Top 5 restaurants in West Jakarta, Indonesia, according to locals

Started in Sangenjaya, Tokyo, in 1996, Gyu-Kaku is a Japanese barbeque chain of restaurants that has currently spread to over 700 outlets in the world. The cozy branch situated in West Jakarta invites you to a yakiniku dining experience in an all-you-can-eat buffet concept. The decor is very plush and rustic in its atmosphere, featuring soft leather banquettes, timbered wooden ceilings, bare cement walls with thatched furnishing, hanging wicker lamps, and cream-tiled flooring.

The idea of yakiniku is similar to a Korean BBQ, where guests are provided a host of marinated meats and have a smokeless charcoal grill on their table to cook it. Gyu-Kaku presents a choice of different packages, such as standard or premium dinner meals, a set lunch menu, and an à la carte offering. Each combination includes a range of appetizers, salads, vegetables for grilling, rice, soup, seafood, and ice cream. Some of the dishes you can enjoy here are red miso marinated skirt steak, garlic egg fried rice, minced beef cheese katsu, crispy chicken karaage, fried gyoza with sesame soy dip, juicy beef stew with rice, fried calamari with tartar sauce, and teriyaki-glazed John Dory fish filet.

Standard buffet – $15
Premium buffet – $27

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is a popular Singapore-based restaurant that opened its branch in the Central Park Mall in West Jakarta. It specializes in one very peculiar dish, bak kut teh, or pork ribs soup. Unlike the regular type that is made with rich spices in a heavy consommé, the Song Fa version only provides clear garlic-flavored broth.

The moment you approach the eatery location, the homely aroma of constantly boiling bouillons fills the air. Besides their signature dish, they also present braised and stewed creations of pig meat. Visitors can sample delicious items like premium loin rib soup, stewed sliced fish, braised pork, spicy pork belly with okra, spiced chicken feet with beancurd skin, salted seasonal vegetables, blanched bok choy in savory soya sauce. Elevate your dining experience by pairing the humble meal with their extensive tea selections ranging from jasmine to the revitalizing osmanthus oolong. Enjoy your food in an ambiance designed like a street-side marketplace, where vendors are serving bowls of snacks out of small kitchen windows.

Average bill – $14

Located in an upscale residential area of West Jakarta, Baku Sayang is an authentic Indonesian restaurant celebrating Manadonese and Ternate cuisine. The modern establishment tries to recreate family-style home-cooked meals using contemporary techniques. The interiors are welcoming and minimalistic, made up of shiny marble tables, green leather sofa seating, woven wicker chairs, hanging lantern-designed lamps, and white-washed cement walls.

The kitchen team has developed a menu of traditional specialties using age-old recipes handed down through generations. Indulge your taste buds on a gastronomic journey of exotic delicacies like nasi cakalang kemangi (shredded skipjack tuna with steamed rice), tude bakar (roasted mackerel) with pickled eggplant, nasi ayam kecap (poached Javanese chicken in sweet soya sauce), nasi ayam woku (spiced basil chicken) served with braised vegetables, and cakalang cabe ijo (salted charred squid). In desserts, do not hesitate to try their signature items, such as fried sticky cassava, fried banana with sambal, and taro root with honey.

Average bill – $9

Motto Yakiniku is a Japanese fine-dining establishment nestled in the Pluit district between West and North Jakarta. It is a truly authentic restaurant serving a variety of Asian barbeque dishes. The decor, bright and spacious, oozes an elegant atmosphere, complete with black granite floors, red oak wood tables, furnished leather chairs and sofas, hanging potted green plants, an open teppanyaki grill kitchen, and modern Edison lamp fixtures.

The Motto team has created a unique menu featuring shabu-shabu (hotpot), yakiniku (grilled meats) platters, sushi, sashimi, and donburi (rice bowls). You can savor scrumptious specialties, including spicy hot miso soup with salmon, hamachi sashimi, dragon roll sushi, crispy pan-fried scallops with hoisin glaze, grilled A-5 wagyu with caramelized onion, chicken katsu curry, tempura prawns with kimchi, and beef udon curry. They also present a beverage selection of sake, soju, milkshakes, juices, iced teas, and lemonades to pair with your meal.

Average bill – $12 (without drinks)

ONNI House is a standalone lifestyle establishment that includes a bistro, a florist studio, and a retail outlet. It offers a delightful dining-shopping experience in the subdistrict of Grogol Petamburan. From the outside, the place looks like a lovely residential home, but the moment you enter the premises, a super Instagrammable ambiance meets the eye. The first area is the flower studio and the mini-store consisting of home decor items like soaps, rattan baskets, candles, wooden cups, ceramic spoons, and greeting cards. There are also many potted plants and bouquets to choose from.

But the real treat awaits you upstairs in the café where they serve a menu of Indonesian, Asian, and Western comfort foods. Patrons of the restaurant can relish flavorful dishes like chicken wings in a honey garlic sauce, chicken satay in peanut sauce, egg fried rice with tempura prawns, carbonara pizza, beef udon with fried egg, garlic pasta with sambal, cheeseburger with fries, and mushroom puffs in white sauce. End your meal on a sweet note with lemon cheesecake or a classic carrot cake, along with a cup of tea.

Average bill – $17

West Jakarta is a sprawling city with a dining scene that can rival the likes of Singapore, London, and Dublin. The truly unique thing about this metropolis is its diverse culinary offering that ranges from Asian delicacies to Western comfort foods. Whatever you choose, a trending café or a gourmet establishment, you will always find something to satisfy any kind of palate here.