The next day I had work to do the whole day and in the evening I went out to meet a friend for the first, proper Indonesian meal. I've posted these photos before but for the sake of completeness I've put them in here as well.
My friend choosing the fish. He's been living in Indonesia for decades and speaks the language, so negotiations were quick and to the point.
The sauces/ dips/ condiments.
The fish, half filleted and then grilled on both sides.
Lousy photo but it shows the fish soup we ordered.
And finally the fish roe, which wasn't very special due to it tasting like the vinegar it was served in.
And here's Surabaya! Indonesia's second biggest city. I like going there and it's had a special place in my heart since I was four.
My parents had a Kurt Weill/ Lotte Lenya record which included the song 'Surabaya- Johnny'. The melody is quite haunting and the story was too difficult and mysterious for me to understand but it's stayed with me ever since.
Surabaya JohnnyI was young, I was just sixteen then,
when you came up from Burma one day.
And you told me to pack up my suitcase,
and I did, and you took me away.
I said, "Do you work nice and steady,
or do you go sailing and roving out to sea?"
And you said, "I have a job on the railroad,
and baby, how swell it's all gonna be."
You said a lot, Johnny. It was all lies.
You sure had me fooled, right from the start.
I hate you when you laugh at me like that.
Take that pipe out of your mouth, Johnny.
Surabaya Johnny. Is it really the end?
Surabaya Johnny. Will the hurt ever mend?
Surabaya Johnny. Ooh, I burn at your touch.
You got no heart, Johnny, but oh, I love you so much.
Thought at first you were kind and gentle,
'til I packed up and went off with you.
And it lasted two weeks until one day
you laughed at me and hit me too.
You dragged me all over the city,
up the river and down to the sea.
Now I look at myself in the mirror
and some old woman looks back at me.
You didn't want love, Johnny, you wanted money.
I gave you all I had. You wanted more.
Oh, don't look at me that way.
I'm only trying to talk to you.
Wipe that grin off your face, Johnny.
Surabaya Johnny. Is it really the end?
SurabayaJohnny. Will the pain never mend?
Surabaya Johnny. How I burn at your touch.
You got no heart, Johnny, but oh, I love you so much.
When we met I forgot to ask you
why they called you that funny name,
but in every hotel on the seacoast
I found out, and I loved you all the same.
I'm tired. I'm worn out.
The sea's pounding in my ears.
And I reach out my arms to hold you.
You're not here and who even cares?
You got no heart, Johnny. You're just no good.
You going now? Oh, tell me why.
I love you after all, Johnny, like that very first day.
Don't laugh at me no more, Johnny.
Surabaya Johnny. Is it really the end?
SurabayaJohnny. Will the hurt ever mend?
Surabaya Johnny. Oh, I burn at your touch.
You got no heart, Johnny, but oh, I love you,
I love you, I love you so much.
Surabaya at dawn.
Next meal, again ikan bakar, grilled fish, but this time Eastern Java style.
Starting with the sauces, most were quite hot.
The fish. It was basted with a chopped onion/ chilli mix, very aromatic but not too hot.
Fried, flat and broad rice noodles, I wanted a change from rice ;D
Cauliflower with... toadstools! They turned out be be normal mushrooms though, lucky!
Prawns in butter sauce.
Water convulvulus/ kangkong/ water spinach/ moring grory, stir fried with squid.
Drinks, water for my mother, Bintang for me ;D
For dessert, otak- otak, a fish paste that is served grilled here.
And here the actual specialty of the restaurant. They hadn't been delivered when we arrived, I saw these on the way out.
After a short walk back to the hotel we felt we deserved a dessert and settled for these