Por Que No?
Por Que No? jadi salah satu restoran baru yang hits banget di Jakarta tahun 2015 ini. Suasana homey, interior keren, serta keunikan dishes yang mereka tawarkan jadi alasan kenapa banyak yang suka. Oh iya, mereka juga punya rooftop bar/lounge yang pemandangannya super keren lho kalau malam. Kamu bisa menikmati makan malam sambil memandangi citylights Jakarta dan ditemani angin sepoi-sepoi. Menu andalan Por Que No? adalah tapas yang merupakan salah satu makanan khas Spanyol.
Well, mungkin ada di antara kamu yang masih clueless dengan tapas, so kita akan jelasin sedikit. Jadi tapas adalah makanan ringan khas Spanyol. Tapas nggak merujuk ke satu menu makanan tertentu saja, tapi macamnya sangat beragam, misalnya buah zaitun, cheese slice, atau croquettas. Ibaratnya kalau di Indonesia seperti cemilan macam pisang goreng, donat, atau roti bakar. Di Spanyol sendiri, tapas ini dijual di bar-bar atau restoran khusus tapas dan disajikan sebagai pelengkap minum bir atau wine. Porsinya sedikit dan ukurannya mungil karena memang di-desain sebagai makanan kecil, jadi ini sangat pas buat nemenin kamu ngobrol-ngobrol santai.
Solomillo
Memang sih di Indonesia tapas nggak seterkenal pasta Italia, tapi tapas ini punya penggemar sendiri lho di Jakarta. Apalagi dengan hadirnya Por Que No?, kamu jadi bisa ngerasain rasa tapas yang otentik, asli seperti yang ada di Spanyol.
Nah, di kesempatan kali ini, kita berhasil menyingkapkan cerita seru dibalik berdirinya Por Que No? ini langsung dari ownernya, Melissa Kowara. Mau tau lengkapnya? Simak yuk interview kita berikut ini!
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started POR QUE NO?
I guess you can go back to my time in the UK. Having lived there for 6 years, I learned two things that later followed my decision to open ¿Por Que No?:
- Going to Spain almost every other month for a dose of tapas indulgence, drinks, and sun was much needed in one’s life (subsequently fell in love with Spanish cuisine).
- A pint of beer is great. But a pint of beer next to bowl of snacks is amazing.
When I came back to Jakarta, I quickly found that there was a very limited number of Spanish tapas restaurants available, and even less of those are true tapas places, ones that serve great drinks alongside the authentic dishes. On the other hand, I was also extremely lucky to have a sister who has already opened a successful Italian restaurant, who also shared the passion I have for food, namely tapas.
From that point on, we got a few more people on board, including out food consultant Ana Martin from Sevilla (best place in Spain for Tapas!) who happened to be my sister’s university mate in Switzerland, who then taught us all her grandmother’s recipes which is what keeps us authentic and true to the concept of tapas.
Melissa Kowara
2. What is POR QUE NO? What is the philosophy behind it?
¿Por Que No? means ‘Why Not?’ in Spanish, and we feel that we’re very true to the name. Why is it called that? Well, why not? But in all seriousness, we do aim for that to be the answer to everything at our restaurant. PQN as a place is a tapas restaurant/bar, where dinners can be enjoyed with a drink or two and some small dishes to accompany the drink; or vice versa. We aim to be THE place where you can fully relax, be yourself, have the time of your life, without getting judged! What we do is assisting in providing the food and drinks for meals to experience exactly that: the time of their lives.
3. What is Spanish food to you?
Good hearty ingredients cooked simply, but well.
Paella Ciega
4. What are your most popular dishes? What should we order?
Our Solomillo is definitely a favourite. It is a butter-grilled tenderloin steak cut in thin strips, served to perfection at medium rare. When you have quality meat, you only need salt & pepper to have it dancing in your mouth (and of course, a little butter never hurts). Perfect combo to order at PQN would be the Solomillo, Champinones al Ajillo (mushroom cooked in garlic and white wine), and Salmorejo (Andalucian thick cold tomato soup that is tangy and refreshing, served with bread, apples, serrano ham and apples). I suggest taking a piece of mushroom, wrap it in a piece of steak, then dipping that into the Salmorejo. Oh, and down it with a nice icy beer.
Sliders
5. What is your favorite food dish in Jakarta?
NASI GALUNGAN, this extremely large portion of nasi, chicken, egg, potatoes, vermicelli noodles, sawi, singkong leaves, salted fish all in one convenient package that is very spicy.
Lokasi:
Por Que No
De RITZ Building LT. 5, Jalan HOS. Cokroaminoto No. 91, Menteng, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
Phone: (021) 3901950
Gimana? Pasti kamu makin tertarik kan buat mencoba Spanish tapas lezat ala Por Que No? Yuk buruan ke sana, lagi ada Christmas Menu special selama bulan Desember ini lho. Kalau mau tau dish paling favorit di Por Que No?, cek lewat Nibble aja. Informasi lengkapnya, klik di sini.
