TeSate (Jakarta)

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.

Opening Hours: 

Every day from 10am to 11.30pm (2am on weekends)

TeSate Senayan
Plaza Senayan, 4th Fl Bl CP Unit 414
Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8, Jakarta
Phone: (021) 572-5521
Fax: (021) 572-5521

TeSaTe Pacific Place
Mall Pacific Place level 5 unit 62-63
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52 - 53, 12190, Indonesia
Phone number: +62-21 579-73653

Bali Jimbaran (Jakarta Seafood Restaurant)

 

Bali Jimbaran is one of the many seafood restaurants located near Mangga Dua, opposite ITC on Jalan Gunung Sahari. I chose to visit Bali Jimbaran particularly because it had the brightest outside sign, and also because it was the most crowded.

The restaurant is large, with two dining areas on two floors. First, you can select your fresh seafood and fish, and then watch how the cook prepares it in the open-kitchen. It is not a beautiful venue: There is no real decoration, the hygiene looks average, the road nearby is noisy and the aircon is not working properly. As in any open-air restaurants in Jakarta, beware of the mosquitoes as well. On the "plus" side, it looks authentic and the prices are cheap.

We ordered quite many dishes, among which Fish, Squid, Sea Shells and Prawns. I cannot find the bill anymore but the cost was around Rp150,000 (for 2 people). The grill was not available so they fried everything, which proved a bad idea because the cooking oil used was not good quality and they put too much of it. I remember I was quite disappointed, but I still don't know if it is because of the taste of my food, or because I didn't get exactly what I had in mind. My friend was not as severe as myself and he told me he enjoyed his meal a lot, especially the prawns.

 

Overall: I think Bali Jimbaran serves average food, not worth the ride to Mangga Dua if you don't live nearby. They could probably improve the overall atmosphere also, because as it is now, it is far from resembling any restaurants from Jimbaran in Bali...

Opening Hours:

Everyday, from 11am to midnight

Bali Jimbaran Gunung Sahari

Jl. Gunung Sahari Ancol no: 6A, Jakarta Utara
Phone number: +62-21 641 5119/ 641 5120

Facebook: Bali Jimbaran Ikan Bakar

Also in Muara Karang and Jalan Juanda:
Jl. Muara Karang Raya no: 121, Jakarta Utara
Phone number: +62-21 666 01901 / 666 01903

Jl. Ir. H. Juanda Raya no: 31B, jakarta Pusat
Phone number: +62-21 384 5215 / 386 5776

Baruna Balinese Restaurant Jakarta

Baruna Seafood is a Balinese chain of restaurants, with one of its outlets located in Jimbaran. The atmosphere in Jakarta is quite different, but for expats who have been stuck in Jakarta for too long, eating in Baruna may at least bring back some happy holiday memories...

The restaurant is organized around a pretty Balinese garden, with a small pond, tropical flowers and decorated tiles. There are a few different areas, some outdoor (the nicest ones), some indoor with A/C. There is free wifi everywhere.

The menu is moderately priced. The specialty of Baruna is grilled fish (Ikan Bakar) so I went for the grilled Kakap Merah (Red Snapper) which costs Rp 60,000++. The presentation is excellent: They will bring your fish on a wooden plate with a banana leaf inside, and the sauce and the spices. My fish was a little small compared to the red snapper I had in Bali, but it tasted just as fresh. I also tried the Bebek Betutu (duck, Rp 60,000), a spicy Balinese dish with the duck cooked in an aluminium foil. Delicious.





We took some expensive dishes so we paid Rp 100,000 each. The average should be less, around Rp 70,000.

Conclusion: Recommended place to eat in Jakarta. Not too expensive, not pretentious, good Indonesian and Balinese food, well presented and in a relaxing setting.

Baruna Ikan Bakar has a live music show in its outdoor garden (pop/jazzy vocals with keyboard) every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night.

Restoran Baruna Ikan Bakar Jakarta
Jalan Kebon Sirih Timur Dalam No 37
Phone number: +62-21 392 1333

Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday from 10am to 11pm.

