Cafe Batavia is a historical colonial style building located at Fatahillah Square, Kota Tua, Jakarta and was used as administration office by VOC after the construction was completed in 1850. Later in 1991 an Australian native purchased the building and turned it into a cafe and opened for public for the first time in 1993.
Our first visit here was around 2 years ago for breakfast on a beautiful Sunday. Unfortunately, it was ruined by the poor service, the waitresses were so slow and seems to be more attentive to expat customers than to the locals. Took quite sometimes for the food to be served and the taste was not pleasant at all. Last week, we decided to give it a try again after 2 years (it might sounds weird after our bad experience), but we do believe people will improve.
Guess what??
We were truly disappointed again!!! This time we came for lunch, it was pretty crowded now. First seeing the crowd, we were so excited, we thought the standard might have improved! but NO!
Again, the service was poor, waitresses were slow! They were not very attentive to their customers. We asked for an extra spoon and it never came that we had to asked for several times. My wife asked for desserts menu and it never came, too, that my wife had to walked to the waiter and asked for it. We even witnessed the waiter served the wrong food to the wrong table TWICE on the same day. What was going on with this cafe ???
Do you see frames hanging on the column? they are the desserts menu. The menu was printed at the back of the frame. It is indeed a very unique way, but what took the waiter or waitress so long to pass us one???
We noticed most of the guests ordered local food, so we tried some. The taste was bad, the fried rice was not warm. The nasi campur didn't taste authentic at all, not even close! The only food that was quite acceptable was the satay, at least it was well grilled, and the peanut sauce was quite okay.
If you have been reading my blog, you would have seen other fantastic Indonesian cuisine and tasty fried rice that we had at some other places. And the worst is, the price doesn't correspond to the taste, it is overpriced.
Ice Tea IDR 25K@
Fried Rice IDR 85K
Nasi Campur Meneer IDR 75K
IDR 50K, ice cream melted even before it was served on our table
The only thing that we can truly enjoy here is the ambiance of 19th century Batavia and the historical value that the fact this cafe is actually located at our historical point, Fatahillah square. If you are looking for a place to enjoy live music, smoke and drinks, maybe this is the right place. There are quite a selections of drinks and liquor available. But if you're looking for a good food, this is not the right place.
The Bar
The Fatahillah Square were a huge consolation to our disappointment. It was a fun afternoon stroll at the Fatahillah Square. I will blog about it on my next post.
Everything written here is based on my own personal experience and genuine opinion without any negative intention to discredit any parties. I have not been offered any incentives or payment to write this review.
After quite sometimes, last Saturday afternoon, we took time
to stop by again to Restaurant Lara
Djonggrang at Jalan Teuku Cik Ditiro no. 4 Menteng, Central Jakarta. We’ve
known this restaurant since 6 years ago. And we still love it until now, especially we are a great fan of Indonesian food!
When we arrived, we noticed that not too many guests arrived
yet. Maybe it was still early for dinner. Lucky for us though. We do not like
crowded and noisy restaurant.
Comfortable antique sofa for guest who is waiting to be seated. Don't worry they have more than one.
Outdoor waiting area
For you, who have never been here, Lara Djonggrang is one of
the most recommended Indonesian fine dining restaurant. It has a very unique
and classic decoration that combines traditional Chinese and Javanese art and
culture that create a WOW sensation to every guest who comes to dine in.
Out door dining area, but actually I am not sure what is this area for, because I saw two staff taking a nap at the other corner of this area. Maybe, this is the staff dining area or resting place.
The
color of the walls, the statues, the furnishings, all looks very old and
antique but well taken care of. I know nowadays many people love to take selfie picture and I can assure you this is a good place for selfie!!
Interesting statue and traditional Chinese red-candle-stands
Outdoor dining area right the opposite of the statue (pic above). If you're sitting here, you can enjoy the sound of rippling water from the small fish pond which is so serene.
Besides the breathtaking interior, the food and the drink
are all very authentic, delicious and carefully cooked to the perfection. They
certainly will arouse your taste bud. Just by reading the description of each
menu has already made my stomach growling. Let's enjoy the picture of foodies now...
The appetizer of our choice : Tahu Suduk. Fried tofu with bean sprout and carrots fillings. The taste??? needless to say...
Yes, they are served on a gorgeous clam shell IDR 48K
Pepes Ikan Keputren (steamed boneless whole fish marinated with Lara Djonggrang A to Z spice wrapped with Pandan leaves)
IDR 68,000
Wayang (Indonesian traditional puppet) shaped rice with sprinkle of Bawang Goreng (fried shallots) on the top of the rice and Serundeng (fried coconut flakes) around the plate
Nasi Brongkos (black rice), steamed with Keluwak essence for the natural black coloring.
Magnificent set of Ayam Klaten that comes with your choice of rice: plain white rice, Nasi brongkos (black rice), Nasi merah (brown rice) and Nasi lemak (Lemak rice). IDR 85K
The set consists of (clockwise from the top)
sambal (chili paste)
Opor ayam (chicken braised in coconut milk)
Tempe orek (tempe fried dry with a bit of spiciness and sweetness)
Serundeng with fried peanuts
Lalapan (steamed veggies)
Kerupuk putih (cracker)
Ayam goreng Klaten (Klaten style fried chicken)
How was it?????? does it make your saliva drool?
This one is so good
What we love from this restaurant is the standard’s consistency.
For so many times we eat here the taste of the food is always fantastic.
Nowadays, many restaurants blame on expensive raw food materials as the cause
of the declining quality of their food. Apparently it does not happen to Lara
Djonggrang and this does win our heart.
Not to miss the dessert, my wife ordered Es Siwalan Tuban.
Mixture of buah Lontar (palm fruit pieces), green grass jelly, Selaseh and poured with syrup. Do you notice the spoon looks quite small?? yes, the ice portion is kinda huge. IDR 48K.
This restaurant consists of several rooms suitable for both small and big family gatherings.
Small private room
Bigger private room
Each room has a different furnishing and decor
They even have a very unique way to write down the name of the guest who have their seat reserved
The services were also excellent. The staffs were very friendly
and polite. Waiting time was also very short, so we didn’t have to wait too
long for the first food to be served.
The friendly staff who assisted us that day
Next..let's take a short tour to the other part of the restaurant, the bar!!!
The room is decorated with antique Chinese lantern
It's a separated wings at the rear of this restaurant which resembles a traditional Chinese chamber of a lady. It was said that this building was actually the pavilion of one of the daughter of a wealthy sugar merchant at around 19th century from one of his wives in Indonesia. Most of the furnishings were preserved as it was before to keep the historical value.
A very classic Chinese style of ceiling with elaborated wood sculpture
Frames of awards hanging lined along the top of the bar. Wide selections of wine and liquor are available here.
It has a dining area too (Smoking area)
The mysterious red room at the other side end of the room. It is decorated with red organdy fabric. Actually the name "red room" is from me, because everything is so red inside there and quite dark. It was quite hard to get a clear sharp picture. My wife took several attempts to get this shot.
A good news for coffee lover, they also provide raw coffee beans at a quite reasonable price
My wife took a short video of the restaurant which you can view here. But it was a bit shaky because it was taken by phone. Hope you enjoy!
Find them here :
Lara Djonggrang
Jl.Teuku Cik Ditiro No.4, Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10350
Ph. (021) 315 3252
Everything written here is based on my own personal experience and genuine opinion without any negative intention to discredit any parties. I have not been offered any incentives or payment to write this review.
Instagram : tac_travelandfood
TripAdvisor : AdeHilman
Hi...first of all I have to say sorry about the quality of the pictures on this post. My camera's battery were flat, so we took all these pictures by phone.
This article is actually part of the story of our trip to the Safari Park Cisarua some time ago. After traveled to the Safari Park, we decided to spend the night at Puncak because we were so exhausted.
Well, on the way back to Jakarta, we took time to stop by Rindu Alam Restaurant, located at Jalan Raya Puncak. This restaurant is one of the icon at Puncak area and already very well-known since a long time ago. It is strategically located and has a spectacular view. Other than that the food was varied and tempting.
Arriving at the location of the restaurant, I was brought back to my childhood nostalgic where I used to come here with my late Grandparents. It used to be our favourite pit stop. This time I was bringing my own family here.
The view from the parking lot besides the restaurant
Entering the area in the restaurant, I saw not many changes to the interior and furnishings, still as of yore. Apparently the restaurant owners still want to keep the nostalgic feel of the restaurant especially for its loyal customers.
The restaurant was very crowded that day because we arrived there during lunch time. This were what we ordered that day :
Their best seller "Ayam Goreng Rindu Alam" (Rindu Alam Fried Chicken)..although it looked and tasted like steamed chicken to me, but it was fantastic!!
The "Udang Bakar Kecap" (dark soy sauce grilled prawn). Don't judge a book from it's cover! The presentation might be messy but the taste won't mess up your day. It was very well cooked.
"Kangkung cah Belacan" (Sautee Water Cress with Indonesian style shrimp paste). Unfortunately it was a little bit under cooked and I guess the chef has forgotten to add some salt.
A compliment chili dipping
Ice Cream stand that was serving non-stop. Orders were keep flowing in.
A very friendly and talented Ice cream lady
Ta da...the best seller Banana Split. It was a very nostalgic flavour. A real childhood ice cream taste.
If any of you go to Puncak for holiday, take some time and make some short trip to this restaurant to try their food, especially the chicken. You will not regret it. The price ranges from IDR35,000 - IDR 85,000. And one more very important thing, the toilet is quite clean!
