Lapo to the Batak community is a social place. It’s where local North Sumatra dishes are served, where people gather over coffee or arak, and where families often hang out together after a church service. In Jakarta, such lapo becomes a home away from home for Batak migrants settling into the city. Typically simple and often set up by the streetside, these lapos are characterised by their casual, no-frills atmosphere—non-AC, noisy, and full of life.
But what happens when a lapo finds itself amidst the high-rise skyline of SCBD, where sleek office buildings and upscale dining establishments dominate? What if the food, usually served in humble, bustling corners, is executed with an ‘elevated’, fine dining treatment? Lapo Porsea, billing itself “the world’s first Batak fine cuisine” in SCBD Park, is set to surprise and delight.
Wooden interiors and stone walls envelop the establishment, furnished with a bar, a stage for live music performances, and a proud display of ulos, the traditional textile of North Sumatra, made by artisans from the region. Not too simple, not too extravagant, just the right atmosphere for diners—from office crowds around the area, first-timers curious about Batak food, to families of the very ethnicity who may be delighted or slightly critical—to gather and have a feast.
Executive Chef Patrese Vito travelled and tasted many lapo around the highlands of Samosir to inform himself of Batak food and what he could do to offer a new perspective, while still maintaining the root of the flavours and the warmth of Batak traditions. “What’s unique is that, of all the lapo we’ve tried, every offering was the same, but none tasted the same. Each lapo has its own distinct take on the dishes.”
In a way, it is this flexibility that allows Chef Vito to be more free, and not to be fixated on what should be the accustomed taste of Batak food. Of course, with insights by Lapo Porsea’s founders, Maruarar Sirait, DR. Juniferts Girsang, Daniel Ginting, Dumasi Marisina M Samosir, Meryl Rouli Saragih, Meilina Siregar and Jona Widhagdo Putri—most of whom are familiar with Batak culinary traditions.
The result is a sharing menu that dabbles in both familiarity and newness. For one of the starters, Porsea serves Hamachi Dekke Naniura, a twist on the traditional Batak naniura dish that commonly uses carp. Here, delicate slices of hamachi are bathed in a vibrant, piquant vinaigrette of turmeric, utte jungga (a citrus species native to Toba highlands), and the signature Batak spice of andaliman. The Saksang Naso Margota brings forward a dearly recognised Batak dish, featuring minced pork stewed in grilled coconut and fragrant spices, offering a milder take on its typical bold, punchy flavours—sans the traditional use of blood. While Arsik, another traditional Batak fish dish cooked with a blend of asam cikala, andaliman pepper and local spices, can be served with crispy pork belly or Canadian lobster.
Each meal is also accompanied by an array of Batak ‘banchan’ (side dishes) as they call it, which includes sambal andaliman, anchovies, pickles and sayur daun singkong (crushed cassava leaf curry), best enjoyed with a helping of stone pot rice for a filling, convivial meal. To complete the experience, top it off with the Siantar-hailed Badak sarsaparilla or the refreshingly bright Terong Belanda (Dutch eggplant juice).
While the presence of Lapo Porsea may draw comparisons to the more traditional lapos, its approach isn’t about one-upping traditions or sentiments of the Batak cuisine. Rather, it’s about offering another dynamic of how far the flavours can go and how delightfully different they can adapt to. Over a shared, convivial spread and spirited conversations, Lapo Porsea is proudly bringing another layer and perspective to the already unique and vibrant world of Batak cuisine.
