Dare ka no kuupe nagareru furui jazz

Amagumo sugu ni chikadzuku natsu ga yuku

Shiesuta wa ii wake de
Sono yubi de senaka made mata tsuranuite

Hana no mitsu ni karen ni mujou ni oborete iku chou no you ni
Shidai ni shiosai tooku naru no kieru you ni

Mou dare mo inai sunahama nokosareta biichicheaa
Aishi tsukareta natsu ga yuku

Rinaria ga kareru aki sabishisa mo masu darou

Mitasarete ita

Kokoro sude ni dosha furi
Hageshii koi ni utarete chou no you ni tobezu ni
Shiosai tooku naru no nigeru you ni

Naze toki wa
Naze yume wa
Naze sora wa
Naze umi wa
Naze anata wa

Shiesuta wa ii wake de
Sono yubi de senaka made mata tsuranuite

Hana no mitsu ni karen ni mujou ni oborete iku chou no you ni
Shidai ni shiosai tooku naru no kieru you ni

“Shiosai” by paris match

You might be wondering why this time (and this time only I hope) I started my post with the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. Yes, I’ll be indulging you with a culinary trip to a Japanese restaurant of the same name up on the northernmost part of Jakarta. Known previously as Okoh during its Hotel Horison era, now Shiosai under Mercure Convention Center Ancol is more than ready to indulge anybody who suddenly craves for decent Japanese food. Here goes!

It’s quite rare for me to travel around the northern side of Jakarta except the last time I visited The Media Hotel for its supreme Thai cuisine back at Sukhothai. I scour mostly around the eastern, central, and southern part of the city. As for the rest, I just hand it over to my foodie friends who mostly live around the western side. Well, it’s not a short trip even from where I live although we all know that it’s just  a straight way up via Jalan Gunung Sahari for Mercure Convention Center Ancol

Aside from the long way up that hinders everyone, the ticketing price to enter Ancol Bay City is another problem. If I’m not mistaken, an entry ticket for car costs IDR 25,000 and each passenger for IDR 20,000. Do correct me if I’m wrong there, but nevertheless it’s a tough hindrance indeed.

Resided in Mercure Convention Center hotel or formerly known as Hotel Horison, Shiosai was known before as Okoh. During its heyday, Okoh was probably one of the oldest and most sought after Japanese restaurant in the northern part of Jakarta.

Shiosai inherits Okoh in many terms. The design remains classic and as we all know quite familiar, a Japanese restaurant is divided into a common dining area, a sushi bar, teppanyaki counters, and private tatami rooms. As for the dishes, Shiosai inherits the tradition of what Okoh used to have from its menu and the skill legacy of its chefs. Now, let us be seated and embrace whatever the pleasure Shiosai presented me during my visit a few months ago.

Our lunch started with a plate full of chicken teriyaki and several sushi rolls such as unagi with avocado and salmon with parmesan cheese. It was a really strong start but we kept on digging as we fell in love right away with the generosity of the portion and of course, the compatibility of the taste with our tongues.

Apparently for the main dishes, we had to go separate ways as I went with a traditional sushi & sashimi combination of fresh salmon, tuna, squid, tobikko, tamago, and crab sticks. Well, being a fan of Japanese, the natsu combination was a really good choice and it possessed nice quality as well. Even so, I decided to be a gourmand instead and bugged in my wife’s main dish, which appeared beautiful and intriguing.

My wife decided wisely with gyuniku kantekiyaki. It’s basically a plate full of thinly sliced beef but we have to manually grill these beauties over an earthenware pot fueled by charcoal. This deluxe dish is also equipped with shiitake mushrooms, onions, and the good old soya sauce. The interactive manual cooking process has always been a perk that we all look forward whenever we’re in a restaurant like this. This style also gave us a boost not just from the fun, but also from the result. A solid price of IDR 115,000 was a wise spend and add that with the sushi rolls. You’d live happily ever after.

So finally, all those weary and fatigues from a long road trip high up to the northern part of J-Town, facing the exorbitant ticket price, and a long way back down home was well worth it. Shiosai remains the King of the North and no matter how rare it is to visit Ancol, it’s a must-visit place for lunch or dinner after your gondola ride all along the beach or even the Dunia Fantasi amusement park experience. How I wish to see you again, Shiosai…

SHIOSAI

Halal-friendly

Some menu suitable for vegetarians

Address:  Mercure Convention Center, Jalan Pantai Indah, Ancol, Jakarta – Indonesia

Opening hours: Everyday, 11.30 am – 3 pm (lunch), 6.30 pm – 11.30 pm (dinner)

RSVP: +62.21.640.6000

Website: http://www.mercureconventioncenterjakarta.com/restaurants-bars/shiosai-japanese-restaurant/

Spend: IDR 250,000 – IDR 500,000 for two