Eastern Opulence is situated on the corner of Jalan Cipaku, near to what some people would call as the trinity of Jakarta’s gourmet streets – Senopati, Gunawarman, and Wolter Monginsidi. The neighborhood is home for many foodie haunts, from street food to upscale restaurants. Among the latter, is Eastern Opulence with its wide offerings of Indonesian and Asian dishes.

Flaunting its whitewashed exterior and the numerous windows, it becomes more glamorous once you’re heading deeper inside. Marbles, columns, a grand staircase, aristocratic dining tables and chairs, and the attendance of many waiters and waitresses are the welcoming theme of this restaurant. The restaurant can house to more than a hundred diners even on the first floor. Heading up, you will be witnessing the opulent private rooms, all color coded and each representing the name of a jewel.

The grand menu is developed by the young and talented Chef Kevin Zhu. Trained since the tender age of 16, the chef honed his skills further at a prominent culinary school and by delving deeper into New Zealand’s gourmet food scene. There’s a level of sophistication and cleverly intertwined elements between modern techniques and Indonesian influences from his dishes here. That clearly came from his years of experience abroad and his love for Indonesian food.

Heading straight to the main course section in the menu, one can see that the chef employs various modern cooking processes by using premium ingredients. For instance, the 12-hours, slowly cooked Australian beef tongue with green chili sambal. My personal favorite would be the sous-vide Australian lamb rack grilled to medium-well temperature and glazed with spicy kecap manis, Balinese sambal matah, and serundeng. Other than these two, savor also the flavors of charcoal-grilled oxtail or the wagyu cubes with black pepper sauce, and many more.

From the poultry section, it is recommended to choose the delicate Bebek Betutu – duck’s leg braised in 20 types of herbs and spices and topped with sambal matah. The Lollipop Chicken Salt and the Salted Fish Crispy Kailan would also serve well as the accompaniments. The latter is a unique combination of crisply fried kailan leaves, the mild texture from cooked stems, and salted fish.

With its extravagant look, it is no wonder that Eastern Opulence also becomes a perfect venue for events such as weddings or even fashion shows. On a personal level, it’s also a place for give a special treat for your loved ones or a perfectly amicable family dinners. After all, Indonesian food is best when eaten together and Eastern Opulence has many things to share with you for that.

This article was published in Passion Magazine