Duck Down Bar - Senopati
By
Tibs
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Duck Down Bar is the latest opening from the Biko Group, one of the most successful nightlife brands in Jakarta. Most of their venues, such as Beer Garden, Beer Hall or Lola target young and hip Indonesians from the mid-to-upper class, and Duck Down Bar is no exception to that. I visited on a Friday night (9/11/2018), following a friend's recommendation. The bar is located in the basement of the Soho building on Jalan Gunawarman. You need to go down a flight of stairs, and then you arrive in a medium-sized L-shaped room. There are no windows and no natural light, but the ceiling is high enough to prevent you from feeling too claustrophobic. Everyone is smoking inside so it can get a little suffocating. The design is pretty cool, they tried to recreate what could be a student bar in Europe in the 1990s, the sort of cheap but cozy place that would play bands like Nirvana, the Pixies, etc. One major difference here is that you are in the most expensive neighborhood
Bakerzin is a long-time favourite dessert restaurant in Jakarta. I had never visited it until recently, in the Central Park branch. The place was very busy and I could not get a table nor a waiter until a few minutes. My first impression was that everything was very confused and unorganized. The manager of the restaurant may have seen that I was getting impatient and he started to take care of me, which really improved the whole experience. The menu is not just a menu, it is a full book with photos and text. My initial plan was to eat, but the pictures didn't look appetizing. I just took a Strawberry Juice and a Cherry Flan. Both were very average and they didn't match with the expectations one could have about Bakerzin considering its prices, its marketing, its locations (high-end malls), and its success. Overall : I will not try Bakerzin again. Opening hours: From 10am to 10pm every day (following the mall schedule) Contact Details of Bakerzin Restauran
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
The Bistro Baron is a French-themed restaurant serving popular French dishes. Expensive (at least Rp 180,000 for a meal), it serves decent but not excellent food. Clients pay also for the atmosphere since the place is a copy of a chic Parisian bistro. I must said the attention paid to details was impressive. Ideal for snack, i recommend you to try some french specialties such as the crêpes suzettes, the lait-fraise or the orangina. For a full meal, I think there are better French restaurants in town ( Java bleu , Escargot , Lyon ) but if you can afford it, why not.
Expensive drinks (Beer = Rp 60k), but classy bar with live music everyday (including Jazz ) and businessmen talking. Not a hotspot of Jakarta nightlife and rather quiet, it attracts the capital's most upmarket crowd. Definitely not a girls' bar comparing with BATS in Shangri La hotel or CJs bar in Hotel Mulia, but unexpected meetings are not impossible since some rich, older indonesian women come here. There are a few working girls as well that always hang out in Burgundy and I suppose they are up for grab. Awesome view on Plaza Indonesia, making the experience quite enjoyable.
Cork & Screw is one of the most popular lounges and restaurants in Jakarta. There are currently two locations in the city, one in Wisma Kodel, and a smaller one in Plaza Indonesia. Though their food is very average for the price, they are trendy places to have a drink, in particular wines. They have a large collection of bottles coming from Vin+ shops, most of them around Rp300k/400k. That's about twice as expensive as in Europe but unfortunately, this is the norm in Jakarta. Overall, I do not recommend Cork & Screw for eating, but you can share a bottle of wine with a few friends. It is quite busy so you may also want to book your table.
One of the most popular Chinese restaurants in Jakarta , Imperial Treasure specializes in La Mian (hand held noodles) and Xiao Long Bao (dumplings). Another specificity is that you can actually see the noodles being made from inside the restaurant. I tried it a few times with coworkers and everyone gets quite excited when we mention the name. It is packed, especially at lunch and you'll better make a reservation before going. I always enjoyed what I ordered in Imperial Treasure, and I don't find it too expensive. A full meal should not cost you more than Rp100,000. It reminds me of places like the Duck King or Shabu-Shabu House in terms of quality and professionalism. Overall: Recommended venue for lunches/business but too noisy for anything more intimate.
Kafé Betawi is a chain of Indonesian food restaurants located in various malls in Jakarta. I tried the one in Plaza Indonesia. Their concept is to sell typical street food dishes in a clean and cozy atmosphere. The prices are low, especially for malls and they are usually popular venues to eat probably for this reason. We had a few dishes in Kafe Betawi:
Kitchenette is a restaurant and hang-out spot owned by the Ismaya Group ( Dragonfly, Blowfish , Social House) . Unsurprisingly, it is very crowded, mostly with Indonesians, and probably the busiest venue in Plaza Indonesia: Jakartans love that kind of concept, with as much attention paid to the marketing and design than to the food. Kitchenette looks cute and fun, and it seems designed to surprise clients from the moment they seat until they finish their meal. It is also great for people-watching as it it near the entrance of the mall.
Marutama Ra-men is a Japanese casual restaurant, with 4 locations in Jakarta. I visited the one in eX Plaza Indonesia, just in front of the XXI cinemas. They have two main specialties: Ramen (Japanese noodle) and Nabe (Japanese hot pot). We took the Nabe, a soup with vegetables (Rp35,000++) to which you can add various items. In our case, we ordered a Chicken (Rp24,000++), Fish ball (Rp18,000++), Tofu (Rp9,000++) and Cabbage (Rp9,000) supplement. As you can see, the price of your meal may vary from simple to triple depending on your appetite. On average though, you shouldn't pay more than Rp100,000, and I think that's enough for two persons. Marutaman Nabe Overall: I rarely go to Japanese restaurants so it's difficult for me to assess how a dish tastes in comparison with the authentic version. Yet, I've read many mixed-to-positive reviews about this place, and both my friend and I enjoyed our meal: The ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and the soup was healthy
Pancious is a popular chain of restaurants specializing in pancakes and waffles, with also some main course dishes such as pasta, steaks and burgers. They are all located in malls, including the one I tried in Plaza Indonesia. While the setting is unimpressive and dull, my first positive impression came from the friendly waiters, who welcomed me with smiles and took the time to chat. I ordered a cheese burger (Rp44,000++), a strawberry juice (Rp26,000++), and the regular pancakes (Rp26,000++). I was pleasantly surprised with all my food, which tasted good and was moderately priced (for a mall). The juice was made of real fruits, the pancakes were similar to what I had before in the US, and the ingredients of the burger were all fresh and fair quality. Cheeseburger (Rp44,500++) Overall : I was very satisfied with my experience in Pancious. It's not the place for a romantic dinner, but for a snack or an informal meal with friends, it is perfect. Opening hours: Everyday from 10am