Now this one really is the pick of the month. Meradelima, a charming and expansive Indonesian restaurant serving traditional food in even more traditional antique surroundings, has just opened up a new branch right next to Pasaraya in the busy shopping area of Blok M. So, if you fancy a bit of respite from traipsing around the malls and markets of the area then head down to Meradelima for lunch with your shopping bags and pirated DVDs and step back in time.

The people behind Meradelima also run Menteng’s Bunga Rampai, an eatery to which your favourite lifestyle and entertainment magazine gave a glowing thumbs up last year. Meradelima is equally sumptuous inside and is chock-full of antique furniture, mirrors, vases and other objet d’art. Even the restrooms have been fastidiously decked out in gorgeous retro decor. The restaurant is rather vast and there are several dining areas including some beautiful glass walled rooms upstairs and a VIP room which seats 15. Meradelima is open from 11am until 11pm everyday and hopes to be putting on a regular Sunday brunch for Rp.135,000 in the very near future (give them a ring on the number above to check).

Meradelima serves up classic Javanese dishes of a kind that you won’t fi nd in your local neighbourhood warung, all whipped up to perfection by Chef Harna (a Javanese native, naturally). The menu isn’t huge but the cuisine that is on offer is truly outstanding. We started our Indonesian odyssey with a refreshing Es Mata Keranjang (Rp.25,000) an appetite piquing blend of soursop, coconut and atap fruit with milk and ice shavings. If you’re after a hot, fortifying tipple then rest assured that Meradelima also serves such delicious classics as Wedang Jahe and Wedang Sekoteng.

Moving on to the main courses, we opted for the delectable Gurameh Telor Asin (Rp.95,000) a dish of grilled grouper fi sh dipped in salted egg yolk. This is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes and the combination of fi sh fl esh and egg works brilliantly. We also tried Meradelima’s Salad Van Zuylem, a refreshing blend of Jeruk Bali, prawns and rice crackers in a mustard sauce. It sounds like a strange combination but it’s another real winner.

Many more familiar Indonesian favourites are also on offer down at Meradelima, from noodles to satay to grilled fi sh and even Nasi Goreng (fried rice). All however have been given their own unique twist and contain the fi nest ingredients in order to bring Javanese cuisine to the top table. Magnifi cent. There’s also a second, smaller branch of Meradelima which you’ll fi nd in Gedung Graha Paramita on Jl. Denpasar Raya behind the Manhattan Hotel in Kuningan, however the Blok M branch is the real fl agship. Go and get acquainted with a real taste of Java.