Along with my blogger friends, I set foot for the first time in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna to check out an Indonesian sate house. They said it's the first of its kind in Manila. It's called John Bamboo and is owned and operated by the Red Crab Group of Companies. Based on the food alone, I can say it's top-notch. The quality of the food speaks highly of the commitment of the people behind the restaurant to promote Indonesian cuisine in our shores.
by the lovely koi pond of Nuvali
outside view of the restaurant
From this yet another food trip and based on the expertise of Chefs Peter and Nur (the guys running John Bamboo's kitchens), I learned that Indonesian food is simple and prepared simply. But simple doesn't necessarily equate to boring food. The dishes we sampled were tasty and flavorful. They were generous in chilies and onions as well as herbs like lemon grass, pandan, leek, nutmeg and paprika. I never thought Indonesia cuisine was that interesting and fun to eat.
The drinks they offered, on the other hand, were cool and refreshing. They had coconut milk and condensed milk as main ingredients. This was to balance out the inherent spiciness of the Indonesian dishes. Perfect combination, yes?
From soup to desserts, you really can't go wrong with John Bamboo. The food excite the senses and are pleasing to the palate. And they are meant for sharing, too! Expect the restaurant to be filled with families and barkadas on regular days. If I'm not mistaken, they open as early as 7:00 a.m. and closes at midnight. Pretty busy, huh!
What we had:
Soup Buntut, P245. A comforting soup of oxtail with vegetables. This had a light, clean taste which I liked so much.
Balinese Seafood Chowder, P265. I was amazed by this soup. One spoonful and you could already taste the sweet, fresh taste of prawn in the broth. Aside from the prawn, this also had squid and fish fillet slices to complete the chowder ensemble.
Lumpia Semarang, P165. Spring rolls with small shrimps and vegetables. Instead of the usual vinegar, this is best dipped in a sweet and sour sauce. A little oily but very delicious.
Beef Rendang, P279. This was crispy and deep-fried to perfection. I liked that it remained tender, succulent and tasty.
Tumis Kangkong Dengan Tempe, P185. This gives a nice touch to the lowly kangkong and tofu. I loved the texture of the tofu here with those tiny bean sprouts. Once inside the mouth, it was like I was eating granola bars, just tastier and softer.
Nasi Goreng Gila, P195. John Bamboo's signature stir-fried rice had sausage, chicken and egg strips. A bit on the spicy side but very flavorful and pleasing to the palate.
John Bamboo All Meat Sate Sampler, P565. This was big enough for four people! Each stick of either chicken, beef, shrimp or squid sate was juicy, flavorful and had a nice kick. Best served with their signature stir-fried rice!
Mie Goreng, P255. I thought this was their version of our pancit canton. This had small shrimps and vegetables, a perfect accompaniment to the meat sate. I loved the sweet-savory taste of this Indonesian stir-fried noodles.
I also tried several dishes more but my digicam died on me, hence, no photos of them. Sad. From what I remember, I even got to taste Bebek Goreng Dengan Sambal. It was a deep-fried duck dish that was oh-so yummy.
I'm a big fan of spicy food and John Bamboo's offerings gave me a great deal. The sweet soysauce (that looks like chocolate sauce in the photos!) enhances the flavors of the dishes and neutralizes the heat from the chilies. Ask for more of this if you have to. It's good.
The ambience at John Bamboo is casual and homey with Indonesian music filling the air (both the indoor and outdoor dining areas). The restaurant has high ceiling and the interiors have some native feel to it. The red tables and chairs, on the other hand, evoke a romantic charm and add a taste of elegance to the place.
Service is fantastic, too. The wait staff are attentive and knowledgeable. Expect to order more than what you came for after talking with them. Haha.
