Hunan Kitchen (Chinese food)

Hunan Kitchen is one of the best value-for-money Chinese restaurants I found so far in Jakarta. It specializes in Sichuan cuisine, best known for its use of spices, herbs and plants.

Located in Glodok, Jakarta's Chinatown, in a gloomy street full of massage parlours, bars and karaokes, it is also walking distance from Jayakarta Hotel and Hotel Mercure Kota. It is quite authentic I thought. Actually, there are a few other Chinese restaurants in the area, and after my positive experience in Hunan Kitchen, I intend to come back and try some of them.

Hunan Kitchen looks new from the outside, and it seems quite popular with the Indo-Chinese community. Inside, there isn't anything fancy, but it is clean. You also have an army of waiters, efficient and friendly.

The menu contains a great variety of dishes, and you would have to be very picky if you don't find something you like. Apart from the usual dishes made of chicken, beef, pork, fish or duck, you also have turtles, jellyfish, frogs, etc... We decided to try a few things:

Angsio Bebek Xiang Xi (Rp88k): A full duck red-cooked in a pot with spices

Ubur-Ubur Saus Pedas (Rp29k): Jellyfish in spicy sauce

Tumis Kodok Kuali (Rp49k): Stir-fried frog legs

Sayur Lokal Baby Kailan (Rp27k): Baby Chinese brocoli (Kai-lan) pan-fried

We were all extremely satisfied with our food, which is very rare. I am normally not a fan of spicy dishes, and it was the first time I tried jellyfish or frog legs, but the cooking was so great that we finished everything up in no time. This restaurant is a top address in Jakarta.

Overall: Hunan Kitchen serves authentic Chinese food at a very moderate price (less than Rp100k for a meal including drinks). It is recommended for anyone interested in the food more than the atmosphere. For clubbers, it stays open until late (4am), so you can visit it just before you go to home.

Opening Hours:
Everyday from 11am to 4am

Hunan Kitchen
Jalan Mangga Besar 1 St. No. 61 (crossing with Jalan Labu)
Mangga Besar Village, Taman Sari District, Jakarta

Phone number: +62-21 6252666

Abuba Steak Restaurants

Abuba Steak sounded to me like Abuja Steak, the capital of Nigeria, so I had a strong feeling against this restaurant before visiting it... Fortunately, it was a great surprise and a place I recommend to everyone, excluding vegetarians.

The outside doesn't look so great and would need some painting. The inside is similar to that of a warung, basic but clean, with some posters of meat ads. You have about 30 tables, and 1/4th of them were taken when I visited. Many people seemed to complain on internet about the smoke of cigarettes, but in the Abuba I visited, in Wahid Hasyim, no smoke at all since there is a private/closed room for smoking. There is also a small musholla for praying in the back... My only concern was that the AC was not functioning very well, so it was a bit hot for eating.

Click on the picture to see the menu

The menu is quite simple: You have four types of meat, depending on the quality: Local, NZ beef, Australian Beef, Wagyu beef. Then you choose which piece of meat you want: Sirloin, Tenderloin, Rib Eye, Lamb Chop, T-Bone, and how you would like it cooked. About 10 minutes later, your meat is ready with some vegetables and french fries (the french fries were not very well cooked).


I tooked the Tenderloin NZ, for Rp 68,000. With the barbeque sauce, it tasted just perfect, and far better than the meat I had for the same prices in some of Jakarta's malls. Do not go for local meat, you will see that it is still far from tasting good. I cannot say Abuba is cheap though, since I paid in Bandung Rp 20,000 less for the same steak (in the Suis Butcher). I believe other places in Jakarta offer similar value for money, starting with nearby Ali Baba Steakhouse.

