NASI CIKUR - WARUNG INUL

The first time I heard of Nasi Cikur is from some friends travelling to Bandung from Jakarta, and Nasi Cikur at Warung Inul is definitely their “must go”  eating place - a mandatory destination agenda.

Been living in Bandung for couple months I think Nasi Cikur was not itemized in my culinary journey. You might have known that Bandung is very well known with its culinary tourism, and somehow I missed to know Nasi Cikur earlier. Till one fine day we (my GM, and colleagues) had lunch at that very known Nasi Cikur, at Warung Inul.

It is definitely not a luxury restaurant, it is just “Warung” / old spelling “Waroeng” (in Bahasa Indonesia means a type of small family-owned business — often a casual shop, a modest small restaurant or café. A warung is an essential part of daily life in Indonesia. Traditional warungs are made from wooden bamboo or thatched materials, and Warung Inul is beautifully located among big houses at exclusive luxury residential area of Dago Pakar.

Looking at its parking spaces, which its definitely surprising, you wouldn’t find motor cycles or low societies owned vehicles but most of them are classy built up cars, if you know what I mean what type of customers they have. You have to write down your orders, complete with your name on it, menu is just simply stuck on the glass showcase, and take your seat, waiting for your name to be called that your order is ready to serve. They are so packed during lunch hours.

Nasi cikur is made of rice and herbs, kaempferia galanga, commonly known as “kencur” in Bahasa Indonesia or “Cikur” in Bahasa Sunda, aromatic ginger, sand ginger, cut cherry or resurrection lily, and is a monocotyledonous plant in the ginger family, and one of four plants called galangal. It is found primarily in open areas in Indonesia, southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia and India, but is also widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia. That is served with traditional Sundanese food, such as : Ayam Goreng, Lalapan, Sambal, Pepes Ikan, Pepes Tahu and various of Sundanese home made cooking.

Talking about the taste, for Nasi Cikur itself, I expect to have not only seasoned but flavor rice but I think my expectation was just too high. Its just filthy rice and not even kencur/cikur aroma on it. The variety of side dishes were tempting though