Kahyangan (Shabu-Shabu Restaurant)
By
Tibs
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Kahyangan has to be one of the most expensive Asian restaurants in Jakarta. It is part of Pullman Hotel, near the Hotel Indonesia roundabout. I read a few reviews on internet about this place, but I imagine the journalists didn't actually pay for their meals. If you eat there for free, it is a great place indeed. You have an incredible view over Jakarta, attentive staff (though they can be pushy to make you order more) and stylish design. Bring a date here and she should be really impressed.
Monty's is one of the hippest and most exclusive venues in Jakarta at the moment. The day I visited, you had 1 Ferrari, 1 Lamborghini, 2 Porsches, 2 Jaguars and several nice sports cars parked just in front. That should give you an idea of the crowd. It was opened by Klabo , the same group behind Nip & Dram and Ivy Kitchen. From what I've heard, the owner of Blue Bird Taxis is one of the shareholders. The Restaurant On the first two floors is a restaurant serving classic European food. They have all the priciest ingredients that you can possibly import in Indonesia such as caviar, lobster, truffle, charcuterie, cheese or wagyu beef. There also serve several organic and healthy dishes. The kitchen is headed by a Norwegian expat who previously worked in Grand Hyatt as an executive sous-chef. The price is rather expensive: On average for a 2-course meal you'll spend at least Rp500,000 (without alcohol). You can try it for lunch as they have a
Artoz is a whisky bar/lounge located in the Energy Building in SCBD. It replaced Marley's Bar which closed down a while ago. It claims to be the largest collection of Whisky and Cognac in Jakarta, but I am not sure it is true as I believe there is quite an extensive spirit menu in Nip & Dram as well. I visited Artoz during Ramadan, probably not the best time to do so and unsurprisingly it was empty. Artoz is similar with Nip and Dram actually, both in terms of concept, size and setting: You have comfortable leather sofas and chairs spread across a windowless room, with a bar on on side and a live music stage on the other one. The main difference I saw is that Artoz is not as dark and it seems they don't have those crazy minimum spend amounts. The prices are pretty steep still, about USD15 for a standard cocktail. You are also given the menu of the French Restaurant Amuz , which belong to the same person (Chef Gilles Marx, also behind Auroz).
If you are a Mexican food lover, you can read my review of my favorite Spanish and Mexican places in Jakarta. Keraton at the Plaza in Jakarta might be one of the most luxurious and elegant hotels in the city, along with The Hermitage , The Kempinski, The Mandarin Oriental or The Ritz-Carlton. They have a buffet with fine cheeses, fresh oysters, and a wide variety of meat. But I came here to taste their "Modern Mexican kitchen". It is a special Mexican menu designed by a friendly Mexican chef (see picture above), struggling everyday to get Mexican products in his kitchen in Jakarta.
Huize van Wely is a Dutch Restaurant, Patissier and Chocolatier located in Kemang. This upscale restaurant is located in the Papilion building, the famous glass building on Kemang Raya. This type of architecture is quite uncommon in Jakarta, that is why I wanted to try this restaurant. On the top floor of this building you will find Shy Rooftop & restaurant ( you can check my review here ). Outstanding glass building, fancy Dutch restaurant, European-style cuisine...this place is very fancy ! This is not a regular place to hang out with your buddies...It would more suitable to make a proposal or to have a serious conversation. In this very chic decor, I tried to order some food and I was not disappointed. First they give you a small piece of French bread along with salted butter, which is a very sweet attention. Then I did not wait too long to taste my spicy quesadillas and that was very good. But the best part in my opinion in the dessert and chocolate area.
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
SKYE is the latest venue opened by the Ismaya Group, and for this reason, we can guess it will be the place to be in Jakarta for at least the next 3 months. The Menara BCA has 57th floor and is 230 meters high. Located on its 56th floor, SKYE's main attraction will obviously be the view over the city's skyline. The history of rooftop bars and restaurants in Jakarta has shown mixed results, with most places now closed ( Vertigo , Kampus , Pure , Cilantro , etc...). I wish more success for SKYE.
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.