Practical Information:
Abuba Steak in Tebet
Jalan Tebet Barat No50
In font of Cheese Cake

Abuba Gajah Mada
Jalan Gajah Mada Ruko GM
No 149 a,b,d, right next to Paragon Hotel

Abuba Cipete
Jalan Cipete Raya no 14A
Phone: +62-21 751 2337
Fax: +62-21 769 2785

Abuba Pluit
Jalan Pluit Indah Raya No 168
Phone: +62-21 666 983 81
Fax: +62-21 662 7996

Abuba "Sabang"
Jalan Wahid Hasyim no 120
Phone: +62-21 3193 5655
Fax: +62-21 3192 7016

Abuba Gading Batavia
Jalan Gading Batavia LC 20-21
Phone: +62-21 4585 3412

Abuba Serpong-Tangerang
Jalan Boulevard Raya Ruko 5th Avenue
Phone +62-21 5421 2136
Fax: +62-21 5421 2137

Abuba Bandung
Jalan Pradu Dimuntur No 12
Phone +62-22 423 3290
Fax: +62-22 426 5056

Berlian Massage Parlour (Panti Pijat)

Berlian Panti Pijat massage parlour famous for one reason, it is one of the few in Jakarta to offer body to body massage with soap (or soapy massage), similar to those provided in Thailand.

It is about 150 meters north of Stadium on Hayam Wuruk, near the crossroad with Jalan Mangga Besar.

Berlian Jakarta Massage Parlour
Jl. Hayam Wuruk 144 Bl A/27
Taman Sari, Jakarta Barat
Indonesia 11160

NB: The pretty girl on the pic is not from Berlian.

Club 36 - Gogo dancers & Strip club (Hotel Jayakarta)

Club 36, the bar of the Jayakarta hotel is a small club, with house music and RnB, one of the most popular and the best in its type in Kota. It has gogo dancers that go topless (Thai and Chinese) and they go completely naked occasionally. Club 36 is very crowded with the Chinese community. It's a good place to go even during the week because you will never be alone there. You can do karaoke also (36 rooms) with one of the dancers or other "companions". Pretty cool place, and it's open late as well (5AM) so it's nice to stop by when coming from South Jakarta, before starting hardcore Kota clubbing!

Club 36 Hotel Jayakarta
Jalam Hayam Wuruk 126
Tel. : (62)(21) 532 8682
Opening hours: 1pm to 5am from monday to saturday, and from 6pm to 5am on sunday.

Similar clubs: King Cross, V2, Malioboro, Sparks.

Fajar Kitchen (in MyHotel, Hayam Wuruk)

Fajar Kitchen is a Chinese restaurant located in the ground floor of MyHotel, on Jalan Hayam Wuruk. It has a large sign visible from the outside saying it has been opened since 1958, and this is the main reason why I visited.

Unfortunately, the restaurant looks very modern now. Apart from the nice open kitchen, there is nothing worth writing about concerning the design, which is cold, impersonal, and lacking charm.

After seeing the setting, I already knew this was not a venue I could recommend so I only ordered some light dishes, with the idea of eating somewhere else later.

I had an Asparagus and Crab soup, a Vegetable soup, and some Lumpia (spring rolls).  Everything was surprisingly very decent, and I was ready to review my judgement of the place, until I was brought the bill: Rp258,000 for 3 appetizers with two juices! This is probably twice as expensive as it should be considering the location, the atmosphere and the cuisine.

Asparagus and Crab Soup

Vegetable Soup

Lumpia (Spring Rolls)

Overall: The food is correct, but it is really overpriced. If you are a guest in MyHotel, I guess the management is trying to take advantage of you not knowing the city. You should walk only 100 meters and go to Jalan Labu instead, where they have the much better Hunan Kitchen and Lac Mei Che.

Fajar Kitchen

MyHotel, GF

Jalan Hayam Wuruk No.127A

Jakarta 11180, Indonesia

Phone number: +62-21 625 5460

Fax: +62-21 629 1919

Furama (Restaurant in Jalan Hayam Wuruk)

Furama is an affordable Chinese restaurant, specializing in Cantonese and Hakka cuisine. Established since 1978, it is very popular among the Chinese community in Jakarta. They also have a ballroom for weddings.

Furama relocated on Jalan Hayam Wuruk a few years ago, and it is now much more modern, probably a bit too much. They have large boards everywhere advertising the restaurant promotions ("all you can eat Dim Sum for Rp53,300++"), making the place look like a fast-food. I wouldn't advise coming there for an intimate dinner, in particular a date.

