“I’m the kind of person who’d go to a restaurant and not look at the menu—I’d just go with familiar dishes that are typically available, depending on what kind of cuisine the restaurant serves. And that’s definitely something you can do at RM Sinar Gakong,” shared Raven, one of the eight partners behind the newly opened Chinese-Indonesian food joint inside the Grand Wijaya Centre complex.
First founded in Bandung in 2023, ‘Gakong’ joins a growing list of understated, no-frills dining establishments like Kedai Rukun and Sop Sapi Minarwati that have gathered a loyal following in their own cities before making their break in the capital. So when the Wijaya branch finally opened its doors at the beginning of this month, it was quickly met with excitement from those already acquainted with the cooking of head chef Kevin Lee—better known as LV—and curiosity from first-timers who had heard the buzz.
Luckily for them, at Gakong’s deliberately “dangdut” (somewhat campy) new home—loudly adorned with bold green and red accents, very much in line with its irreverent social media presence—LV still whips up the same expansive menu of Chinese-Indonesian comfort food like he does for the Bandung outlet. And each dish is the type to elicit a sense of familiarity among local diners, whether or not they have been a patron at any of Gakong’s establishments.
“When the partners first developed the menu, we leaned more towards a contemporary interpretation of the cuisine. It was LV who dialled it back down, steering it closer to the familiar flavours of Chinese family cooking [in Indonesia],” noted Raven.
The popular fried rice Nasi Goreng LV glistens with a generous dose of house-made chilli oil, mixed in with cuts of chicken and meatball alongside a spoonful of pickled vegetables to balance out the biting spice. Gakong’s fluffy and airy Fuyunghai packs a bit of a surprise, deviating from the norm by having not only one but two types of sauces: a sweet-sour condiment and a yellow curry blend that curiously pairs well with each other. Meanwhile, the Baso Goreng is a go-to among takeaway orders. Made with mackerel, chicken, and shrimp, the meatballs are satisfyingly chewy and savoury with a nice crisp on their edges.
RM Sinar Gakong makes no claim to having the definitive take on Chinese-Indonesian comfort food, but instead focuses on creating flavours people can relate to and return to any day. “We don’t need flavours that are ten out of ten. Dining here shouldn’t be a special, one-off occasion, but something people can do regularly,” reasoned Raven. True to that intention, less than a month since opening, the Wijaya outlet has already drawn a steady flow of returning faces—from neighbourhood creatives and fellow restaurant owners to groups of office workers who now treat it as part of their daily rhythm.