INDONESIAN chef I Made Sudiarta, who is also the co-founder of Nona Bali Restaurant located in Pulau Tikus, feels very at home in Penang as he has been whipping up Indonesian authentic cuisines here for the past nine years.
I Made, 36, serves especially Balinese delights being from the beautiful island of Bali.
He finds a number of similarities between Penang and Bali, landscape wise, the people as well as their rich culture.
“Just like Bali, Penang is also an island. So, whenever people ask me whether I miss Bali or not, I always tell them that I feel very welcomed and comfortable in Penang and I do not really miss Bali. Moreover, the people here are warm and friendly.
“When I first started the restaurant, I was kind of worried thinking of the response but now after nine years I feel really proud as they have accepted my Balinese cuisines.
“I also serve other cuisines from other parts of Indonesia. Different region has its own recipes and flavours,’’ said I Made during an interview with Buletin Mutiara yesterday.
I Made said he and Peter Tait (co-founder) decided to set up the Nona Bali restaurant after getting to know that Penang has no restaurants that serve authentic Indonesian delights, except for some stalls.
“We wanted to open up a restaurant, showcasing the flavours from Bali as Penang had none.
“Apart from that, the fact that Penang is also famous among Indonesians for its medical tourism also stirred us to come up with Nona Bali.
“Although there are stalls that serve Indonesian food, those Indonesians who come here for medical treatment would prefer a more conducive place to dine in,’’ added I Made.
According to I Made, among the signature dishes in Nona Bali are the Sate Lilit (appetizer), Gado Gado (appetizer) and Kukus Injin (dessert).
“‘Sate Lilit’ is the aromatic grilled Balinese fish paste wrapped around lemongrass and ‘Gado Gado’ is the vegetable salad served with peanut sauce.
“The Kukus Injin is the steamed black glutinous rice served with grated coconut rice, salted coconut milk and palm sugar.
“Then for the main course, our signature dish is the ‘Bebek’ (duck) which comes in four different preparations, namely fried, grilled, rendang and fried with green chilli paste.
“Each preparation reflects the respective flavours of different parts of Indonesia,” said I Made, who also has the experience of working as a chef in a cruise liner in Europe.
I Made added that his assistants at the kitchen comprises locals as well as Indonesians.
Meanwhile, Tait said the restaurant earlier was located at Karpal Singh Drive but this year they shifted to their new premises at 23 Lintang Burma in Pulau Tikus.
“We decided to relocate due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our business as well as to cut down on rental expenses.
“Prior to that, we used to be dependent on factory employees at lunch time.They would also come over to our place for team building.
“Once the medical tourism resumes, I believe we will be definitely seeing our visitors from Indonesia,” Tait added.
Apart from that, Tait also shared that, the duo was offered to open up an Asian kitchen in a hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand but they turned down the offer.
“I cannot speak Thai neither do I Made. So, we do not want to be at a place where we are not confident of.
“We felt much more comfortable in Penang instead,’’ said Tait who is a Penangite.
To tantalise your taste buds with the flavoursome Indonesian cuisine, check out the Nona Bali Restaurant which is open every day except on Wednesdays.
Its operating hours are from 11am to 7.30pm. For orders or enquiries, call 04-228 1630.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis