Now Open: Saraso Peranakan-Padang Cuisine

We all may already noticed that Padang restaurants are beginning to make their ways into the busy shopping malls. Actually I think it is a good way to promote Indonesian cuisine to the shopping mall frequenters, also to give them alternative besides the same few Western / Japanese restaurants that normally clutter the malls. Rendang is, after all, voted No. 1 in the Readers Choice of 50 World's Best Food by CNN Travel. It is only a matter of time before Rendang makes its way on the dinner menu of Queen Elizabeth (although I'd advise against it, for dear Queen's health sake). A relatively new example of Padang restaurant in the mall would be Saraso Padang Cuisine, which opened early this year at Citiwalk Sudirman.

Not just a story about Padang Restaurant goes to shopping Mall...

At Saraso, the dishes are themed aroung Peranakan-Padang style, a genre of Padang's rich & diverse culinary tradition that slightly differs from the usual Padang cuisine marked by the presence of Chinese influences. Saraso also claims to be an affordable luxury: affordable price for the elaborately and laboriously prepared dishes, all in the convenience and accessibility of a shopping mall.

Just how different are the Peranakan-Padang dishes from the conventional ones? Continue reading, I'll let you be the judge :)

Appetizers & A la Carte

Sate Padang (photo below) - grilled beef or beef tongue on skewers, served with creamy herbed sauce and steamed rice cake (lontong).

Sate Padang IDR 15,000 (small) / IDR 31,000 (medium)

Lontong Sayur Padang (photo below) - mixed vegetables, boiled egg, tofu and steamed rice cake in coconut broth.

Soto Padang (photo below) - beef chunks, vermicelli noodles in clear broth.

Left: Soto Padang IDR 27,000
Right: Lontong Sayur Padang IDR 9,000 (small) / IDR 18,000 (medium)

Lontong Pecel (photo below) - yellow noodles, steamed rice cake, bean sprouts, french beans, served with sweet & spicy peanut sauce (pecel).

Ayam Balado (photo below) - fried chicken served with red chilies (lots of it).

Left: Ayam Balado IDR 20,000
Right: Lontong Pecel IDR 9,000 (small) / IDR 17,000 (medium)

Signature Dishes

Dendeng Garing Cabai Merah (photo below) - signature Minang crispy beef jerky, slow fried until crispy and all the spices seep in thoroughly, then served with lots of red chilies.

Dendeng Garing Lado Merah IDR 37,000 (2pcs) / IDR 72,000  (4 pcs) / IDR 108,000 (6pcs)

Gulai Kepala Kakap (photo below) - snapper head cooked in curry gravy.

Gulai Kepala Kakap IDR 115,000

Gulai Udang Pancet Besar (photo below) - giant fresh water prawn cooked in curry gravy.

Ikan Bilih Lado Ijo (photo below) - crispy fried anchovies served with green chilies.

Left: Gulai Udang Pancet Besar IDR 140,000 (2pcs) / IDR 270,000 (4pcs)
Right: Ikan Bilih Lado Ijo IDR 19,000

Meal Packages

Nasi Batang Anai (photo below) - a meal set made of:

- dendeng (wet - batokok / crispy & dry - garing)

- sayur nangka (jackfruit stew in thin curry)

- sayur singkong (boiled cassava leaves)

- sayur terong balado (steamed aubergine served with red chilies)

- lado ijo (green chilies)

- rice with coconut gravy

Nasi Batang Anai IDR 36,000

Nasi Batang Arau (IDR 37,000) - a meal set made of:

- chicken (fried / roasted / pop / balado)

- sayur nangka

- sayur singkong

- sayur terong balado

- lado ijo

- rice with coconut gravy

Nasi Batang Kandis (photo below) - a meal set made of:

- beef rendang

- sayur nangka

- sayur singkong

- sayur terong balado

- lado ijo

- rice, with coconut gravy

Nasi Batang Kandis IDR 39,000

Dessert & Drinks

Serabi Padang (photo below) - Padang style rice-flour pancake served in sweet coconut milk.

Bubur Kampiun (photo below) - a classic breakfast menu in Padang, this dessert is made of of black & white glutinous rice, sweet potato dumpling, mung bean served in savoury coconut milk. This is my personal favourite.

Left-foreground: Serabi Padang  IDR 12,000
Left-background: Bubur Kampiun IDR 28,000
Right: Stamina Booster Healthy Juice IDR 30,000

To make up for the guilt from indulging in the cholesterol jacking dishes, Saraso offers healthy juices, such as:

- Green Elixir (photo below) - green apple & lime squash.

- Stamina Booster (photo below) - purple dragonfruit, strawberry & lemon.

- Organic Farm Essence (photo below) - papaya, carrot & lemon squash.

Left: Stamina Booster
Center: Green Elixir IDR 35,000
Right: Organic Farm Essence IDR 25,000

Despite the Chinese influences, Saraso's dishes are all Halal. I've heard of ridiculous tales about exorbitant prices at some Padang restaurant chains in Jakarta (a meal of rice + 2-3 dishes costing more than IDR 50,000?!), they are not even in a shopping mall! Saraso is obviously an affordable luxury, especially the meal packages (rice + 5 dishes) which cost less than IDR 40,000. You will leave with happy tummy and happy wallet :)

Saraso Padang Cuisine

Citiwalk Mall Sudirman 1st Floor Unit 17/18

JL. K.H. Mas Mansyur No. 121

Central Jakarta - Indonesia

Ph: +6221 25558783

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