Pondok Jawa Timur

Ignore the drab setting: the bowels of a shopping centre, surrounded by hair salons and reflexologists. What appeals is the decent, cheap food. The Javanese street food menu is, for such a small restaurant, surprisingly comprehensive. There is sunny curry chicken, fried fish in tart assam sauce, and mounds of gadogado blanketed by crisp prawn crackers and a mild Surabayan peanut gravy. Service can be absent-minded, but at these prices, who cares?