Bandung has always been a good city to hang out with friends and have a good food or drinks while you’re at it. During my last project, I was referred to a pub nearby my house and explore a bit about it. The name’s Chinook and the pub is apparently famous for promoting local indie bands. Not only that, it sometimes cater the crowd who wants to see famous singers!

I can tell right away that Chinook has undergone a bit of facelift quite recently and it becomes more confident with the new look because it does attract visitors. Overall it’s not a kind of place I regularly visit but I was made infatuated with one of the dishes they have there.

I sampled Chinook’s main dishes such as the overly sweet spaghetti bolognese and the decent but chewy grilled oxtails, but the best one among them was actually a plate full of spicy fried tofu!

It’s a great snack for everybody, perfect to accompany your hanging out time, and possesses intriguing characters – very crispy, already hot thanks to the spiced batter and added with a supremely fiery sambal using so many bird-eye chilis! I sweat my nose a bit writing about this while imagining again this highly inviting dish! The manager even said to me that a certain patron sometimes came by whenever he visits Bandung and order the tofu for takeaway.

So, the other cool thing about Chinook is that they provide a place to gig for many aspiring local bands and even for already known artists. I hear also that sometimes they provide it for free and cater community gatherings as well, such as big motorcycle clubs or even heavy metal fans.

Well, although I fancy coffee shops more, but I’d do the takeaway once in a while for the spicy tofu or a bit of these refreshing drinks. Cool!

—–

CHINOOK

Halal-friendly (no problem with the food, just the drinks)

Some dishes are suitable for vegetarians

Address: Jalan LLRE Martadinata no. 191, Bandung – Indonesia

Opening hours: Everyday, TBA

Spend: IDR 20,000 – IDR 50,000 / person

Twitter: @chinookcafe