Poka Ribs Serves Up Plenty of Tasty Treats for Meat Lovers

Marcel Thee

The Poka Ribs restaurant in Summarecon Mal Serpong has a pretty self-explanatory concept. Specializing in a variety of ribs, the newly opened eatery’s most prized offerings are its pork rib dishes.

With little variety on the menu, except the usual barbecue-friendly plates of onion rings, fries and compulsory salads, Poka Ribs zeroes in on its patrons’ gluttonous appetites. Here, it is all about the meat-loving side of you.

The restaurant’s location in the mall’s outdoor food court adds to that weekend barbecue feel. With only a few tables available, it is a small venue, but as with other establishments in the courtyard, patrons are free — and might even prefer — to dine in the food court’s shared area. Still, Poka Ribs does manage to stand out with its somewhat pub-style design (there’s a display-only motorcycle inside as well as bicycles on the wall, if that says anything).

Poka’s signature dishes are its baby back and spare ribs, both of which are served with a choice of classic barbecue sauce, the Poka sauce (just slightly sweeter than regular barbecue) and the Bali sauce, which adds some bearable spiciness to its sweet taste.

An appetizer of pumpkin soup and onion rings was somewhat plain tasting, with the rings lacking the usual crunch. Meanwhile, the pumpkin soup felt just a little too thick, though not grossly so. Fortunately, this pairing only served as a gateway to the main course.

Both the baby back and spare ribs offered a gorgeous slab of exquisitely tender meat, full-tasting without the bloated aftertaste of too much fat. The three sauces were similar, but distinctive enough to make each one stand out in their own way. The Poka sauce’s thick sweetness was reminiscent of the country’s favorite sweet soy sauce and might be too sugary for some, but it brings out the savory juiciness of the ribs.

What stands out is how the tenderness of Poka’s ribs combines with their ability to almost slide off the bone.

Perhaps the restaurant’s quality can be summed up by its dedicated fans. Regular Harry Saiful says Poka Ribs is his favorite rib house because it has “the softest ribs in the city that don’t get stuck between the teeth.” Harry has visited the restaurant six times in the last two weeks.

Poka Ribs also offers fish and chips, barbecued chicken, grilled beef, pork chops, sirloin steak and Western-style sate. A wide selection of drinks is also available. Service is friendly without being overbearing, adding to an atmosphere that fits the down-home barbecue vibe.

Poka Ribs
Downtown Walk Summarecon Mal Serpong
Jl. Bulevar Gading Serpong