Best Indonesian Restaurant in Jakarta

[pinky321]

Hi Folks,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but i would like to know where is the best Indonesian food restaurant in Jakarta for you guys as per expat standard?

Thanks

 

[Puspawarna]

Hmmm....not sure there is one "best" for me. But I really like Natrabu and Dapur Solo. And Remboelan. And Beautika.

In a pinch, Sate Khas Senayan is just fine. So is Sari Bundo.

Yum.

 

[Felicity]

Some like Es Teler 77, Kafe Betawi, and Remboelan.

 

[Banana72]

Hmmm....not sure there is one "best" for me. But I really like Natrabu and Dapur Solo. And Remboelan. And Beautika.

In a pinch, Sate Khas Senayan is just fine. So is Sari Bundo.

Yum.

You can handle Beautika's hot spices? You have a tongue of steel! I always order tons of 'es teh' and nasi putih just to calm my taste buds!

Back to OP: Hard to pin point the 'best' one....for me, Bandar Djakarta has the best grilled 'ikan Kowe'. Tugu Kuntskring (sp?) has one of the best ambiance, Kafe Betawi/Sate Senayan/Dapur Solo are affordable, quite comfortable (clean/AC) and food is quite good.

 

[waarmstrong]

Even from the first few posts it is clear to me anyway, that there really is no accurate way to define Indonesian cuisine. Take the number of islands in the archipelago, multiply that by a factor of maybe 3 to 10 depending on the size of the island and the mix of cultures that call it home and you will begin to get an idea of the numbers, varieties and diversity of dishes and food prep styles that come under this single umbrella. And that's a good thing; one of the in-country joys of life is sampling the local delicacies when you have the good fortune to slow travel.

 

[Puspawarna]

You can handle Beautika's hot spices? You have a tongue of steel!

I love the food -- or at least my tongue does. For a while I had to lay off the spicy food because my stomach/intestines couldn't handle it any more. However, whatever was wrong has healed, and I am back to eating spicy food with no digestive consequences, thank goodness.

But I haven't had anything as spicy as Beautika in a while. I should give it a cautious try and see whether my innards survive the test.

 

[atlantis]

Would I surprise anyone if I say that I have always been a huge fan of Ibu Sofie's Beautika restaurants when in Jakarta? She has successfully managed to import the full range of Manadonese cuisine flavors to Jakarta.
Not only the Minahasan cuisine is authentic, but many of the staff also, which is another plus to me.

Ayam rabe rica, daong popaya bungkus and her Cakalang Pepes were my all time favorite, even beating the one I get at home. <double checking that the dear wife doesn't read over my shoulder >

I am very happy to read that quite a few forumers enjoy the place.

 

[El_Goretto]

OK, you guys have convinced me. I must make my way to Beautika ASAP!

 

[William King]

W even beating the one I get at home. <double checking that the dear wife doesn't read over my shoulder >

Quoted for prosperity.


mainly my future prosperity. shall we start the nego now ?

 

[BAJakarta]

Lara Djonggrang (sister to kunstkring mentioned above - both are in old buildings and museums in themselves)

https://www.tuguhotels.com/restaurants/jakarta/laradjonggrang/

 

[Puspawarna]

I adore most of the Tugu Park restaurants - Kunstkring, Shanghai Blue, and Samara are all magnificent, but I didn't mention them in my answer as they don't really seem like "Indonesian" restaurants as much as they seem like "Indonesian experience" restaurants, if you see the difference. It's all good, though. If I lived in Menteng I think I'd spend every weekend at Shanghai Blue.

Unlike the other Tugu Park restaurants, Lara Djonggrang has always left me unimpressed. Their food isn't as interesting, and they overdo the presentation - we went to a special dinner there where they built ridiculous towers (I forget what they were made of - probably banana stalks/coconut husks or something) for the food to perch on. It looked impressive, sort of, but it was a bitch to actually eat the food.

 

[rabbit_39]

Perhaps I have a tin can for a tongue, but I haven't been blown away by any restaurants. Those I've enjoyed occasionally have been inconsistent at best. But I'll keep checking this thread to see if any new names come up.

