Sailendra: Restaurant truly fit for a king<\/p>\n
Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Sailendra, J.W. Marriot Hotel, Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan Kav
\nA 1.2 No. 1 & 2, Mega Kuningan, Jakarta 12950. For reservations
\ncall 57988888. All major credit cards accepted (quoted prices
\nexclude 10% tax and 10% service charge)<\/p>\n
Jakarta has a new restaurant that's fit for a king, or should
\nbe if its name is anything to go by. The Sailendra, located in
\nthe highly impressive new J.W. Marriot Hotel in Jakarta's Mega
\nKuningan area, takes its name from the ancient Sailendra monarchs
\n(who are credited with building Borobudur temple), and, just like
\nits namesake dynasty, this is an eatery that sets out to impress.<\/p>\n
And impress is exactly what it succeeds in doing, although
\nwith its vast size, soaring ceilings and copious quantities of
\nmarble cladding, it appears more redolent of Cleopatra's Egypt or
\nCaesar's Rome than Central Java.<\/p>\n
The restaurant is designed in a split-level style, with the
\nupper level opening in from the hotel lobby and ending with a
\nbalcony looking down far below at the richly carpeted lower
\nlevel, all fronted by an enormous expanse of plate glass
\nstretching all the way up to the ceiling high above.<\/p>\n
With autumnal reds, yellows and ocher prevailing, the lower-
\nlevel dining area suggests mellowness and relaxation, far removed
\nfrom the cares of this world. The upper level, however, is more
\nurbane with virtually nothing, apart from a few enormous red-
\nocher urns sitting high up on pedestals, to lessen the coldness
\nproduced by the all-enveloping sea of marble and chrome.<\/p>\n
The upper level is also home to a large coffee shop counter
\nwhere those in a rush can grab a quick bite to eat.<\/p>\n
And so time to order!<\/p>\n
A menu with something for everyone, including European,
\nJapanese, Indian and Indonesian cuisine, encouraged my companion
\nand I to go our separate ways at this stage, with yours truly
\nopting for European this time around and herself deciding to go
\nAsian, settling on the Sailendra spring rolls (Rp 35,000) as a
\nstarter.<\/p>\n
And what a starter they turned out to be! Large enough for a
\nmain course in themselves, the two giant spring rolls consisted
\nof one Chinese-style and one Thai-style roll.<\/p>\n
With both of them bursting out of their crispy golden shells
\nwith luscious fresh vegetables sauteed in soy sauce, the Thai
\nspring roll was easily distinguishable from its Chinese
\ncounterpart by the extra chili and ginger-induced zing, as well
\nas an unmistakable redolence of cilantro (coriander leaves).<\/p>\n
As for myself, I had settled on the sauteed chicken livers
\nserved on a bed of arugula (a European herb of the mustard
\nfamily) and red pepper salad, and topped by a caramelized port
\nwine and onion dressing (Rp 35,000). Although certainly most
\nesthetically pleasing, I must admit that I was not overly taken
\nby this particular dish, especially as regards the chicken
\nlivers, the textures of which were to my taste rather cloying.
\nThis, however, contains no element of reflection on the chef as
\nthe choice had been something of a shot in the dark on my part.<\/p>\n
For her entree, my companion selected, wisely as it turned
\nout, the stir fried beef with crushed garlic and pepper (Rp
\n70,000).<\/p>\n
A classic Chinese dish from the wok, this particular exemplar
\nwas pronounced a giant among its peers. With a riotous assembly
\nof green, red and yellow peppers all blaring out their conceited
\nwarnings, a tangy black pepper and garlic sauce to tickle the
\ntaste buds and the nostrils, and juicy strips of tenderloin just
\nwaiting to melt in the mouth, it is no exaggeration to describe
\nthis particular dish as a deliciously eclectic extravaganza of
\ntastes and colors.<\/p>\n
For myself, I found it impossible to resist the five spiced
\nduck casserole (Rp 77,000), which was described in the menu in
\nalmost reverential terms. And, truth to tell, it's not hard to
\nsee why. First marinated in the five spices (a traditional
\nChinese seasoning), the bird is then braised in its own juices
\nuntil almost ready to drop off the bone. The final product is
\nserved in a woody-flavored gravy together with char-grilled
\nvegetables, including eggplant, red and yellow peppers, and
\nonions, wonderful roast potatoes, and a whole roast, sweet apple
\nwith sprigs of fennel emerging from where the core had been to
\nprovide the finishing touch.<\/p>\n
This is a superb dish, and wonderfully evocative of colder
\nclimes and howling winter nights, and one that I'll certainly be
\ncoming back to try again.<\/p>\n
While surveying the crowded dining room leisurely over coffee
\nand gateaux as we approached the end of our meal on that
\nparticular Sunday evening, I couldn't help getting the impression
\nthat quite a few were there, as we were, to put the new arrival
\nthrough its paces, so to speak.<\/p>\n
And despite one or two hiccoughs on the service side (quite
\nunderstandable, I feel, given the Sailendra's recent opening), I
\nthink many of the diners will be inclined to agree with me when I
\nsay that for once the blurb doesn't lie. The Sailendra truly is a
\nrestaurant fit for a king and a welcome addition to Jakarta's
\nstock of fine restaurants.<\/p>",
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