Holy Crab (Seafood Restaurant Jakarta)
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Tibs
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Holy Crab is one of the most happening new restaurants of 2014. It is exactly the kind of concept that works well with Jakartans as it combines food, fun and novelty. For once, it is not in a mall, and its owner, Albert Wijaya, has a background in the kitchen from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Los Angeles. He is also the Executive Chef of Holy Crab. As the name suggest, Holy Crab serves various kinds of imported crabs (from Alaska) with a Cajun spicy sauce. It could be a restaurant like much others, but a few things make it rather unique: - Clients are given a plastic apron/bib before eating. You can see everyone wearing it and it sets the atmosphere: Relaxed and fun. - There are no plates, you eat directly off the table (where a paper is set) with your finger - You can refill your soft drinks as much as you want - Limited menu: It is mostly crab with also shrimps, lobsters and clams. - The crabs are huge: We had only 2 legs of the King Crab and it was more th
TeSate is an Indonesian cuisine restaurant located in the malls Plaza Senayan and Pacific Place. It is usually very crowded, even though it is quite expensive in my opinion. I visited the TeSate Pacific Place, where I ordered the Jimbaran Grilled Fish (Rp180k for 400 grams!). The food looked delicious and the recipe seemed creative, but I found it lacked freshness (see the lemon on the picture for instance). For this particular dish, I recommend you to try Baruna Seafood restaurant in Menteng instead. In spite of that, I recommend TeSate to Indonesian food lovers who are looking for dishes more elaborate than those they can find in warungs or street food stalls. Their menu features an interesting variety of dishes and it is indeed a culinary journey through Indonesia. Expect to pay around Rp200k per person for a full meal + drinks. Latest news about TeSate Indonesia on Facebook: Click here .
After Warung Pasta , another cheap eating spot is D'Cost Seafood. The brand is quite famous in Indonesia and you will find them a little everywhere, including in Kemang. The outside looks terrible and is closer to a Walmart than a restaurant. But I was seduced by their motto: " Price of a street food stall, taste of a 5-stars". The inside is a little better, but still not much to talk about as it is quite simple and functional. The menu has two pages, one for the food, the other one for the drinks. It is very cheap (click on the photo of the menu below to see the prices), and you can easily have a meal for less than Rp25,000. D'Cost seems to be quite popular with office workers and students. We ordered a few dishes: Baby Kailan saus tiram, Ikam Guram Tim Kecap, Tahu Jepang saus tiram, Udang Pancet saus Padang, etc..
Jun Njan (meaning "Always remember your roots") is a chain of traditional Chinese seafood restaurants with branches all over Jakarta. The one I tried is located in Grand Indonesia, and I don't know if the quality of the food in this restaurant is the same than that in other places. The menu list is extensive with a mix of various chinese dishes, with a focus on seafood. I thought the cost of the food was fair, given that the restaurant is located in one of Jakarta's most luxurious malls. Jun Njan was not very crowded when I was there, but it is rare: It is usually very busy and sometimes noisy. Not a good set for a quiet or romantic dinner... Contact details:
Pondok Laguna was one of my worst dining experiences in Jakarta. I may have been unlucky, but from what I've seen, I can only recommend you to avoid it. It was a big disappointment because Pondok Laguna is actually extremely popular with Indonesians, some of whom consider it as one of the best Indonesian restaurants in Jakarta. Most of the time, it is hard to get a table even though there is enough room for at least 200 persons. The place looks touristy, with a giant fish sculpture towering above it on the outside, and a Balinese-like atmosphere inside. Most of the restaurant is in the open-air, and on each side there is a fountain with tropical plants. The main room does not allow for an intimate or cozy meal. It is extremely noisy, with people entering and leaving all the time. On top of that you have that annoying Balinese music, which reminds me of the worst venues in Kuta. Most tables can accommodate 20 to 30 people so you might also sit next to random customers.