Indonesian restaurant serves South Philly.
If you don’t have an Indonesian grandmother, you may not be able to identify the aromas coming from Hardena, a BYOB restaurant located at 1754 S. Hicks St. that serves up traditional Indonesian dishes.
“I don’t know what they’re cooking, but it sure smells good,” my father, Wilford Mintz, often said to me during the three-month period we spent doing renovations on my salon studio in the same block on Hicks Street.
We often saw a line of customers waiting for Maylia Widjojo, sous chef and co-owner of Hardena, to raise the security gate and open the restaurant in the morning. A steady stream of people came and went from the restaurant all day.
At first, neither of us were adventurous enough to take a few steps across the street to try the food.
I was raised on southern-style soul food, with an occasional jerk chicken platter for variety. I didn’t even know what kind of food they ate in Indonesia, an archipelago nation in southeast Asia.
One day, my sister persuaded me to go with her and give it a try. After one bite, I wondered why it took me so long.
Hardena has been a South Philadelphia gem for authentic Indonesian food for 18 years. In February, the restaurant received a prestigious James Beard Foundation semi-finalist nomination for Best Chef.
“That’s my mom’s hard work,” said Diana Widjoja, co-owner and general manager.
Diana Widjoja’s mother, Ena Widjoja, is now retired, but her legacy lives on.
Before arriving in South Philadelphia with her husband and three daughters, Ena Widjoja spent about 10 years working at the Indonesian consulate in New York City, creating dishes that she’d learned from her mother.
During that time, Indonesian dignitaries, including former Indonesian President Suharto, all dined on her fare.
These days you’ll find Ena Widjoja sitting behind the counter in the restaurant, overseeing the platters as they’re prepared by her daughter, Maylia Widjoja.
What were once her specialties have become her daughter’s dishes, which continue to keep the restaurant packed.
“People travel to get here and it’s kind of flattering that way,” Diana Widjojo said.
Customers include bus tours with Canadian and Indonesian travelers, in addition to a throng of locals.
The menu has something for everyone: a six-hour slow braised rendang, spicy chicken, tempeh stew, eggplant and tofu with eggs served over jasmine rice.
There are also vegetarian corn fritters and a jasmine tea that’s been said to make you want to “take one to go.”
Platters come in small, medium or large sizes with prices starting at $8.
Diana and Maylia Widjojo welcome patrons from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day except Tuesdays, offering samples and encouraging them to try something they might not typically order.
Tiffany Chalk, a regular from Bear, Del., dines at Hardena weekly for food that she would not normally eat.
“It has rich flavors,” Chalk said. “It’s a unique taste. I never even thought I had the palate to like Indonesian food.”
