as ubiquitous as credit card debt these days and taste as inspiring as plain cardboard.
There are certain cuisines that are hard to find out here in the open in Colombo, and one such cuisine is Indonesian. Frankly, certain cuisines should be just left to the experts — Nani De Silva comes to mind at this juncture. The latter is an individual who is Indonesian, and knows her galangal from her ginger and does a mean beef rendang. Besides being the main ingredient in that multicultural recipe that is Sumatran Spice, Nani’s secret here is the importance of family and how that communal bond combined with a tincture of passion has led to craft out a veritable business that people can relate to.
Segueing from that simple thought in the last paragraph, you’ll be aware of how rare it is these days — especially for the denizens of Colombo — to have a home-cooked meal made with love and care. Expect some home-cooked goodness devoid of nasty additives, plasticky aftertaste, and cramps in thy jejunum.
Let’s talk food. Nasi Goreng, anyone? I’ve only tasted a Lankanized version that for some reason is sickly sweet and drenched with soya sauce. No surprise that I’ve never trudged back for seconds. Luckily, there’s no such grief with Sumatran Spice, which churns out a version that is as authentic as it gets, and rightly so, for a dish that in 2011 sat pretty at Number 2 on the World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods done by CNN International. Nani’s Nasi Goreng is a generous portion complemented with generous portions of: Fried rice with chicken, vegetables and spices, usually seasoned with a slash of sweet soy sauce, which isn’t overpowering.
The Nasi Goreng may have conquered Number 2 on the World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods, but Number 1 went to Beef Rendang, which has ALWAYS been a firm favorite of mine. Pray do tell us, you may ask, how does one make this? Beef is slowly simmered with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies, then left to stew. This becomes a dish of bovine goodness that can only be described as — flavourful.
Nani is a typical matriarch, and runs her kitchen at Sumatran Spice with a sense of passion, warmth, a firm hand, and motherly efficiency. You just know your appetite is in good hands. You’ll be left satisfied and content, and this is something I can assure you of.
These pages showcase a few of the dishes that we managed to capture at Food Studio at Colombo City Centre. Photography may elevate certain visual aspects, but this is exactly what you get when you order either dish. Nani mentioned during our informal chat, which was dusted with a few chuckles and family anecdotes, that she takes orders as well; and, how it was a personal invitation that led her to close shop at Fort and move to Colombo City Centre where she can serve a larger audience and offer Indonesian cuisine with a familial touch.
Reviewed by Rohitha Perera & Photography by Sampath Munaweera