Holy Smokes - Slow Smoked BBQ (Jakarta)
By
Tibs
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Holy Smokes is a chain of slow-smoked Texas-style BBQ restaurants, with currently three locations in or near Jakarta (Alam Sutra, Pantai Indah Kapuk and Wolter Monginsidi). It is part of Ersons Food, a group founded by three brothers who also own the famous Holy Crab franchise (previously reviewed here ). I visited Holy Smokes in Wolter Monginsidi on a Thursday evening, shortly before closing time. It is easy to spot from the outside, with its massive, bright sign that makes you feel as if you had reached the Holy Land. By the time I entered, it was still relatively busy, which was not a surprise considering it is one of the most popular restaurants in the area. Its interior design is based on an industrial theme and it reappropriates some of the graphic codes and materials used on construction sites or factories. Add to that the large communal table at the center of the main dining room and you really get the impression of eating in a chic American canteen.
The Dutch restaurant is a new gastropub set to open early 2016 in the SCBD area. Owned by the Union Group, it will be headed by Chef Chris Moes, a Dutchman who previously worked for Casa in Kemang and Canteen. The restaurant will follow a smokehouse concept: Cold cuts, cured meats, smoked meats and sausages will be prepared in-house. You will also have comfort food and some BBQ specialities. There is a big chance that it will become a popular hangout place even if the taste of the food is not good. Please leave a comment below if you've tried it. I'll make a full review a few months after the opening.
Wilshire is a new restaurant located in one of the hippest nightlife areas in Jakarta, in the Foundry 8 (SCBD). It is just next to Canos , Blue Monkey and Empirica . All nearby restaurants have a very similar design and they are hard to differentiate. As the Foundry 8 is only a temporary location (it should be destroyed in a few years), I imagine that each venue only wants to invest the minimum to look good enough. Wilshire is simply designed if we compared it with Loewy , Union or E&O , but it is elegant and comfortable. The main original feature is the copper sticks display hanging from the ceiling, a great and inexpensive idea to decorate the room!
My title was voluntarily misleading. I don't believe there are true differences between both brands as they operate with the same concept. Both are chains of affordable steak restaurants which are lively, colorful and with a viral marketing all about Twitter and Facebook. They offer decent steaks, but it isn't the best imports or the best cooking you will find (except if you take their most expensive cuts). Holycow! was opened by self-trained Chef Afit Dwi Purwanto (who worked previously as a manager on RCTI channel) and his wife Lucy Wiryono, a TV host. So far, they have 6 branches in Jakarta, 1 in Bali and 1 in Yogyakarta. Their menu is short and features Sirloin, Ribeye and Tenderloin steaks from Australia and US. They also serve Wagyu beef. I visited the Bali branch which was very busy in the evening. Most of the customers were Indonesians, seemingly from Jakarta. I had the prime Tenderloin steak (imported from Australia) (91k +12,5% tax and service). I
Hard Rock Café used to be in Ex, near Plaza Indonesia but they moved to Pacific Place Mall in December 2013. Very nice Rock decor, truly American. I am not a huge fan of this worldwide franchiseI hace to admit but in Jakarta it has a particular taste. The music and the cocktails are good, the food is very pricey: 180K for a CheeseBurger. I tasted it and it was very average and there was no pickles... I went there a couple of times and it was very busy, especially during lunch time. With Paul Bakery and Patisserie , Odysseia and now Hard Rock Café, Pacific Place Mall have some nice outdoors Restaurants and Bars.
Carl's Jr is a chain of fast-food burger restaurants, originally from the US. The main differences I see with its competitors (Mc Donald's, Burger King, FatBurger, A&W, Wendy's, Johnny Rocket) are the following: - They have salads, which is a nice alternative if you are with someone who doesn't want to eat junk food. - They have free flow drinks - The food is brought to you at your table - The french fries are better than elsewhere: Super crispy and with a good taste. But the quality of the beef is average.
Altitude is a group of 3 restaurants located on the 46th floor of the Plaza tower, one of the most expensive office buildings in Jakarta (also home the the Keraton hotel). 46th floor, yes: Great view of course, but make sure to book in advance and ask for a table near the window (if possible in the angle of the building). Luckily for my wallet, I only tried one of the three restaurants, Gaia, the Italian. The food was good, but not spectacular for the price: 550k for one appetizer and one main course. The quality of the service and the attention that we got, not only from the waiters but also from the managers, including 3 foreigners, may have been what we are really paying in the restaurant. One thing felt very wrong: The music was clubbing style and they only had one CD. So we had Gangnam Style and Party Rock Anthem twice each in one evening. That's twice too much. In Altitude, there is also an Australian Steak House (Salt Grill) and a Japanese (Enmaru) that I haven
Bluegrass Bar & Grill is located next to Epicentrum Mall, off Rasuna Said street. A good place to meet other expats, it became popular quite rapidly after opening and it still is. The food is American: Steaks, ribs, burgers, wings, nachos, etc... Hip atmosphere, on the expensive side (similar with other venues like Union , Loewy , etc..). Surprisingly, I realized that there wasn't such a big offer in Jakarta for this type of food for those who expect a stylish design and decent quality. Along with the 24-meter bar, I think this is what explains part of the success of Bluegrass. On the minus side, the service could be greatly improved, and in particular the friendliness of staff. Overall: I recommend a visit once in a while for a casual, after-work eat. It is a good place to bring a date. Update 2014: The new Bluegrass has opened, with a slightly different address inside the Bakrie Tower. It looks nicer than before I think and the service has improved! I'm c
Abuba Steak sounded to me like Abuja Steak, the capital of Nigeria, so I had a strong feeling against this restaurant before visiting it... Fortunately, it was a great surprise and a place I recommend to everyone, excluding vegetarians. The outside doesn't look so great and would need some painting. The inside is similar to that of a warung, basic but clean, with some posters of meat ads. You have about 30 tables, and 1/4th of them were taken when I visited. Many people seemed to complain on internet about the smoke of cigarettes, but in the Abuba I visited, in Wahid Hasyim, no smoke at all since there is a private/closed room for smoking. There is also a small musholla for praying in the back... My only concern was that the AC was not functioning very well, so it was a bit hot for eating. Click on the picture to see the menu
Oh la la... Cilandak !! This is very far for us... but I’ve heard it’s a friendly place, with good, affordable food, pool table, beer garden and sports on TV. Very functional then, very not-french. A good place to meet expat since it is a very popular hangout place, especially for American, Australian and British older expats.
I don't know if I'm perverted but I felt Nanny's Pavillon was a bit kinky with the waitresses dressed up as sexy French chambermaids and all those references to Daddy's favourite food...
Kemang had the reputation of being a place for high school kids, but with more pubs and expat hangouts opening, it is no longer true.