Holy Smokes - Slow Smoked BBQ (Jakarta)
By
Thibaud (Jakarta100bars)
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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.
H Gourmet and Vibes is a new trendy restaurant and bar that opened last year in the Senopati area. As I'm currently on a diet, I didn't try the food which consists mostly of fat American dishes (grilled meats, burgers, melted cheese, specialty french fries, sandwiches, etc). If you are skinny or not particularly concerned about eating healthy, I'm sure many items are as delicious as fried cheese with mayo can be. My main interest was to test the bar. I had heard many praises from friends and I wanted to see for myself. H Gourmet and Vibes is in brand new building which seems to be still under construction. Hipsters probably love that. The best thing about the place are the large windows that let you see the nearby trees with the skyscrapers in the background. In particular, you have an original clock-shaped window just behind the bar. The rest is your typical vintage-industrial design that many new venues in Jakarta I've chosen to copy from one another.
Bonobo is a bar and restaurant located in the ground floor of the Landmark building tower, near Nip & Dram . Recently opened in February 2016, it is part of the Stupa F&B group (behind Umbra in Kemang) and it replaces the late Downtown Bistro. They haven't changed many things compared to the old venue. Bonobo looks simple and cozy, with a nice bay window running from one wall to the other. It is too early to say anything about the crowd and the atmosphere, but we can expect trendy Jakartans and expats. The guest DJs they've had so far were excellent, playing hip-hop, soul and house.
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.
Playground is a themed-restaurant located on the 4th floor of Plaza Indonesia. It is occupying an alley, not a proper, individual space. For this reason, it is suitable for people-sighting, but certainly not for a more intimate occasion like a date. Chicken Kiev Strawberry Juice I had the Chicken Kiev at Rp85,0000++. What they brought me was small and it tasted average. No need to make a long comment about it. I also had a strawberry juice which was rather tiny for Rp40,000++.
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
Before it went under renovation, the club and the restaurant of Immigrant were not truly separated. You had clubbers next to you when you were dining, along with loud music and a terrible smell of cigarette smoke. This was obviously a problem and the owners of Immigrant have solved it by opening two different venues: The club Immigrant, and the restaurant, The Dining Room at Immigrant. Both are still next to each other on the 6th floor of Plaza Indonesia, but there is no direct connection between them. The Dining Room at Immigrant is probably one of the best venues for eating casual Western food in the mall, along with Moovina, Saint Louis (La Moda) and Bistro Baron. Compared to those, it has the advantage of being in a quieter location, and therefore more suitable for a date or an intimate dinner. It doesn't have a garden but there are large windows and many plants, giving the place a fresh feeling that it did not have before. I visited during lunch on a weekday.
Carnivor is a small chain of steak and meat restaurants. They have four locations in Indonesia at the moment (see below for the list of Carnivor restaurants). I tried the branch of Pantai Indah Kapuk, one of the busiest restaurants in this area on that day. Carnivor seemed to be very popular with a young and trendy crowd, especially Indo-Chinese people. They have a nice atmosphere with good lounge music and a modern design. The toilets were quite dirty though. I had a Wagyu Ribeye for Rp 215k++ which isn't cheap but it was worth it since all was excellent: The cooking, the tenderness, the side dishes. Only the sauce was average. Overall : Recommended restaurant if you want to eat a quality, affordable steak in Jakarta.
Jill in MarketBar is a restaurant located on the Level 5 of Grand Indonesia. It is named after its owner, Jill, also behind two similar venues in Jakarta: MarketBar in Lippo Mall Kemang and MarketBar in Kota Kasablanka (see below for more details). The menu features mostly Western dishes, the kind you could find in a restaurant in Australia or England. In particular, I noticed they have "Fried Mars Bar", which I only saw in those countries before. They also serve all the most common Asian dishes. I asked for a Vietnamese Baguette sandwich but I was brought the Fish & Chips. As the waitress was friendly, I didn't say anything. My Fish & Chips was not too expensive (under 100,000rp), but it was very ordinary. The design is ok but I would not go back to Jill in MarketBar for eating. In the same area, I would recommend to you instead H5 or Ismaya Catering Co .
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.