I visited Furama after midnight, and at that time only Bubur (rice porridge) was available. I had the Bubur Pitan, and added a plate of grilled Pork and grilled Duck. I didn't keep the bill, but I remember the total was approximately Rp100,000. Compared to another Bubur I had in Kamseng restaurant, the one in Furama tasted much better. The Duck and Pork was more average, probably because of the ingredients used.

Bubur Pitan

Overall: Furama is not a must-try restaurant, but if you live or work nearby, I would recommend it to you because it has a good value-for-money, especially for lunch. If you are enjoying Kota's nightlife, it can also be a stop on the way home as it stays open until quite late.

Opening Hours
Everyday from 11am to 2am (3am during the weekend)

Furama
Jalan Hayam Wuruk no. 45
11160 Jakarta
Phone number: +62-21 625 7272
Fax: +62-21 626 0163

Website: http://www.furama.co.id
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FuramaResto
Email: furamaresto@gmail.com or sales@furama.co.id

For more information about the best places in Jakarta to eat dim sum, plus where they have all-you-can-eat promos, read my article The best all-you-can-eat dim sum in Jakarta

Garuda Padang Restaurant Jakarta

Padang restaurants are countless in Jakarta, and you may find one in almost every street of the city (for new comers and tourists, Padang is the name of a city in Sumatra). Most of the Padang restaurants are small street food stalls or simple "rumah makan" (basic restaurants), and unfortunately many expats can be reluctant to try this kind of establishment because the hygiene is not up to their standards.

The Garuda food chain is a good way to experience Padang food because their venues are clean and comfortable, while the general atmosphere and the prices remain close from that of the original Padang food concept.

After seating, the waiters will bring you about 15 different dishes, the most common ones, but you can also ask for more specific ones. Then you will be charged only for what you eat. Padang food is quite hot, though it's not, as many people think, the spiciest cuisine of Indonesia. If your stomach is fragile, ask for a lot of rice, ayam goreng bumbu, sayur, and beef rendang... You should be OK.


My food was excellent, nothing to complain about. I ate for 5 people and paid Rp 60,000. If you don't try too many dishes, the average bill will be around Rp 30,000-Rp 50,000 per person including tea.

Locations and contact details:
Garuda Padang Resto Hayam Wuruk
West Jakarta
Tel: +62-21 626 2944
Tel: +62-21 626 2940

Garuda Pondok Indah
Jalan Arteri Pondok Indah No 79D
South Jakarta
Tel: +62-21 724 6999
Tel: +62-21 724 3316

Garuda Restaurant North Jakarta
Jalan Boulevard Raya Barat Blok XC. 09 No 7-8
Kelapa Gading
Tel: +62-21 458 466 58/60

Jalan Raya Pluit Selatan No 10
Tel: +62-21666 046 66

Garuda Central Jakarta (the restaurant I tried, it is open 24h/24)
Jalan H. Agus Salim/Sabang No 59
Phone: +62-21319 358 81

And there is also one branch in Bandung, Jalan Setia Budi no 60, +62-22 203 2642

Illigals Hotel & Club

Illigals Hotel and Club is the new BIG one stop entertainment venue in Jakarta, and it replaces the old 1001, which used to be one of North Jakarta's most crazy place (the "sashimi sex" night club in the book Jakarta Underground).

To have it name Illigals is somehow a huge provocation and a sign that some people in Indonesia can do pretty much anything they want. I don't know who the owner of Illigals is, but I can imagine he is very well protected. The owner of 1001 also has Mille's and Millennium, that also have quite a reputation for being ecstasy factories + giant prostitution centers.

The days after the opening at the end of 2010 were slow, but now things are starting to move: Happening parties are being organized every weekend and they are crowded. 

First floor: Illigal has a night club, bar and lounge, not too big, and with no real dancefloor. People sit by groups in big sofas around tables.

Second floor: Karaoke rooms, restaurant and billiard, with local "Lady Companion" (LC) (another name for prostitutes actually).

Third floor: Karaoke rooms with "foreign LC".

Fourth floor: Luxurious spa with huge swimming pool

Fifth floor: 100 hotel bedrooms

As you can see, the activities in Illigals are completely illegal in Indonesia, and nobody seems to worry about it. It's funny to think that at the same time, Ariel from Peter Pan is in jail for porn outrage following its leaked sex tape.. How hypocritical!

