Minangasli was a must since I’m always on rendang alert. James was disappointed
that the stewy meat wasn’t as ubiquitous as he’d anticipated in Malaysia.
The streets, pardon me, jalans, weren’t paved with rendang, a beautiful
image to imagine, nonetheless. The ayam goreng sambal ijo, fried chicken smothered with a green chile
paste was tastier than its simplicity would have you believe. The rendang
was rich, slightly sweet, with deeper spices and less citrus than others
I’ve tasted (including my own). It was a blessing that we were presented
I’d heard about the kale and thought it was a good idea since we tend
to get meat-heavy in Asian restaurants. But the greens were absent that
evening, so we opted for jackfruit, a favorite of mine that didn’t sway
too far from Upi Jaya’s rendition. I do think Minangasli’s prices are
a few dollars less, for whatever that’s worth. But both are worth a visit.
I’m all for Indonesian food in all permutations, as it’s few and far between
in NYC. (1/21/06)
Minangasli * 86-10 Whitney Ave., Elmhurst, NY
Oh, this is one of those places that makes me wish I didn’t live where I
live. I’m 
pretty
fond of my apartment, it’s just the surroundings that I find less than satisfactory
(weird, I know, since there are plenty of perfectly nice blogs devoted these
environs). Minangasli should be my neighborhood restaurant, not Frankies
457 (which isn’t even heinous) 0r I don’t know, Marco
Polo. But then, I could be biased since I’m no fan of Italian-American
cuisine. Maybe I’m just partial to S.E. Asian food under $7 with nearby
storefronts with names like Bappy Sweets (a bastardization of happy or does
bappy mean something?). I would eat out every night and be even unhealthier
and mushier than I am now, so it’s for the best.
I
could be off, but I kind of saw it like a tourist going to Miami and distressing
over the lack of cheesesteaks. I don’ t know if Penang or Kuala Lumpur
are exactly rendang hot beds. We certainly found the dish here and there,
at a few street stalls, but it tended to show up more on the menus of
Indonesian restaurants.
with
only three large chunks or I would’ve been in serious caloric straits.
(The portions are almost deceptively small, at first glance they seem
slightly inadequate, but once you start eating you realize they’re more
than enough, it’s an optical illusion.)
* * *
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