Karangahape’s Newest Neighbour – Java
This month we spoke to Karangahape Station’s newest neighbour, Java. Located on Karangahape Road, walking distance from what will be the Mercury Lane entrance, Java is an Indonesian restaurant with food and décor as vibrant as the area it resides in.
We asked one of the owners, Adriana, a few questions:
How did Java begin?
We started Java three years ago with a laser-focus on introducing this market to the food we grew up with - broadening the Kiwi palate to our niche Southeast Asian cuisine and spices. There weren't a lot of Indonesian restaurants in Auckland at the time, if any, and we wanted to change that! We're all Indonesian here at Java and fiercely proud of our culture!
Where does the name ‘Java’ come from?
Java is the main island of Indonesia, which not many people know and still relate Indonesia to Bali exclusively. Java is home to the capital city of Jakarta, a modern metropolis that never sleeps, with malls bigger than the biggest malls in New Zealand put together and buildings that seem to pierce the clouds.
Java is also home to important culinary districts like Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya, all making up ’Javanese cuisine’. Cuisine from this part of Indonesia is hearty, wholesome, and super complex - its recipes handed down from generations, from when the kings and queens still ruled our land.
What is the number one dish your customers love?
Our crispy fried duck, or the Bebek Goreng, won a place in Auckland's Top 100 Iconic Dishes in 2021. It continues to be our highest selling dish, followed by our Nasi Kuning, or yellow turmeric rice with 4-5 different sides - perfect for the indecisive or those looking to get a taste of Indonesia on one plate.
What dishes would you and your team recommend?
Java has a big menu and heavily focuses on crowd favourites like our Nasi Kuning, our Penyet range (crispy chicken, ribs, duck or vegan proteins with our delectable sambal penyet), and our variety of Nasi Campurs (jasmine rice and 5-6 different sides). Some new menu items include our sister restaurant Bali Nights' popular Beef Rendang and Ikan Goreng Sambal Matah - a crispy whole fried snapper smothered in a fresh Balinese sambal.
For rainy pandemic days, we recommend getting our soups. The Soto Ayam is literally sunshine in a bowl, this chicken noodle soup is packed with nutritional goodness and will punch a sore throat in its, well, throat. The Rawon, or black beef soup, is so close to my grandmother’s version, but please don’t tell her cause she’s a harsh critic and I’m not ready for it. And our chicken rice porridge, the Bubur Ayam, is the perfect get-well-soon contactless delivery drop off for a loved one who’s in isolation.
What do you like about being in the Karangahape neighbourhood?
We love the eclectic-ness of the precinct, the colourful characters, and lively foodie scene - a lot of our favourite hospo friends are here and we can't be more excited to be closer to them!
We can't wait for the CRL Karangahape Station to open up and are quite excited about what's in store for good ‘ole Mercury Lane. We reckon it will connect so many more Aucklanders to this much-loved precinct, bringing with them a new energy and a whole new buzz!
Address:
322 Karangahape Road, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
Tuesday to Thursday: 12pm - 9pm
Friday to Sunday: 12pm - 10pm