I'll have to say though that the most consistent good food I've experienced are in warungs/small restaurants/kaki lima. They're the ones that typically only serve a few types of food (Mie ayam kiosk for example) and they do it well. Unfortunately they are not in a position to purchase high quality ingredients to be combined with their integrity of cooking methods. It seems to always be one or the other, not both in a single restaurant.

 

[pinky321]

Wow thanks, i just knew this place here. The atmosphere of Prambanan Java, beautiful.

I asked this because i'll welcoming newcomer here and he wanna try indonesian restaurant and leave it up to me.
And sometimes, i got confuse if i have to bring newcomer other than remboelan, dapoer solo and seribu rasa. So, thanks for another ideas!

Lara Djonggrang (sister to kunstkring mentioned above - both are in old buildings and museums in themselves)

https://www.tuguhotels.com/restaurants/jakarta/laradjonggrang/

 

[Puspawarna]

Kembang Goela is supposed to be very good as well - sez my husband! I have never been there. Every time we've tried to go, something got in the way; once we made it all the way there only to discover it was closed for a private function.

 

[scouser59]

Perhaps I have a tin can for a tongue, but I haven't been blown away by any restaurants. Those I've enjoyed occasionally have been inconsistent at best. But I'll keep checking this thread to see if any new names come up.

I'll have to say though that the most consistent good food I've experienced are in warungs/small restaurants/kaki lima. They're the ones that typically only serve a few types of food (Mie ayam kiosk for example) and they do it well. Unfortunately they are not in a position to purchase high quality ingredients to be combined with their integrity of cooking methods. It seems to always be one or the other, not both in a single restaurant.

I agree , I find the indonesian palate of flavours here quite uninteresting , now in holland at the indonesiche restaurants its another story, good quality ingredients, consistently prepared, excellent flavors and sauces .

 

[Puspawarna]

I agree , I find the indonesian palate of flavours here quite uninteresting , now in holland at the indonesiche restaurants its another story, good quality ingredients, consistently prepared, excellent flavors and sauces .

Lemon grass, lime leaf, chili, tumeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, galangal, kencur...I could go on, but you get the idea...this "palate of flavours" is "uninteresting"? What goes into the palate that you personally find interesting?

 

[scouser59]

Lemon grass, lime leaf, chili, tumeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, galangal, kencur...I could go on, but you get the idea...this "palate of flavours" is "uninteresting"? What goes into the palate that you personally find interesting?

its the combination of flavors I find unappealing here, for my taste , if you compare to indian thai chinese or the way the indonesian cooks in holland work with similar ingredients but combine them in an appealing way.

 

[Puspawarna]

its the combination of flavors I find unappealing here, for my taste , if you compare to indian thai chinese or the way the indonesian cooks in holland work with similar ingredients but combine them in an appealing way.

Okay, when you phrase it that way it makes more sense. I like most Indonesian food I've eaten, but agree that both Thai and Indian cuisines tend to be even more delicious.

 

[jstar]

As a former Indonesian president answered when journalists asked him where the best Indonesian restaurant was: "In Amsterdam!". Indeed, (t)here the dishes are better flavored (and not so much adjusted to western taste, just better ingredients). Compare for instance a spekkkoek (layered cake) from NL and RI; the latter is bland and most often made with BlueBand. (Cf. the butter vs margerine mixup.)

Of course there is no such thing as an Indonesian cuisine. The Manadonese dishes in Beautika as mentioned before are very different from those from Sumatra for instance. So if you need to select something for visitors and you don't know their taste, one of the 'sampling' places with the colonial rijsttafels is a safe bet. Nice atmosphere too.

 

[scouser59]

As a former Indonesian president answered when journalists asked him where the best Indonesian restaurant was: "In Amsterdam!". Indeed, (t)here the dishes are better flavored (and not so much adjusted to western taste, just better ingredients). Compare for instance a spekkkoek (layered cake) from NL and RI; the latter is bland and most often made with BlueBand. (Cf. the butter vs margerine mixup.)

Of course there is no such thing as an Indonesian cuisine. The Manadonese dishes in Beautika as mentioned before are very different from those from Sumatra for instance. So if you need to select something for visitors and you don't know their taste, one of the 'sampling' places with the colonial rijsttafels is a safe bet. Nice atmosphere too.

here here ! ha ha