Food & Clubs

Tomohon restaurant in BSD CitySonny Lolong, a native of Tomohon, the highland resort in North Sulawesi province, enjoys cooking in his pastime like most Manadonese men. And with a repertoire of his own unique cooking recipes, he decided to establish Tomohon in 2004, a traditional Manadonese restaurant.

The restaurant is located in BSD City in Tangerang Selatan, Banten province, one of the fastest growing cities in Indonesia. Sonny ordered a typical house made from wood and had it transferred to BSD City to capture the appropriate hometown ambiance for his gastronomic endeavor. As visitors enter Tomohon, they experience a warm welcome in a windowless but breezy house where the flowing fresh air adds to the country ambience. Surrounding the restaurant are plants indigenous to North Sulawesi, including the Lemon Cui, Gedi and Leilem, whose leaves are important condiments for Manadonese cuisine.The dining area

Sonny says, "We use clean, medium size bamboo to grill any kind of meat or fish and it is a traditional method of cooking still widely preserved. When we grill, we must pay attention to the distance between the bamboo and fire. Anything we put in bamboo, we guarantee will have a nice aroma as well as taste. On special occasions like Christmas and New Year, the Manadonese will invariably use bamboo in their cooking."

He adds, "Ayam Bulu, Tino Rangsa, Pangi, and Saut are some of the dishes known for bamboo grilling. Of course each dish has different ingredients but the Manadonese like to have red chili, ginger, galangal and other ingredients readily available in the market, except coriander. We also use different leaves such as pandan and basil, to name a few."

Interior of Tomohon restaurantCakalang Suwir is one of the dishes worth trying. Cakalang is a medium size fish also known as skipjack tuna. Suwir means shredded. Cakalang Suwir contains a few drops of Lemon Cui, shallots, onions, ginger, basil, red chilis, lemon grass and a few pandan leaves. Sonny makes a point, "The key to Manadonese cuisine is that we don't mix all of the ingredients at once, like in other regional cooking. We do this one step at a time as we stir-fry each ingredient separately."

For those who prefer chicken, Ayam Woku is recommended. When preparing this specific chicken dish, one can either dice the chicken into pieces or prepare it whole. Similar to Javanese cooking, the chicken is first marinated with turmeric, shallots, onions, red chili, basil, ginger, and lemon grass. Sonny reiterates, "Cooking is an art by itself and we need to use our feeling when we stir-fry various condiments. After you're done with all the ingredients, put the chicken into the pan to cook."

"In our menu here, we also serve local favorites like Paniki, or bats and RW, or dog. For these delicacies, we basically use similar condiments used in the other dishes but they're mashed. With Paniki, you first clean and remove the fur then you cut into pieces. The same method holds true for preparing dog. You marinate both animals until they're cooked. You must pay attention to these two dishes, their meat must be just right. If the meat is soft then it's not good for your palate," Sonny explains.RW or dog meat

"All Manadonese food is best served with rice. Not all our dishes need to be eaten while they're still warm. When they're already cold, you can still enjoy them. In general, our dishes are hot and spicy. We also have sambal known as Dabu Dabu. It's a mix of finely sliced red chili, tomato, shallots and a sprinkle of Lemon Cui. Lemon Cui is also served as a fresh ice drink," Sonny adds.

At Tomohon restaurant pork is also served and prepared in various ways. For dessert, Panada, a cake made with shredded Cakalang, is recommended. Klappertart, the Dutch influenced cake made with slices of coconut, raisins, walnuts and a bit of rum is sure to bring your excellent gastronomic experience to a fulfilling finish.

Paniki or batsJulian is a loyal patron and says of the restaurant, "My favorite is definitely RW. It's quite hot and all the ingredients render it rich in flavor. I come here at least twice a week."

This homey restaurant offers either seated, floor, or gazebo dining and can accommodate more than 80 people as well as private parties. If you're willing to go the extra mile, then Manadonese cuisine at Tomohon is an absolute must for the adventurer!

*All photos by Adji Soedibjo

Tomohon Restoran

Sektor Komersial III B5 Blok E/10 (Seberang Sentra Onderdil BSD)

Business Hours: daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Telephone: (021) 53155175

Price $ $

Fresh Lemon Cui