“It quickly became obvious that a lot more slow cooking was required,” writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON after tackling a challenging serve of “slow-cooked” beef ribs. 

INDONESIANS worship eating in good company, connecting with family and friends. It’s the best way to enjoy soul-satisfying dishes and Aussies are bloody good with this philosophy, too.

Rasa Rosa celebrates the spicy and fragrant flavours of the island of Lombok. Rosa decided to open her compact food outlet at Verity Lane Markets in Civic to fulfill her dream to inspire people to love Indonesian cuisine. 

She first learned to cook at the tender age of eight, during a famine. Despite times being tough she remembers the kitchen as her happy place.

Verity Lane Markets has five vendors. The long, attractive bar is where you order wine, bubbles and beer. Then you choose what you want to eat and order as you please so everyone in a group gets exactly what they want. Grab a table and when the buzzer goes off you pick up your food.

On our visit was the newest vendor, Lim Peh Wan Tan Mee, creating authentic Singaporean noodle dishes (long line and a waiting time of 30 minutes for food to be delivered, but I bet it’s worth the wait). Other vendors have been at Verity Lane for a while, including long-standing Pizza Artigiana and sister vendor Pasta Artigiana. Also, SuperBao with its fluffy white bao buns.

But back to Rasa Rosa. 

My friend ordered the Nasi Kuning ($26), jam-packed with complementary flavours, a myriad of textures and a rainbow of colour. The yellow rice was soft and fluffy, and the turmeric married well with the chicken curry. Exploding with spice and heat was the boiled sambal egg (not for the faint-hearted) that sat beside a small pile of crunchy, almost candied peanuts. 

Also adding to the punch were anchovies and crispy beef fried noodles. More texture was created by decorative crackers, a popular snack in Indonesia. 

From the two daily specials, I was convinced to try the $22 beef ribs, which I was assured were slow-cooked (and, in my mind, therefore stunningly tender meat falling off the bones). 

The dish featured a mound of plain rice and big chunks of carrot and cauliflower (just par cooked). I had more bone than beef and most pieces were tough and chewy. It quickly became obvious that a lot more slow cooking was required, although the garlic, onions and sweet soy sauce combined for excellent flavour. Decorative crackers adorned my dish also, shaped like stars, with colourful edging.

I should have – in retrospect – played it safe with Indonesia’s famous Gado Gado ($20), but dining out is about experimenting, right? 

In the end, I suffered food envy, wishing I was my friend, and remembering that in the food review game you win some and lose some.