The view from the street just before opening on a sell-out night. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Ask any Braidwood business owner, and they’ll tell you they’re miffed that their town isn’t a huge tourism destination.
It’s packed with personality, excellent dining experiences and a historical streetscape that’s second to none. It’s a regional experience that’s arguably one of the best out there.
Yet having the Canberra/coast traffic see past the inside of the hugely popular bakery is forever a challenge, and don’t mention Sydney; unless they’re at Mona for a wedding, Braidwood isn’t on their weekender trail.
Despite it often being overlooked, it’s a town that I’ve become so fond of that I’ve made it a regular weekend destination, even when I’m not headed to the coast. On my recent evening visit, I stopped in at Java, the town’s only Indonesian restaurant.
From the street, Java beckons you through the door with an inviting scene that’s warmly lit and bustling with patrons, and they’re all here for an Indonesian experience created and built by Braidwood resident and Indonesian native, Daniar Robinson.
The tahu goreng has a crunchy exterior and molten interior that really hits the spot. Photo: Martin Conway.
It’s so popular, in fact, that on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll need a booking, something that became apparent as we watched them turn away group after group on our recent visit.
Once inside, the vibe is carried by light jazz and the heritage features of the old shopfront, with its pressed-tin ceiling in the front window and the beautiful timber shop fittings that now house homewares and collections from Indonesia.
Java is grounded in a sense of place that is so Braidwood that you couldn’t be anywhere else.
The ayam balado is aromatic and textural in all the right ways. Photo: Martin Conway.
As owner and chef, Daniar leans into French cooking methods like roasting and slow cooking to carry the Indonesian flavours that are a deep part of her life.
The menu, which changes with the seasons, comes with the preface ‘real Indonesian, no shortcuts’, and the offering is intimate and comfortable for those familiar with Indonesian cuisine, and adventurous but not intimidating for those less familiar.
With several plates of the Tahu goreng (Tofu) making their way across the restaurant floor, it seems as good a place as any to start. Knocking over the little tofu towers and submerging them in a sweet-and-spicy dip based on kecap manis is deeply satisfying, and exposing their molten insides hidden within the crunchy exterior completes the experience.
Daniar’s rendang is subtle and sweet, using quality local beef. Photo: Martin Conway.
For mains, the ayam balado, a dish associated with West Sumatra, features thoroughly crunchy twice-cooked chicken thighs in a traditional balado sauce of chilli, lime leaves, onion and garlic. It’s sweet with a mild heat and a nice aromatic quality that will see you fighting over the last thigh.
Their signature slow-cooked 6-hour beef rendang is in the kalio style, where the cooking is halted while the dish is still wet, rather than being reduced to a dry rendang more commonly associated with Malaysia. Daniar’s version is subtle and sweet, and without the overwhelming spices, allows the tender beef to shine.
Beyond what we had space to consume on this visit, Daniar has many more tricks up her sleeve.
The aubergine balado is one I’m keen to try, along with the beef ribs empal with sambal terasi.
A traditional empal comes from West Java and usually features pounded, fried beef slices; swapping that for local beef ribs is a genius move, and one that I’m sure pays off.
Daniar also makes Indonesian classics like gado gado (vegetables with peanut sauce), nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) and martabak (filled roti with dipping curry).
Braidwood at twilight is full of delights. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Once you’re done with dinner, take a wander around town.
Braidwood in twilight is often missed by the through-traffic, and with the heritage buildings set against a sky ranging from pink to purple, it’s quite a scene.
Java Braidwood is located at 91 Wallace Street, Braidwood. They’re open Tuesday to Thursday from 12 pm to 5 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm, and 6 pm to 9 pm.
Original Article published by Tenele Conway on Region Canberra.