D' Cost Seafood Cheap Restaurant

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..

The conclusion is simple: Not good. The food is oily, not very fresh and not tasty at all. I had to put a lot of spices to manage to eat something. The only reason to come to D'Cost compared with a street food stall, usually much better in terms of quality of food, is to have the aircon, and a certain level of hygiene. If that is what you are looking for, then D'Cost is for you, but don't expect a great meal. One good thing though was their juices (strawberry and coconut-orange).

Lots of Information on their website, including the menus and some photos: http://www.dcostseafood.com/id/

Click on the menu to enlarge

List of their restaurants in Indonesia:

D' COST BANDUNG
Jl. Sukajadi no. 197, BANDUNG
Phone (022) 204 4200

D' COST BANJARMASIN
Jl. Pulau Laut No. 14, Banjarmasin
Phone (0511) 336 6363

D' COST BEKASI
Bekasi Square Lantai UG. Jl. Ahmad Yani Bekasi Barat
Phone (021) 824 31567

D' COST CIBUBUR
Mall Citra Gran unit 9-12a, Cibubur. Jl. Alternatif Cibubur-Cileungsi Km 4
Phone 021) 845 930 92

D' COST CIKOKOL
Plaza D'BEST lantai 1, Jl. MH Thamrin, Cikokol, Tanggerang
Phone (021) 554 3307

D' COST DENPASAR
Jl. Raya Puputan No.88 Renon Denpasar, Bali
Phone (0361) 798 2888 & 798 3999

D' COST DEPOK
ITC DEPOK lantai 1, Jl. Margonda Raya, Depok
Phone (021) 772 15076

D' COST JAKARTA BARAT
Jl. Puri Lingkar Luar Barat 108 (Gedung Electronic City) Puri Indah - Jakarta Barat
Phone (021) 583 01988

D' COST JAKARTA PUSAT
Atrium Segi Tiga Senen, Lantai Dasar Pintu 2, Jakarta-Pusat - 10410
Phone (021) 351 0933

D' COST JAKARTA SELATAN
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 84 Jakarta Selatan)
Phone (021) 717 92661 & (021) 706 21609

D' COST JAKARTA UTARA
Sports Mall Lt. 2 Blok B7/15, lJl. Kelapa Nias HF 3 JakartaUtara
Phone (021) 285 07708

D' COST MAKASSAR
Mall Panakkukang Gedung C Lantai 3 Makassar
Phone (0411) 466 2011

D' COST PEKANBARU
Jl. Teuku Umar, Plaza Senapelan Lt. 4, Pekanbaru, Riau
Phone (0761) 839411

D' COST SERPONG
Jl. Pahlawan 1000 Gedung Ocean Park Blok K 1-9 Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) - Tanggerang
Phone (021) 538 9709

D' COST SOLO
Solo Square lantai 1 unit 68-72
Phone (0271) 765 1508

D' COST SURABAYA BARAT
Middle ring road, Graha Famili Surabaya, Seberang PTC
Phone (031) 734 2002

D' COST SURABAYA SELATAN
Royal Plaza Lantai UG.
Phone (031) 827 1500

Fu Qing Sanur (Mangga Dua)

 

 

I visited Fuqing Sanur, a Chinese seafood restaurant, a day I was lost in Mangga Dua. Since this area is not very crowded with expats or tourists, I was hoping the food would taste good and would not be too expensive.

The restaurant does not look very pretty inside, but it is clean and spacious.  I came in the middle of the afternoon so there were no customers and I had the attention of at least three nice waitresses. By the time I had finished eating, a few people had came in. I would guess it is a popular place to eat in the area, with most clients being regulars. The name, Fu Qing Sanur is a mystery since there isn't anything reminding you of that Balinese village… Maybe it is a way to tell people they specialize in seafood.

The menu is very long, with mainly Chinese dishes, not surprising for Mangga Dua. It includes shark fins, frogs, abalone and pork, but no prices are mentioned so you need to ask the waitresses.

