Lombok Trip: Rumah Makan "2EM"

The trip was somewhere in January 2011, I couldn't remember the exact date. But it was 7 days trip. 
For readers who are not familiar with Lombok,  I do recommend you to read this (it's  from wikipedia anyway) first.

Lombok, an island situated in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, is known for their virgin beaches (no pun intended) and unique Sasak culture. I went there (for the fourth time in my life) on January 2011 with my brother, his wife, and friends. It was fun trip since we stayed in "quite" deserted nearby island where electricity and fresh water are extremely valuable. But in this post, I only share you my culinary trip story on Lombok.

Lombok is also known for its famous dish: Ayam Taliwang. For non-Lombok islanders, Ayam Taliwang is understood as a spicy chicken dish with chili, shrimp paste, lime, and various local herbs. Unfortunately, it's a misconception. Ayam Taliwang (or Taliwang Chicken in English) is actually a name of a chicken species which is farmed in a place named Taliwang, Lombok island.

Its size is smaller than common chickens and it is still bigger than a pigeon. So the dish with those chilies, shrimp paste, and etc has another name which locally called as "Ayam Julat". Julat refers to the technique of cooking Taliwang chickens.

After spending 2 days  in an island name Gili Nangu, we went back to the provincial capital of West Nusa Tenggara, Mataram. We had our lunch at a local restaurant named "2 EM" which specialized in cooking Taliwang chickens and various local Lombok foods.

We ordered Ayam Julat, Sate Sum-Sum (marrow satay) , Beberuk, Plecing Kangkung, steamed rice, and some other dishes that I forgot to take pictures of them.

Ayam Julat

Ayam Julat is actually a Taliwang chicken grilled in spicy paste that consists of chilli, shrimp paste, lime, lemongrass, tomatoes, garlic, and shallots. It tastes really spicy with a bit of sour hint. It's like heaven in your mouth if you enjoy this Ayam Julat with a plate of rice. A reminder: For non-Indonesian or those who don't take spicy food , please not order this dish.It's extremely spicy! But if you dare to take the challenge, then go for it. Eat with your own risk :)

Beberuk

Next one is Beberuk. I am not sure whether this is a dish or just a condiment, nevertheless I found it very delicious. Beberuk consists of chopped long beans, shallots, bird eye chillies, eggplants and mixed up with chilli sauce and lime. I think this dish shares similarity with my all time favorite South East Asian salad: Som Tam, though Som Tam is far inferior in terms of spiciness and sourness compared to Beberuk.

Sate Sumsum/Marrow Satay

This one is called, Sate Sum Sum or marrow satay. I had never encountered this type of satay before. And unlike its colleagues in Java, this satay doesn't employ peanut sauce as the condiment. It uses something that similar to chilli sauce with a bit of sweetness inside. The sauce give additional addiction when the marrow melts in your mouth. A must try dish.

Rice with Plecing Kangkung

The last thing I tried (and I took a picture of it) is Plecing Kangkung. Kangkung or Kangkong or Morning Glory or Water Spinach is abundant in Lombok. So the local people use it as their source of fibre in various Lombok dishes and one of them is cooked it in Plecing style. Plecing Kangkung basically is boiled Kangkung with grated coconut, peanuts, and tomato sauce. It is not spicy or hot, and I guess it has an important role in Lombok feast as a neutralizing food after eating those ultra spicy dishes like Ayam Julat or Beberuk.


Overall the food in 2 EM is very satisfying, although it may not be enjoyable for some people. If I am not wrong, we spent around 50000 IDR per person for all the dishes (there are five of us). Great food with affordable prices.

Rumah Makan “2 EM”
Jalan Transmigrasi Nomor 99
Cakranegara, Mataram
Nusa Tenggara Barat
Indonesia