If you haven’t heard about this restaurant, I’m pretty sure you very soon will be; Although only having been opened for two weeks, What’s New Jakarta has only heard rave reviews about this talk of town. Taking place in what used to be Casa D’Oro, Kempinski Jakarta has launched OKU as their newest addition to Jakarta’s fine dining scene.
Helmed by Chef Kazumasa Yazawa (or Chef Kaz for short), you will not find the regular Japanese omakase dishes that you might expect in a premium Japanese restaurant. Instead, you will experience a modern take on Japanese dishes with traditional flair. A celebration of texture, finest ingredients, and years of perfected techniques.
The name OKU itself implies the peeling back of the layers of an onion, which you will experience the moment you step in the restaurant. From the lounge located at the front, the main dining area, to the deepest layer: the many private dining chambers that promise maximum privacy. The philosophy also represents the culinary journey you will experience at the outlet while savouring the unique dishes that Chef Kaz has created.
What’s New Jakarta was recently invited to a preview luncheon, where we were served with the restaurant’s most iconic dishes; such as The Oku Karage would completely catch you off guard if you hadn’t been informed of what’s in it; served on two logs of perfectly blackened wood, the deep fried ‘chicken thighs’ are black from the use of squid ink in the batter, topped with shichimi togarashi and explodes with sweet and savory sauce once you bite it in your mouth.
As with the presentation of Chef Kaz’ version of smoked organic Ajitama, half-boiled egg commonly found on ramen noodles, that uses an inverted glass dome to contain the ‘smoke’ and to be uncovered in front of the guest. We also tried Oku’s version of the grilled eel or unagi, served on top of glutinous rice crackers on a bed of shells, and garnished with edible flowers. The incredibly succulent unagi with a sweet kabayaki sauce gives a pleasant contrast with the crispy crackers.
Chef Kaz’ knack of combining the best of both worlds also apparent in his cold karasumi pasta with botarga or cured fish that has the reputation (and price) of Alba Truffle. And what is a visit to a japanese restaurant, no matter how avant garde, without a plate of shareable sushi. We tried the lightly char-grilled salmon aburi, perfect to be enjoyed with a glass of their pretty yuzu cocktails. For desserts, don’t forget to try the yuzu chocolate cake with praline crumbles, or the refreshing Popsicle with different unique flavours.
Masqueraded by Japanese simplicity on its overall look and feel, OKU is anything but simple. It takes its guests to an enthralling culinary journey, layer by layer, and lets them have a lasting experience, to ultimately come back for more.
Location: Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta
Email: oku.jakarta@kempinski.com | Phone: (+62) 21 2358 3896
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @OKUJakarta
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12:00 – 15:00 (Monday to Sunday)
Dinner: 18:00 – 22:30 (Monday to Sunday)
Bar: 12:00 – 00:00 (Sunday to Thursday); 12:00-01:00 (Friday to Saturday)
from What's New Jakarta http://ift.tt/1U1GgcB
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment