Jakarta's great restaurants are hardly even the city's best kept secret anymore - eating is something people in this city do extremely well. There are so many great that it is hard to say which ones are really the best - that is a hotly contested topic, and largely a matter of personal taste! What everyone agrees upon is that the range and diversity are outstanding. Take out an atlas of the world, shut your eyes and stick a pin into the map, and see which country you hit. They may or may not have an embassy here, but there's an extremely good chance that it's represented by a restaurant.
Similarly, Indonesia's many different ethnic groups, each with their own distinct culture, are all proud of their own particular cuisine. While some groups, such as Padang and Sunda are particularly ubiquitous, you can find something from practically every island in the country somewhere in the capital. With so much to choose from, to try and identify the best is perhaps an impossible task. However, below are several perennial favourites from each of the major categories of cuisine that have either stood the test of time or emerged from nowhere to win loyalty and acclaim from a large number of discerning diners.
AMERICAN
The country's politics may not sit well with the stomach but there is a place inside all of us that only comfort food like a big juicy burger or slab of pecan pie can fill. Thanks to a great number of corporate staff and American oil companies, Jakarta has a varied selection of quality American grub, and McDonalds and KFC don't count.
For arguably the best ribs in Jakarta make sure to check out Tony Roma's. Think juicy, soft baby back ribs with big, fresh side dishes like coleslaw, onion loaf, fries and baked potatoes. The portions of quality imported meat smothered in barbeque sauce along with comfortable surrounds and professional staff have won Tony Roma's awards in the past.
CHINESE
Try Crystal Jade Palace which has'all the charisma of a Hong Kong dim sum joint at lunch (take that anyway way you please). But the scores of harried staff are doing something right, and the queues match those outside the Canadian consulate ahead of the 1997 handover. It's a big place and the managers have got its operations down-pat. Reasonable value and efficient but not necessarily warm service. Beware the dessert trolley! Check out The Courtyard. Some say its stylish. This restaurant has been pulling in the masses for a while no, with sedate wood furnishing and subdued lights and staff in almost Maoist outfits out of one of those arty movies. One to put in your Little Red Book.
FINE DINING
For a romantic evening step in to the classically embellished Margaux specialising in French cuisine. Redolent of a side room in Versailles, the restaurant has chandeliers, a grand piano, dramatically draping curtains in sombre colours. Expect a perfectionist and super traditional approach to rich, luxury ingredients like silky foie gras, black truffles and amaretto cream. If you are going to eat fatty foods might as well do it and feel utterly satisfied afterwards, at Margaux.
FRENCH
Teetering on the fine dining and French category is Circa. Along with one of the most extensive wine lists in the city compiled by Ponti Young, Circa has a modern edge to it. The boudoir-esque dining room overlooks the city skyline from the 42nd floor of BNI. After a dinner of French and Modern Australian cuisine such as a delightful quail and beetroot, step in to a plush adjoining bar where you can recline on candlelit beds overlooking the city through floor-to-ceiling windows and listen to soft live jazz. A highly recommended restaurant run by a young, international and award-winning team.
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INDIAN
Thanks to a big Indian community in Jakarta we are lucky to have access to excellent Indian cuisine, nothing like the oily curries one finds in restaurants in the UK for example. For a romantic evening in the South of Jakarta there is naan better than Kinara Indian spices are used to perfection in lentil dishes, biryani and tandoori plus so many more of the chef's specialities. Try the vegetable dumplings and lentil tadka with a sweet lassi. Afterwards go upstairs to the balcony and recline with a cocktail. If at lunch time you pine for Indian, you can order a lunchbox on www.pesandelivery.com. www.kinarafez.com also features upcoming events with regular Indian cultural events held here.
Thanks to a big Indian community in Jakarta we are lucky to have access to excellent Indian cuisine, nothing like the oily curries one finds in restaurants in the UK for example. For a romantic evening in the South of Jakarta there is naan better than Kinara Indian spices are used to perfection in lentil dishes, biryani and tandoori plus so many more of the chef's specialities. Try the vegetable dumplings and lentil tadka with a sweet lassi. Afterwards go upstairs to the balcony and recline with a cocktail. If at lunch time you pine for Indian, you can order a lunchbox on www.pesandelivery.com. www.kinarafez.com also features upcoming events with regular Indian cultural events held here.
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