I had to add these photos - the spicy terung is very prominent in the first shot. Sambal terung is a mainstay in nasi padang - basically, braised eggplant (or aubergines or brinjal) in a spicy chili and sambal mixture. The flesh of the brinjal is soft but not mushy, the sambal chili is a fine balance of spicy, sweet and fragrant, and the color is red red red. This is the true test of a good nasi padang. I know many people rate a nasi padang stall by its beef rendang but for me, it is always the sambal terung.
The most difficult dish to execute well is beef lung - sounds horrid, and when it is badly executed (which is the case at lunch today), it does taste horrible. It should be soft, not chewy, like extra-tender beef jerky. In itself, the taste is good but it's flavour is enhanced by sambal chili - this is known as dendeng paru in Indonesia. I hope I will get to try the authentic version in Jakarta next week (assuming I get to Jakarta).
The other dishes we ordered were Sayor Lodeh (vegetables in a light curry broth), chicken curry and ikan bilis fried with peanuts and tempeh. The red and green chili side dish was not spicy. Overall, the food looked great but the taste was unremarkable and not memorable.
All that being said, my friend William and I are still enjoyed our lunch. :)
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