When people think about a cuisine, it is rare that they answer “Indonesian.” For me, I do not think I have ever eaten Indonesian food, and after making a reservation at Wayan & Madé in Springs, NY, also known as the northern side of East Hampton, I thought it would be a good idea to do a little research. What I found was a combination of sweet, savory and influenced by international diversity. Not overly helpful, so I went with little knowledge and an open mind.

Wayan & Madé is located adjacent to EHP Resort on Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Rd. in the Springs section of East Hampton and is the pop-up restaurant of Chef Cédric Vongerichten and Ochi Vongerichten (children of NYC super-chef Jean George Vongerichten). When we arrived for an early reservation, we were seated at the windows overlooking the harbor. The view was very relaxing, and the dining room filled to capacity over the next 90 minutes. A quick perusal of the menu indicated that a knowledgeable server and access to using google would be essential to developing a thoughtful meal.

As first-timers with Indonesian cuisine, we decided to plan a family-style meal and see where it led. Our order included three appetizers, two mains and two sides. As a head’s up, we ordered all the dishes at the beginning and this was a mistake, since the kitchen just starts cooking without regard to pace and separation of course, our two mains arrived while we were still eating the appetizers. We asked them to return them to the kitchen and give us about 15 minutes between finishing the appetizers and bringing the entrees. My suggestion is to order everything but tell the server not to fire the entrees until s/he checks in with you.

My thoughts on the dishes:

Vegetable spring rolls with green chili emulsion and mint. The rolls were two extra-long and narrow tubes filled with an array of slightly spicy vegetables. The dish is served with a green chili emulsion which was superb. The wrappers were thin, and very crispy, while the filling was soft, a great complement. I loved the flavors, and the emulsion was so good we kept it to use with some of the other dishes. Dish was a 9

Tuna tartare with green chili sambal, avocado, and nori. This dish was not the most pleasant from a visual perspective, but the flavors were fresh and bright. I was a little surprised by the lack of spiciness in the presentation, the natural flavors of the tuna were present, it just felt the uptick in spice was a little lacking. I give the dish a 7

Fluke sashimi with calamansi dressing, and makrut lime. The fluke was served with a lovely sauce and spiciness. The fish was fresh, bright, and delicious. The toppings beautifully complemented the sashimi with a bit of spice and crunch. It was a very light option. I give the dish an 8.

Slow cooked butterfish with calamansi miso, and green asparagus. What exactly is butterfish? When it was presented, we all asked ourselves if this was butterfish or Chilean sea bass…it looked, tasted and flaked just like CSB. The next question is what is calamansi? It is described as a cross between lime and mandarin oranges, delivering pungent sour notes. The fish was prepared very well, maybe a touch overcooked, was a little on the small side (maybe 3-4 ounces) and glazed with the tangy miso. While it was a very nice dish, I think the miso was a little too tart for the fish, and with the smallness of the portion, I can only give it a 6.

Charred pork ribs with a soy tamarind glaze, and sesame seeds. Unlike the fish, the ribs initially looked like a very large portion. The flavors were great, finished with a delicious sauce, and fall-off-the-bone tender. The downside was the amount of meat on each bone was a little light. While I liked the flavors, the amount of the meat was a little disappointing and can only give it an 8.

Nasi Goreng with egg, pickled chili, and cilantro. I think the winner of the night was the Nasi Goreng, which is the national dish of Indonesia. And the restaurant prepared a great version. If you are wondering what it is, think fried rice, and this one had a soft egg atop. The flavors, texture and balance were great, loved the oozing egg and complemented the other two entrées. I absolutely give this dish a 10.

Chocolate mousse served with avocado ice cream. Remember that the owner’s father is Jean Georges, a master in French cooking, which explains the absolutely brilliant chocolate mousse. But this is an Indonesian restaurant, so they added a few crispy chocolate pieces atop the mousse and accompanied the mousse with avocado ice cream, yup avocado. The mousse was spectacular, and the ice cream was delicious. This was an easy 10.

We also ordered the King Oyster Mushrooms that were charcoal kissed, with sambal hijou. They were pretty much inedible. The kitchen placed so much salt on the mushrooms, that we all stopped after one bite. The dish was removed from the table and the check. No need to rate a DNR.

Overall, this was our introduction to Indonesian cuisine, and I was very excited when we arrived. A few of the dishes were spectacular while others I thought failed a little. The meal started with three great appetizers and then took a pause, primarily in the size of the portions; both entrées were on the smallish side. As a pop-up restaurant for the summer, Wayan & Madé is a place you should visit to experience the cuisine of Indonesia.

313 Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Rd.

East Hampton, NY 11937

(631) 439-0785