There is no doubt Illigals will now compete with Alexis and Malioboro in becoming one of Jakarta's hottest nightlife spots. They are planning to have sexy dancer shows and all that stuff, typical of night clubs in North Jakarta. If you go there, please comment or send me an update.

For more information, you can check Illigals facebook fanpage here: or follow them on twitter: @illigalsjakarta

Update April 2011:
I saw that Illigals organizes some gay events on Sundays (see flyer below). I don't know yet if it is a regular event each Sunday.

Update July 2011:

There was a special event in Illigals with a German DJ, Phuture Traxx, and I shot this video:

Contact details:
Illigals Hotel & Club
Jl.Hayam Wuruk no.108
Jakarta Barat, 111620
Tel: +62-21 626 - 4567

Kartika Massage Parlour Panti Pijat

Kartika Panti Pijat is a famous massage parlour, in the end of a dirty street, in Jakarta's naughty red light district. It gain a reputation for having soapy, body-to-body Thai massages, that can be performed by one or two girls.

Kartika Jakarta (150 meters from Stadium when going North)
Hayam Wuruk #114
Taman Sari, Jakarta Barat
Indonesia 11160

Kamseng (24h Chinese Restaurant)

Kamseng restaurant is the equivalent in North Jakarta of Dim Sum Festival in the South: Opened 24 hours, it is filled with party-goers and clubbers from nearby entertainment venues. My boss once told me about a place near Hayam Wuruk nicknamed the "wh*res' porridge", and now I think he was talking about Kamseng. If you go there late, you'll understand why.

After trying a few restaurants in the area, namely Hunan Kitchen and Lac Mei Che, I had high expectations, but what I tried there was nothing more than a busy warung serving cheap, yet average food.

Kamseng has a lot of waiters, but it is so busy you could get more attention in a McDonald's during rush hour. If you are looking for a nice, quiet dinner, this is not the place.
 

The menu is quite small, with mainly rice porridge dishes, also called congee (bubur in Indonesian). I tried the pork porridge, and I didn't find anything special compared to what you can get in the street. Apart from the 24h opening hours, I don't think there are other reasons you should come here.

Bubur Pitan Daging Babi (Rp22,000++)

Overall: Disappointing experience, I won't come back except after clubbing in the area.

Opening Hours:

Everyday, 24h/24H

Kamseng Chinese Restaurant

Jalan Mangga Besar I no.26
Phone number: +62-21 649 2319

King of Thai (Thai Restaurants)

King of Thai is a casual dining restaurant located in various malls in Jakarta and specializing, you guessed, in Thai food. They are usually quite small, with minimalist decoration: Nothing could remind you of Thailand apart from a few photos. At lunch time, it should be crowded so do make a reservation if you come with a group.

My experience there was limited to their much-praised Mango Salad (Rp26,000++) and the Roast Duck with Rice (Rp42,000++). Both dishes were satisfying considering the price and the location, in Plaza Indonesia. The only thing that really bothered me was the noise coming from the bowling alley next door, so I advise you to visit the place only for quick eats alone or with friends.

Roast Duck with Rice (Rp42,000++)

Mango Salad (Rp26,000)

Overall: Recommended for casual, affordable meals in malls.

Opening hours:
Everyday from 10am to 10pm

King Of Thai Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia Ex Center, 1st Fl Unit A 12c
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28 - 30, Jakarta
Phone: +62-21 314-6086
Fax: +62-21 316-2739

Also in the following locations:

King Of Thai Kelapa Gading
Phone: +62-21 452-4958
Kelapa Gading Mall 1, LG Fl
Jl. Boulevard Kelapa Gading Blok M, Jakarta

King of Thai Senayan
Senayan City
Jl Asia Afrika Lot 19 Senayan City Lt LG Unit 50 Senayan
Phone: +62-21 72781444

King of Thai Hayam Wuruk
Jayakarta Tower, The Food Place,
Jl. Hayam Wuruk
Phone number: +62-21 639 1214

Note: King of Thai is originally from San Francisco and was founded by Anthony Chaichana. You can see their main website here: King of Thai Noodle.