I ordered the steam fish (Red Snapper), for Rp25,000 an ounce (total Rp125,000 - a price below average). Compared to the other restaurants in Jakarta I've tried, it took longer than usual for my food to arrive, around 30 minutes. As I was the first client, maybe the kitchen was not completely ready. The dish looked fine, without being too original, and I was a bit disappointed with its taste: The fish seemed fresh, but the soup was lacking in flavor.

Overall, I did not think the restaurant was a particular gem. It is a random venue, serving the kind of food you expect, at the price you’ve paid for. If you live in the area, I recommend you to try it, though not for special occasions (dates in particular) because its design is very dull.

Contact details:  

Restaurant Fu Qing Sanur Mangga Dua

Jalan Mangga Dua Abdad No 45 (near Hotel Le Grandeur/Dusit Mangga Dua)
North Jakarta

Phone number: +62-21 659 0880 or +62-21 628 5808
Fax: +62-21 628 5779

Jun Njan Chinese Seafood Restaurant

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:

Email address: junnjan@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.junnjanseafood.com/ (not working properly at the time of writing)

Facebook: Jun Njan Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Jakarta

Jun Njan Seafood Restaurant: Address of the various Jakarta branches
Grand Indonesia

West Mall, Level 5 No.11 A-BMH.

Thamrin No. 1

Phone number: +62-21 2358-0647

Ruko Gudang Lengkong

Jln. Pahlawan 1000 No. 8 C,D,E

Phone number: +62-21 5371-486 /+62-21 5371-511

Batu Ceper

Jl. Batu Ceper No. 69 Tanah Abang

Phone number: +62-21 381-4063

Kebayoran Lama

Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda No. 35 D

Phone number: +62-21 725-2604

Pluit

Jl. Pluit Utara Raya No. 41

Phone number: +62-21 6667-5878

Mall Of Indonesia ( MOI )

Lt. 1 No. B 1-3

Jl. Raya Boulevard Barat

Phone number: +62-21 4586-8278

Kelapa Gading

Jl. Boulevard Blok FW 30-31

Phone number: +62-21 452-6608

Pondok Laguna (Batu Tulis, Jakarta)

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. The service is impersonal: It is hard to get just a minute of attention from the waiters, who seemed visibly understaffed and unable to handle complaints.

We ordered Es Delima (Pomegranate juice, Rp13,200++), Es Jeruk (Orange Juice, Rp18,700++), Ikan Gurame Bakar (Fish, Rp54,600++), Cumi Pete Taoco (Calamaris, Rp38,000++). The drinks came rather quickly, but instead of pomegranate, we were served some jelly with the appearance of the fruit. The orange juice was truly terrible. Obviously, it had been done with oranges that had started to rot, and until today I still have that unpleasing aftertaste in my mouth.

We started to wait for our main courses... After 45 minutes, we saw that  many people who had come after us were already eating so we asked if our order was on its way. The waiter smiled and asked us to wait, without even checking in the kitchen. I asked him again 15 minutes later, and he did exactly the same. Finally, after 1h15 minutes of waiting, I decided to leave the restaurant without eating. I told the waiter to bring me the bill for the drinks only, and surprisingly, he came back with the fish (the calamaris came 10 minutes later).

Ikan Gurame Bakar (Rp54,600++)

Cumi Pete Taoco (Rp38k++)

The presentation of the gurame had nothing special, and its was taste just average. They used a sweet soy sauce, very heavy, which was not a good match for a fresh fish. I didn't try the calamaris but my friend told me it was worth a 5/10, and that you could find better food pretty much everywhere.

Finally, I asked for the bill, but it never came so I went to the cashier to pay.

Overall: Personally, I will not visit Pondok Laguna again and I don't understand how it manages to get so many positive reviews. I guess some people must enjoy the animation. The prices are also reasonable.

Opening Hours:

Everyday from 11am to 3pm and from 5.30pm to 10pm

Rumah Makan Pondok Laguna
Jalan Batu Tulis Raya No.45
Phone number: +62-21 345 9991/9992/9993/9994/9995
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PondokLaguna