THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 6,2003
FOOD
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 11
Pochi offers up the taste of Indonesia
Sandwiched between India Palace and 7th Heaven on East 10th Street is the franchised, family-owned restaurant, Pochi Tea Station.
KU graduate and co-owner Erlinda Tjhai and family, opened Pochi, (pronounced po-chee), four months ago in hopes of drawing in customers to taste the styles of their heritage — Indonesian cuisine.
EAT THIS
For those who have never tried Indonesian cuisine, imagine a galore of palatable spices ranging from sweet, spicy and savory all blending with diverse flavors from surrounding countries such as Singapore, India, Thailand and China.
Christina DiGiacomo cdigiacomo@kansan.com
"Indonesian cuisine is a cross between Indian food and an immense fusion of Asian-type flavors," said Tjhai.
Remembering the majestic flavors of curry, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon from childhood, Tjhai described her archipelago home of more than 15,000 islands where the food was truly a variety of flavors.
With the eclectic nature of the food itself, walking into Pochi is an experience like none other in Lawrence.
Stepping inside this intriguing bistro, you're immediately splashed with bright yellows and greens that fill the walls and vaulted ceilings.
POCHI TEA STATION ... B
- Food: B-
- Ambiance: B+
Beneath lavishly round iridescent lamps are small tables, chairs, and a television that rings out the sounds of Asian rock.
The large Pochi menu is filled with diverse recipes from all of the many regions of Indonesia. Popular items such as Chicken Satay with a peanut dipping sauce are a wonderful introduction for the palate.
The chicken is threaded onto wooden skewers where the tastes of ginger, soy and sambal (an Indonesian chili paste) are cooled down with a creamy peanut sauce.
Beef Rendang, another specialty, is rich and bursting with flavors of turmeric, ginger and coconut.
More spicy items, such as Chicken Curry, erupt with a combination of flavors of breast meat, diced peppers and potatoes in a thick curry stew mixture, accompanied by perfect sticky Padang rice.
To drink, teas or juices such as the honey green tea or passion fruit juice can be served with or without tapioca pearls.
Here, the round chewy pearls (comparable to gummy bears) are placed on the bottom of the beverage, then it is served with a large straw for slurping the chewy pieces. (Note: the tapioca pearls taste nothing like tapioca in pudding).
Simpler items such as chicken and mushroom crepes, fried wonton pieces and tofu, pot stickers, fried bananas, flavored milks, teas, juices, fruit smoothies and even French fries are all great on their own.
It's most pleasing to know that all prices of each item range from $1.95 to $4.95 and service is quick.In addition, most of the dishes will please the healthconscious.
With Pochi Tea Station, experiencing the food and ambience is similar to taking a vacation to the world's melting pot.
DiGiacomo is an Apple Valley, Minn., senior in communication studies. She studied at Dante Aligheri cooking school in Florence, Italy.
Dan Nelson/Kansan
KU alumna Erlinda Tjhai is the owner of Pochi Tea Station on East 10th St. She is holding an Indonesian spiced chicken dish called Chicken Satay (left) and Ayam Mbok Berek, a fried chicken dish. Tjhai said she had the idea to open the eatery last January. She began working in earnest toward opening the restaurant with backing from her family in May 2002.
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