An invitation for Thanksgiving Dinner at The Dharmawangsa Jakarta piqued our curiosity as it promised traditional Thanksgiving dishes infused with Indonesian flavors.

The very first thanksgiving dinner was celebrated by the Pilgrims, one of the colonists from England who sailed to America on the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth in New England in 1620. Surviving Pilgrims rejoiced their successful harvest, as was the English custom, with the Wanapoags, their Native American neighbors, feasting on deer, waterfowl, corn and wild turkey. Based on records of harvest during that time, the menu might have grapes, strawberries, gooseberries and plums.

Americans now celebrate modern Thanksgiving Dinner around the world with their friends and families, still focusing on thankfulness but with a more elaborate spread. Classic thanksgiving menu suggested by the Food Network  has choices of roasted shrimp cocktail as appetizer, squash soup, and turkey with stuffing as the main dish. A selection of side dishes varies from cranberry-pear relish, honey glazed carrots, and velvety mashed potatoes, to sweet potato casserole, biscuits and stovetop green bean casserole. Pecan pie and pumpkin pie as desserts completed the menu selection.

The Dharmawangsa’s thanksgiving dinner at its Jakarta Restaurant fell on a Thursday, a day usually set for Indonesian Epicurean Evening with cuisines from around the archipelago.

Upon arriving, we could directly see outcomes of the tedious preparation by The Dharmawangsa team led by Chef Vindex Tengker, the Executive Chef who specializes in fusion cooking and Indonesian cuisines.

On the appetizer tables, brown batik cloth matched the hues of Indonesian Seafood Cocktail, Indonesian Traditional Salad, Salad Bar, and Individual Cone Appetizer.

A male server, clad in teluk belanga, the tradional outfit from Sumatera, proudly showed the prawn salad with dabu-dabu relish and passion fruit. The dish, he said, has a distinct flavor of sour and savory.

The roasted pumpkin soup was placed near the Main Course selection and the Carving Station. Creamy and full flavored can best describe this soup, a favorite starter in many thanksgiving dinners.

A different but matching aroma came from Padang Food, the main selection of the night. Padang in West Sumatera is famous for its hot and spicy food cooked with coconut milk.

It was pleasantly difficult choosing between Ayam Bakar Padang (grilled marinated chicken Padang Style) and Gulai Tunjang (beef in turmeric curry sauce). On the menu, these succulent sources of protein go with Sayur Kapau (vegetable in curried broth) and Nasi Putih (steamed pandan flavored rice).

The most crowded space with a long line of guests was of course the Carving Station. A huge whole turkey, 5 kg in size, was roasted perfectly accompanied by traditional condiments: giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.

While we waited, the server asked whether we would also like to try Roast Turkey with Bumbu Rujak Sauce. Apparently this was the star among the Thanksgiving Dishes infused with Indonesian flavors. We looked at it apprehensively but Chef Vindex reasoned that Chicken with Bumbu Rujak Sauce, made with Tamarind Coconut Sauce, is a traditional Indonesian food. Turkey, being poultry, should be as tasty. The chef was of course true to his words.

The second whole turkey was being served for patrons, but we were distracted by the Salt Baked Red Snapper. This large fish, 2 kg in size, was marinated with Bali Salt and presented next to a striking fish-shaped salt structure sprinkled with cloves.

I value the juicy dish even more after rereading Janette de Neefe’s old article In Praise of Balinese sea salt  explaining the hand-raked process in making the coarse sea salt.

A thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without sweet desserts. Interestingly, traditional Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie were paired with Indonesian Bolu Tapai (cassava cake) and Lapis Legit (thousand layer cake). Next to a pile of oranges, an elegant wayang golek (rod puppet) stood guard as if watching how the combination would work.

The Dharmawangsa thanksgiving dishes infused Indonesian flavors in more ways than one. A showcase of appetizers, soup, main course, carving station menu, and desserts is a success indicator of uniting tastes and cultures.

The Pilgrims, however, might not have imagined that a feast of gratitude for their first successful harvest was celebrated 16,000 kilometers from their new land almost 400 years later.

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Images: Anneka/Shutterstock  and Omar Niode Foundation.