Thank you to John Bamboo, PR girls Xchosa and Evy, and to my blogger friend Alex for the invite. This is one food trip I will never forget. :)
John Bamboo Sate House
Nuvali, Sta. Rosa City
Laguna
(+632) 861-9563
If you liked this post and would be interested to get updated with Foodiestation, bookmark this site or subscribe to my feeds.
by the lovely koi pond of Nuvali
outside view of the restaurant
From this yet another food trip and based on the expertise of Chefs Peter and Nur (the guys running John Bamboo's kitchens), I learned that Indonesian food is simple and prepared simply. But simple doesn't necessarily equate to boring food. The dishes we sampled were tasty and flavorful. They were generous in chilies and onions as well as herbs like lemon grass, pandan, leek, nutmeg and paprika. I never thought Indonesia cuisine was that interesting and fun to eat.
The drinks they offered, on the other hand, were cool and refreshing. They had coconut milk and condensed milk as main ingredients. This was to balance out the inherent spiciness of the Indonesian dishes. Perfect combination, yes?
From soup to desserts, you really can't go wrong with John Bamboo. The food excite the senses and are pleasing to the palate. And they are meant for sharing, too! Expect the restaurant to be filled with families and barkadas on regular days. If I'm not mistaken, they open as early as 7:00 a.m. and closes at midnight. Pretty busy, huh!
What we had:
Soup Buntut, P245. A comforting soup of oxtail with vegetables. This had a light, clean taste which I liked so much.
Balinese Seafood Chowder, P265. I was amazed by this soup. One spoonful and you could already taste the sweet, fresh taste of prawn in the broth. Aside from the prawn, this also had squid and fish fillet slices to complete the chowder ensemble.
Lumpia Semarang, P165. Spring rolls with small shrimps and vegetables. Instead of the usual vinegar, this is best dipped in a sweet and sour sauce. A little oily but very delicious.
Beef Rendang, P279. This was crispy and deep-fried to perfection. I liked that it remained tender, succulent and tasty.
Tumis Kangkong Dengan Tempe, P185. This gives a nice touch to the lowly kangkong and tofu. I loved the texture of the tofu here with those tiny bean sprouts. Once inside the mouth, it was like I was eating granola bars, just tastier and softer.
Nasi Goreng Gila, P195. John Bamboo's signature stir-fried rice had sausage, chicken and egg strips. A bit on the spicy side but very flavorful and pleasing to the palate.
John Bamboo All Meat Sate Sampler, P565. This was big enough for four people! Each stick of either chicken, beef, shrimp or squid sate was juicy, flavorful and had a nice kick. Best served with their signature stir-fried rice!
Mie Goreng, P255. I thought this was their version of our pancit canton. This had small shrimps and vegetables, a perfect accompaniment to the meat sate. I loved the sweet-savory taste of this Indonesian stir-fried noodles.
I also tried several dishes more but my digicam died on me, hence, no photos of them. Sad. From what I remember, I even got to taste Bebek Goreng Dengan Sambal. It was a deep-fried duck dish that was oh-so yummy.
I'm a big fan of spicy food and John Bamboo's offerings gave me a great deal. The sweet soysauce (that looks like chocolate sauce in the photos!) enhances the flavors of the dishes and neutralizes the heat from the chilies. Ask for more of this if you have to. It's good.
The ambience at John Bamboo is casual and homey with Indonesian music filling the air (both the indoor and outdoor dining areas). The restaurant has high ceiling and the interiors have some native feel to it. The red tables and chairs, on the other hand, evoke a romantic charm and add a taste of elegance to the place.
Service is fantastic, too. The wait staff are attentive and knowledgeable. Expect to order more than what you came for after talking with them. Haha.
Thank you to John Bamboo, PR girls Xchosa and Evy, and to my blogger friend Alex for the invite. This is one food trip I will never forget. :)
John Bamboo Sate House
Nuvali, Sta. Rosa City
Laguna
(+632) 861-9563
If you liked this post and would be interested to get updated with Foodiestation, bookmark this site or subscribe to my feeds.
Thanks too, Edel! Love i! ^_^
ReplyDeleteMore food adventure for us!