I was wandering along one of my regular routes that meanders through the backstreets of nether Shibuya when I spotted this sign. What used to be a casual Japanese fish restaurant has now metamorphosed into an even more casual Indonesian eatery.
Warung — in Japanese it appears to be called ワルンビンタン (Warung Bintang) — is one of those labours of love that pop up here in Tokyo every so often. The owners have obviously been over in Java, loved the culture of the street-stall food there, and decided that this is exactly what Tokyo needs.
Inside, all the fittings and decor are exactly what you'd find in some Indonesian truckstop cafe. The tables are basic formica, and you sit on plastic stools. The plastic tablecloths advertise Coke in bahasa Indonesia, as do the lurid red ashtrays and chopstick/napkin holders. And Indonesian TV chat shows beamed from Jakarta flicker on the set in one corner of the room.
But the most important detail is that there are two Indonesian chefs in the kitchen. One is from Java, the other from Bali. One cooks the beef; the other the pork (you can work out for yourself which does what); and they share duties with the chicken and all the rest.
I've dropped in a couple of evenings already. The first time it was so new and empty and hesitant, I didn't really enjoy it. But the word's starting to get out and there are more customers now, and the food seems to be picking up too.
It's certainly down-home authentic. Besides the standard krupuk that come with any and every nasi campur in town, they also offer emping, similar puffed-up deep-fried crackers made with seeds of belinjo (also called melinjo; genetum gnemon; padi oats). They have a light nutty taste that went just fine with my Bintang — especially with the dip of fiery sambal — while waiting for the rest of my meal to arrive.
The other day I had the mixed sate plate — 2 sticks each of chicken, mutton and beef, except I asked them to substitute tempeh for one of the sticks of lamb — with a serving of rice on the side, which came with just a small garnish of gado-gado.
It was all pretty good and satisfying, albeit the sate sauce was typically sweet (out of the jar, I guess; the gadogado sauce too).
In fact the tempeh was the best part of the meal, though I knew that already, having ordered a serving the previous time. I'm a major fan of tempeh — let's hear it for mould-cultured soybeans!
The first time I ate at Warung I ordered the nasi campur mixed plate — as you do, if you want a balanced meal with a bit of this, that and t'other. This is how it's served, on green 'banana-leaf-look' plastic...
Some stewed beef; a chicken sate; some gado-gado greens; two halves of a boiled egg with a sauce of diced tomato/cucumber; one krupuk — plus rice, of course. And this is the main grumble I have about Warung (apart from the cigarette smoke): the rice is sticky Japanese-style gohan — and this kind of food really does need to be served with Indonesian long-grain rice.
But we have so few Indonesian restaurants in Tokyo — and none I'm aware of that specialise in simple street food — that I'm just really pleased to have discovered Warung. I'm even more pleased that it's in a part of town I pass through regularly. I know I'll be back there plenty.
Here's a map link...
and more info (in Japanese) on their own blog here...
They're open for lunch now too — latest opening hours here...
Update: Since spring of 2022, there has only been one chef, the Javanese (so, no pork now).
UPDATE: Warung Bintang is now closed
