Loewy (Jakarta, Mega Kuningan)
By
The Jakarta Team
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Note: I wrote this review 10 years ago but it is still up-to-date! Everybody was telling me about a place called "Louis" in Mega Kuningan, but I couldn't find where it was or what it was. It took me two months to realize that people were actually talking about Loewy, that you should pronounce like Loui (English speakers) or Louis (French speakers). Loewy is a retro-chic French bistro, with a cosmopolitan vibe: Half the customers are foreigners, and the other half Indonesians, usually between 30 and 45 years-old. Most of them are from the upper-class. It is owned by some of the folks behind Potato Head , from which they took the idea to partially open the restaurant to the air. This is quite bold for Jakarta, and you may feel hot inside when it is packed. Since it opened in 2008, Loewy has always been a happening venue, anytime of the day. People go there for lunch, for brunches, for an after-work drink, and finally to party. They have decent European food (i
TWG (The Wellness Group) is a distributor of quality teas founded in 2008. On their logo, which is a copy of the one of Mariage Frères, it is mentioned the date 1837 but it is obviously a deception. They also have some words written in French such as "Mélanges Exquis" or "Grand Crus Prestige", probably aimed at making consumers believe it is a French brand. But TWG is from Singapore and there is no shame in that. Part of their marketing strategies is the creation of high-end boutiques / restaurants / tea salon. There are already over 40 branches around the World, especially in Asia (only 1 in Europe and a few in US). The ideas is to position TWG as a luxury company by opening in premium locations, with a chic design and fine dining service. I had TWG Teas on several occasions and they were good for a non-expert like me. It seems to me that tea is a basic product, a commodity and I don't think there are "Grand Crus" like there are with
L'Avenue is the main restaurant of The Hermitage Hotel , a new 5-Star Boutique hotel in Menteng, located steps away from the antique market of Jalan Surabaya. The hotel was built in a historical colonial building, and they tried to reflect this heritage in the design of the restaurant. It is classic, full of marble from the floor to the buffet tables. The feeling of exclusivity is reinforced by the small size of the place, only 60 pax at most. At the time of opening, the Executive Chef of L'Avenue, Chef Guillermo Varela Mata, was Spanish (with origins from South America). He created a menu with a strong French influence. I had the Chicken Breast with Gratin Dauphinois (potatoes with cream and cheese). It is a dish from Southern France that I've eaten a hundred times in my life. The one in L'Avenue was not as good as the one my Grandmother makes, but still very tasty! The portions were too small for my appetite though. There is also a buffet where y
Le Quartier ("The Neighbourhood" in French, pronounced like the jewelry brand "Cartier") is a new French Restaurant, opened in 2013 in Kebayoran Baru, near Senopati. I liked the building facade of the Restaurant as well as the interior design. The decoration is well done and it really gives the feeling you are in a French bistro, with also a few modern touches. The overall impression is that it is an elegant and luxurious place, especially with their beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Eric Kayser Indonesia is now opened in Plaza Senayan. Just like Paul Bakery and Patisserie , it is an international French Bakery chain, very famous in France and in some big international cities (New York City, Tokyo, Singapore). Now that Eric Kayser is in Jakarta, I can compare those 2, in order to know which one is the Best Bakery in Jakarta (and where to find the best baguette!).
Oh La La Maison is an upmarket version of the Oh La La cafés. It is located in Mega Kuningan in the ground floor of Bellagio Mall. It serves mostly French food, French bakery and French pastries with some other popular Asian and Western dishes. The design of the place is not extraordinary but it is neat. It features a wooden parquet, decorative tiles and various pictures or paintings of France on the walls. I tried the Honey Dijon Chicken Baguette (72,000k++): The whole sandwich was good enough but the bread was very soft and unfortunately not tasting like a real French baguette. I also had a Chocolate Croissant (20,000++), which was really big and again, far from tasting like an authentic Chocolate Croissant in France. In spite of the disappointing food, I still enjoyed Oh La La Maison. The waiters were very attentive and friendly, and the general atmosphere pleasant with good lounge music and a busy crowd.
Paul Bakery is now open in Jakarta, since December 2013. It is located right outside of Pacific Place Mall, near the Galeries Lafayette Department Store. You have 2 entrances : one for the Restaurant, if you want Dine-in, and one for the Bakery and Pastry shop. You also have a second outlet in Plaza Indonesia. I know Paul Bakery in France which is a widespread Bakery chain. Outside of France, it has a more high class positioning. I went there for Lunch and I took a "Croque Madame", a sandwich with cheese, turkey and egg sunny side-up, with a salad on the side. There was nothing fantastic about it. I took an Orange juice as a Drink and it was very watery, I could barely feel the Oranges ! In my opinion, the food in the restaurant is average, there's nothing fancy about it ( except for the price). On the opposite, the Bakery side is very good. They have a whole range of French and European bread which are among the best in Jakarta ! Same thing for the Pastrie
The French restaurant Bistro Garçon comes from the same group behind Immigrant , De Luca , Rustique, and Monolog . I was happily surprised when I visited it to find out it is much more than your average restaurant inside a mall. I consider Bistro Garçon to be a true independent restaurant, with a passionate young French chef eager to please his guests. The place is rather small and simple, with a discreet French theme. You have a bar at the entrance with a good selection of wines, and a menu featuring mostly classics of French cuisine. Everything was perfect during my dinner in Garçon: The food, the portions, the presentation, the decoration, the service, the music, etc... They also have delicious pastries and desserts from their Japanese Chef.
The overall quality of French restaurants in Jakarta has improved over the past few years, particularly with the openings of Lyon , Amuz and Orient8 . Still, I think the options are limited, and most of the best venues are too expensive: Take the first six restaurants of my list, they will all cost you around Rp1 million for a 3-course meal. Some more affordable options exist, for instance Java Bleu , Le Bistro or Escargot . In those restaurants, the cuisine and the setting remain simple, but it is authentic and you eat well. A full meal in those should cost you less than Rp450,000. At last, you have a third category of French restaurants, in which you have great design and atmosphere, but average food. Among those, Bistro Baron , Loewy or SHY are the most happening. A full meal will cost you almost the same as in fine dining restaurants .
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.
Amuz is a French fine-dining restaurant opened in October 2010 by chef Gilles Marx, who previously worked in Riva . The venue sets you in a Parisian décor, circa 1900, with exposed metallic beams, large windows and classy furniture. The clients on that day were mostly rich Indonesian/Chinese women but it might have been just a coincidence... The menu is classic and should change depending on the availability of seasonal products. A la carte , the price for an appetizer is around Rp200k, and for a main course Rp350k (up to Rp650k). I took the lunch meal, more basic: Rp250k++ for a 3-course set lunch. This is an excellent deal.
Lyon is the French restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental hotel. It serves French dishes, many of them not usual for high-class restaurant since they are quite regional specialties. There are also some more international dishes, notably everything that comes from the grill. There was a very interesting promo when I tried it, called Normandie, for which you get entrées, soup, main course and dessert for Rp220,000++. It is an excellent deal and makes the place cheaper than many trendy restaurants in Jakarta who often offer very poor taste. If you order dishes "à la carte", the prices vary from Rp100,000 to over Rp600,000. I think that including drinks and one side dish or dessert, your dinner shall costs you around Rp400,000. Casserole normande I was extremely pleased with my food, the best French food I've tried in Jakarta, and surely one of the best restaurants in the city. The waiters were trained and professional and only made one mistake, they forgot to bring the c
Opened in 2009, Orient8 is the French and pan-Asian restaurant of the 5-star Hotel Mulia, in Senayan. I visited it with a friend in November 2011, and only tried their French food.