Hi OKI_boy I went to Padang on Saturday night. Interesting effect having the thumping movie goers over your head. We cancelled at "Indoneasian Restaurant" in TST in favour of "Padang" at CWB. Not sure it was a good idea.
You're right. It's a very unassuming place, generic corner restaurant with the only nod to it being Indonesian at all a rather dusty tired looking wooden Garuda sculpture placed at the entrance but yes do those prices add up.
I would say that the quite ordinary food sometimes slightly bellow par is not quite honestly worth the exceptional price tag. One rijstafel, plus an extra gado-gado and a nasi-goreng came to 500$. No alcohol. This was shared.
If you think that a full dinner buffet at the grand Hyatt costs about 500$ it's very very poor value indeed even taking into account that price is for just one at the Grand Hyatt.
The quality is very plain and sometimes as in the case of the pinda sauce on the gado-gado well bellow average, it was obviously made from an instant packet mix high in corn starch.
We took home some plumb spekkoek, stale and oily but tasty enough.
Service was hectic and we kept getting things we didn't order and not getting things we did, all with a sheepish smile so it wasn't too irritating. They forgot to give us the rijstafel dessert and option of koppie koffie or tea at the end but we were ready to go anyway.
Im wondering if the more authentic places where the FDH eat might be better, though the quality of the meat etc might be a bit iffy the pay off maybe is that its more tasty and authentic. Im sure it's also a fraction of the price.
Still looking for good Indoneasian if anyone knows.