Hardena

Oh, man. Hardena has been on my to-do list since I started this blog. I have never heard one word other than high praise for this ramshackle Indonesian point-and-receive food line in South Philly, yet I have somehow never made it a priority to it hit up. If you've similarly slacked, hit. it. up. now.
For one thing, I thought Harden was a little farther south than it really is (I walk most every place I eat), but it's only a few blocks west of all the happenings on E. Passyunk Ave.

The other thing, I knew there was always a vegetarian option on the steam table, but I didn't know there were so many. I was overwhelmed when the sweet woman behind the counter rattled off six different vegetarian options. I was only expecting two, or three at most.
So, what you get at Hardena is your choice of three items on top of rice for the low, low price of $6. There's a menu on the wall across from the counter, but it's best to just ask the person behind the counter what's on the steam table. Say "vegetarian" if you are, and they'll kindly tell you what's available. Pour yourself some water from the large cooler, and have a seat with your plate. I got collards, tempeh goreng, and angel hair rice noodles with tofu and beans. Sounds simple, but it's not. It's layers of complex, spicy, delicious yum over rice...which is my favorite meal in the whole world. I could eat this every day.
The boy got battered tempeh (kinda like lemony tempeh tempura), yellow fish, and tofu something-or-another. Again, complex, spicy, delicious yum over rice.

All plates come dressed with Hardena's homemade chili and lime leaf hot sauce, if you wish...and you do. You can buy some of the hot sauce to take home, as well.

Hardena very much reminded me of Genelle's in Wilmington, my favorite point-and-receive Wilmo restaurant (sadly, now closed) that served complex, spicy, delicious, Caribbean yum over rice. Hardena just puts the Indonesian (influence from Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, and European cuisines) into the yum. And Hardena is a little more, um, let's use the word ramshackle again, but charming and outstandingly delicious, for sure.

Prediction: Hardena wins "best of" in the next Mac & Cheese end of the year roundup.

Hardena
1754 Hicks St., Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-271-9442
Mon, 11am-8pm
Wed, noon-8pm
Thurs-Sun, 11am-8pm

Cafe Pendawa Lima

There's a pocket in South Philly's Point Breeze neighborhood called "Little Indonesia" with Indonesian restaurants and stores that I've been meaning to explore for years now (that to-do list is massive), and I finally got around to one of those eateries, Cafe Pendawa Lima.

Well, Cafe Pendawa is not really a restaurant like the highly praised South Philly Indonesian restaurants, Hardena and Indonesia, but Cafe Pendawa, is more of a corner bodega (check out this Chowhound listing for a list of more Indonesian bodegas in Philly).

Cafe Pendawa has a small selection of Indonesian grocery staples in back, and quite an impressive selection of freshly made food. Meals in plastic clam shell boxes are stacked in a large refrigerator along the wall, and sweet and fried goodies are displayed on a table running down the middle of the narrow building.

Scanning the refrigerator and all the plastic clam shells -- some without any identifying sticker, some with just the Indonesian name of the dish, and some with the Indonesian name and a list of ingredients -- I was a bit unsure what was what, and what did or didn't contain meat. I had to ask the friendly employee for assistance. He looked in the case, and said, "Sorry, they all have meat," but I spotted one without any markings that looked promising. "Ah, yes, Gado-gado has no meat," exclaimed the employee.Gado-gado might be one of the only Indonesian dishes I'm familiar with and have eaten before. If you're unfamiliar with Gado-gado, it's a salad with all sorts of varying ingredients of varying textures, but is always dressed with a sweet peanut sauce.
Pendawa's Gado-gado comes with the individual ingredients separated or in containers so every ingredient keeps it integrity until you're ready to assemble the salad and eat it. Chopped lettuce, Lontong (compressed rice cake cut into pieces), Kerupuk (Indonesian fried crackers), tempeh, fried tofu, mung bean sprouts, shredded steamed cabbage, half a hard boiled egg, chili sauce, and peanut sauce (heat up first to get ingredients combined) all came together for an excellent and filling salad that I would not mind eating every day. The ingredients were super fresh; no scary lettuce here!The desserts also don't have names or ingredients listed on their containers (when there even is a container; some are just hanging out in baskets), so I needed help in that department, too. Good thing I asked, because some desserts are made with meat!
The helpful employee recommended Nagasari, explaining it was a banana cake. Inside the banana leaf parcel was a firm, pudding-like dessert made from steamed coconut milk and flour surrounding a firm banana nothing like the soft, pale banana from the grocery store you're familiar with. I was conflicted by the smooth and firm gelatinous texture not common in most Western desserts, but oddly compelled by it, too. I ate it all in a jiffy and wanted more.I also grabbed Terang Bulan to try. Unfamiliar, yet yummy, I can only describe this dessert as minced peanuts, chocolate jimmies and cheese sandwiched between a condensed milk-soaked pancake. I'd definitely get it again.The freshness and quality of the food at Cafe Pendawa is exceptional. You just never know about some of these corner stores in Philly; they'll surprise you in a good way sometimes.

With the exception of a couple of dishes under my belt, I'm practically an Indonesian food newb, but so far so good! I can't wait to try some of the other Indonesian places in Philly, and might even get on it sooner them later.

Cafe Pendawa Lima
1529 Morris St., Philadelphia, PA 19147