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US President Barack Obama may know how popular he is in Indonesia, thanks to his stint as the “Menteng Kid.” What he probably doesn’t know is that he has inspired a warung owner in East Jakarta to create a sambal in his honor.

Budi Syahbudin concocted his very own Sambal Obama last year after watching the US presidential election.

Intrigued by the thought of diplomacy through condiments, I decided to give Sambal Obama a go, and I headed to Budi and his wife’s stall in Pramuka, East Jakarta. Warung Sembilan Cobek (The Nine Mortars Warung) opened in February last year and serves its fare with nine different types of sambal each day.

Sambal Obama is a blend of chilies, shallots, tomatoes, salt and torch ginger, which is a tropical wax flower. All the ingredients are grilled and then ground, leaving a fiery rich dark mixture.

“That’s why he named it Sambal Obama,” said Budi’s wife, Mira. “This sambal is dark and has a good taste, and customers like it. Just like Obama — he’s dark and favored by many.”

And Obama is not Budi’s first sambal muse. “We also have Sambal Manohara, inspired by her spicy past,” Mira said.

Sambal Obama has a distinct flavor, created by aromatic crushed ginger flower, which has a hint of citrus.

The couple actually make around 60 kinds of sambal, serving a different selection of nine each day. Nut you can almost be certain that Sambal Obama and its famous Sambal Abu will be available any day of the week.

“But if we have the ingredients, customers can always ask us to make a type of sambal not available on that day,” Mira said. “Sometimes, there are customers who want more chili in their sambal, so we can add some. We just try to please our customers.”

That attitude may be why this modest warung has so many customers. The 9-by-5-meter room only has a few tables and two spots where you can sit on the floor and eat. The walls are decorated with handicrafts from numerous regions in Indonesia, echoing the diverse origins of the food and drink.

Warung Sembilan Cobek offers a wide range of fish, chicken and vegetable dishes. The fish menu includes an array of dried salted fish, which are commonly eaten with sambal.

I ordered a set of rice, fish and vegetables and a tall glass of ice tea. As for the rice, I went for nasi timbel , plain white rice wrapped in a banana leaf.

To enjoy the distinct flavors of each sambal, I decided to order something plain and simple: fried freshwater fish. As I had expected, the fish was bland, but juicy.

Out of that day’s sambal menu, I tried three, including the Obama and Abu varieties. Sambal Abu is made with a recipe Budi got from his ambu , an affectionate Sundanese term for “mother.”

It’s a simple fried chili-and-tomato-based mixture. It is milder than other sambal and has a pleasant touch of sugar.

For the veggie dish, I chose tumis pare campur teri , a dish of sauteed bitter gourd with dried salted anchovies. The bitter gourd was fresh and green, and not overcooked. I also liked the idea that they reduce its bitterness by marinating it in saltwater. The down side is that it makes the dish, which already included salted fish, a little too salty.

To end my hot and sweaty lunch, I ordered es Bali pandan , which is made from key lime and white sugar cooked with pandan leaves. It was a much-needed refreshment after all that chili, leaving a cool clean aftertaste in my mouth.

Too bad Obama is only making a fleeting trip to Jakarta — an eponymous sambal experience at a small warung would make for a memorable experience.
Warung Sembilan Cobek

Jl. Pramuka No. 404 A, East Jakarta (across from Pasar Burung Pramuka)

Tel: 021 7010 7503/0815 1679 089

Prices range from Rp 1,000 to Rp 23,000