Permata Restaurant: Part Deux

Jl. Kranggan Barat 147
(024) 543425

It's Grandma's birthday and we're celebrating it at Permata Restaurant. We ordered a total of six dishes. Let me just write down the list along with my review below.

1. Bakmi goreng 'special' (Special fried noodle)
When I saw something 'special' on the menu, I expected something more, something extraordinary. Apparently, difference between regular and special noodle which had pork, kekian (ground shrimp and pork, steamed, cut into rectangle, and fried) shrimp, eggs, snow peas, and other vegetables is the ham part. The special noodle had ham on it (not much of excitement here), whereas the regular noodle did not. I liked the taste and the variety of meats and vegetables. However, the 'special' word was totally overrated! (of course they charged more, too)

2. Burung dara goreng (fried pigeon)
As stated on my previous review of this restaurant, the pigeon is their number one seller. With its delicious skin and tenderness of its meat (although not as tender as chicken), I'd say they have the best fried pigeon in Semarang. The price was not cheap, either. One bird, cut into 4 pieces, was about Rp. 70000 (about USD $7). Was it worth it, though? Maybe not. But if you really really really want to eat good pigeon and have a good excuse such as having a birthday, yeah.. have it there. :)

3. Tumis puiling (stir-fry vegetables)
I have no idea what 'puiling' is. Even my mother did not know and never heard of such vegetable. At a glance, it looked like choy sum or spinach. The texture was soft and tender, but it has the crispiness of a lettuce. The dish was simple, cooked with only minced garlic and salt and pepper, but it was good.

4. Gurame telur asin (Fried gurame with salted eggs)
Gurame is very similar to tilapia in the States. It is very popular in Indonesia. It can be cooked different ways, whether it's fried, grilled, or even steamed. This dish in particular was delicious! There was no fishy smell and no need for a dipping sauce. The key was in the salted eggs they fried it with. The fish was crispy on the outside, but still tender and tasty on the inside. The salted eggs provided extra flavor to the fish with its complexity. Truly a superb dish!

5. Sapi lada hitam (black pepper beef)
I was not too fond of this dish. The meat was a little tough. They should have pounded the meat more or chose a different cut of meat. Other than that the taste was actually good and the bell peppers added a hint of spiciness.

6. Pak pau ci soup (Chicken with 8 treasures soup)
A very complex dish, indeed. This was the first time I had this amazing dish. The chicken was first de-boned and the meat was taken from it. Then, they added eight different kind of things into it, before finally sew the chicken up and broiled. They all complimented each other and everything was tender. Also, the broth was amazingly refreshing and no foul odor.

7. Es soda gembira (Happy soda?)
I always like to try something new, but sometimes something old is necessary. Just like this soda gembira drink. It was like childhood all over again. The drink consisted of red syrup (usually rose flavor), condensed milk, and carbonated water. Add blocks of ice to it, and you'll have a wonderful refreshing drink. :)