If you’ve recently walked past Linva Tailor on Cochrane Street, you may have noticed a new dining addition opposite the cheongsam tailoring shop. Indonesian Restaurant 1968 may seem unassuming at first glance, but little do people know, this restaurant has an extensive history and is one of the longest-standing Indonesian restaurants in the city.
Their first restaurant originally opened on Yun Ping Road in Causeway Bay in 1968, and has moved across several locations in the CWB district and Central over the years, before finally settling down underneath the Mid-Levels Escalator this August. Indonesian Restaurant 1968 is owned and run by Hudson Chang, the grandson of the original proprietor, and he continues to carry out the legacy of his family.
We arrived at the restaurant on a bustling Friday evening, but fortunately, we managed to secure a table without much delay. Stepping inside, diners are instantly greeted by the homely and rustic atmosphere that Indonesian Restaurant 1968 prides itself on. The decor showcases wooden tables, cosy booth seats, rattan chairs, and menus resembling a newspaper. Since the restaurant was packed, we were only able to get a seat at the bar table in the basement level, where the ceiling was noticeably low. Our dining experience was slightly hindered by a boisterous group of diners seated nearby. The low ceilings created a rather echoey environment, which made it challenging to maintain a conversation at a normal volume.
The restaurant’s menu features a wide range of Indonesian classics. If you're not familiar with the cuisine, there are several dishes on the menu marked with a star that are recommended for diners to try. Additionally, they offer a rijsttafel tasting menu (rijsttafel means rice table and it features small plates all filled with Indonesian dishes) where you can indulge in a selection of starters and mains paired with three different types of rice.
We started with a gado gado ($98) – a light salad with subtle spiciness and a delightful peanut aroma that whetted our appetites – accompanied by a handful of prawn crackers, adding an enjoyable contrast of textures to the salad. Moving on, we were served freshly grilled chicken skewers ($68), accompanied by a small plate of chunky satay sauce lightly drizzled with a thick, sweet soy sauce. The chicken skewers were perfectly charred, retaining their juiciness, and became utterly irresistible once generously coated in the sauce.
As for the main dishes, the beef rendang ($118) was tougher than expected. We received a portion of beef shank without any tendons or fat. While we could taste lemongrass and other aromatics in the sauce, the rendang could have been caramelised for longer to deepen its flavour.
We also sampled the Indonesian fried chicken ($148), prepared by simmering it in a flavorful spice mix before frying it until crispy. The fried chicken's skin fell short of achieving the desired level of crispiness, but its rich and aromatic flavour compensated for that. Accompanying the dish were homemade sambal and a pickled sauce comprising chilli, ginger, lemongrass, and garlic. These condiments added a subtle spicy kick without overpowering the chicken's taste. No Indonesian meal is complete without digging into a plate of nasi goreng ($98) and 1968’s version uses a sweet soy sauce to toss everything together creating a savoury and satisfying taste.
We ended our meal with two delicious desserts: a slice of pandan-flavoured roll cake ($38) and a coffee-flavoured cheese stick ($48). The pandan roll cake was light and fluffy, while the coffee cheese stick could have used some thawing before serving. Overall, they provided a flavourful and delightful conclusion to our feast.
For the amount of food we ordered, our bill amounted to less than $700, which is quite affordable for a meal in the CBD. Overall, Indonesian Restaurant 1968 is a good addition to Central’s array of international restaurants, but unlike other venues in the area, this one won’t bust your budget and provides a comforting meal experience in a no-frills environment.