Enjoying Japanese dishes in hot Jakarta

Enjoying Japanese dishes in hot Jakarta

Rudijanto, Contributor, Jakarta

Chef Hiroki Takai's face had streaks of sweat on it but it
also showed traces of pride as he the diners' faces brighten
when waiters served the food he had cooked at Jakarta's Basara
Japanese restaurant.

Still in his early 30s, Hiroki has mastered traditional
Japanese cooking thanks to 13 years of immersing himself in the
tradition. This mastery of tradition coupled with his creative
imagination has resulted in a unique menu at Basara.

If customers want to try something new, Hiroki is ready to use
his creative imagination to which up a special dish. Just tell
him your budget and he will understand what you want.

Compared with other Japanese restaurants, Basara's dishes are
seldom accompanied with separate sauces, which are already
integrated in the dishes. This allows customers' attention to be
focused solely on the main dish, rather than being distracted by
the sauce.

For instance, Basara's Sumibiyaki Moriawase, a mix of grilled
fish and beef, is tasty without having to dip the pieces of fish
or beef into a sauce. Another dish with which sauce is
unnecessary is Sakana Kawariage, consisting of fried fish,
vegetables and eggplant.

The focus of Basara's special soup Ebi Shin is on specially
imported prawns and fish, so the taste of the broth is not
dominant. Without being distracted by a strong-tasting broth,
diners are able to enjoy the main ingredients of the soup.

Located on the ground floor of the Summitmas Tower on Jl.
Sudirman, Basara certainly provides a cool place for visitors
looking for a taste of Japan in the heart of Jakarta.

Faithful to Japanese tradition, Basara serves its food on
wooden plates and with wooden spoons. The restaurant still uses
charcoal to grill its beef, chicken and fish.

However, Basara also presents itself as a modern Japanese
restaurant. That is why the interior design is minimalist and
instead of mats, the private rooms use chairs.

Stressing its modern aspects, Basara welcomes guests with soft
jazz music rather than traditional Japanese music. The restaurant
is also the only Japanese restaurant in Jakarta with a wine
seller.

Basara is one of many Japanese restaurants offering a taste of
Japan thousands of miles from home. The great Japanese investment
and interest in Indonesia has brought many Japanese
businesspeople and tourists to Jakarta.

Many Japanese travelers prefer to stay and dine in places that
are frequented by other Japanese. That is why hotels and
restaurants that cater specially to the Japanese always receive a
great number of Japanese guests.

"The number of Japanese visitors to our hotel is not affected
by bomb threats or security issues and our occupancy rate
averages 70 percent to 80 percent," says Hendra Gunawan,
assistant food and beverage manager at the Hotel Nikko, Jakarta.

A favorite among Japanese travelers, the Hotel Nikko
surprisingly does not have a Japanese restaurant in the main
hotel, though it runs the Kahyangan Shabu-Shabu restaurant in the
adjacent Wisma Nusantara office building.

But do not be mistaken. The hotel's Olive Tree Restaurant on
the first floor offers familiar Japanese dishes along with dishes
from China, Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, Thailand and America.

Though this month the restaurant is dominated by a Betawi
atmosphere to celebrate Jakarta's 478th anniversary, lovers of
Japanese food still can find Miso Shiru soup, Yaki Soba, Japanese
noodles with salmon and Tori Kushi Katsu in the Nikko's buffet.

Aside from the buffet, Japanese food enthusiasts can also
order the Gindara Teriyaki set, which is grilled silver cod with
teriyaki sauce and served with appetizer, pickles, miso soup and
steamed rice.

There is also Unagi Yanagawa with special Japanese eel. Or if
you prefer beef, chef Hamami is skillful in preparing grilled
beef steak with Moromiso sauce.

Though Indonesian, Hamami has mastered the art of Japanese
cuisine through his 23 years of cooking experience. Apparently
learning by observing and doing, Hamami knows Japanese appetites.

Unlike Hiroki of Basara, who lets his imagination run free in
cooking dishes based on customers' budget, Hamami strictly
follows standard Japanese recipes to ensure the original and
standard Japanese taste.

"My task is to ensure the standard of the food served in this
restaurant. With this adherence to standards, the taste of the
foods here is the same as food cooked in the countries of their
origin," says Nikko executive chef Setiyanto.

The capital is also home to the Aoki Japanese restaurant at
the Gran Mahakam Hotel in southern Jakarta's Blok M area. Here
chef Solihin Syahbudin relies on his 22 years of experience in
working at Japanese restaurants in Jakarta.

Solihin, 47, prepares a variety of sushi and sashimi, such as
Soft Shell Crab Maki, Dynamite, Kintamani Maki, Honeymoon Scallop
Maki. This month, he pampers Aoki's guests with Kamameshi,
Japanese-style rice with a selection of seafood, beef and
vegetable, while next month he will present Unagi.

For Japanese food lovers who enjoy seeing how their meals are
prepared, Melt Restaurant's Japanese Raw Bar is a good place to
go. Here, chefs are ready to work closely with diners to help
them customize their meals.

Located in the GKBI building on Jl. Sudirman, Melt allows
customers to watch chefs slice and dice the fish while preparing
sushi, sashimi and grilled dishes. The restaurant's specialties
include Omakase sets.

Like the Olive Tree restaurant at the Hotel Nikko, Melt is not
an exclusively Japanese restaurant but also serves Western food
and other Asian delicacies. Next month, the restaurant will hold
the Japanese Food Promo, offering The New Indian Ocean Gindara
Teriyaki, Japanese Tempura Udon and Japanese Chicken Teriyaki.

Even amid the atmosphere of Betawi culture during celebrations
for Jakarta's 478th anniversary, the city consistently offers
lovers of Japanese food a good selections of mouthwatering
selections.

Just stroll through Jakarta's CBD, Block M and Kemang in the
southern part of the city and you will find a wide range of
Japanese restaurants. Or if you stay in a hotel run by an
international chain such as the J.W. Marriott, Borobudur or
Shangri-La, you will be able to choose from your favorite dishes.
Enjoy Jakarta!