Jakarta can be found in The Dharmawangsa, a fi ve-star residential style hotel that sits in a mellow, leafy oasis down in the south of the town. Jakarta aims for a contemporary interpretation of old Jakarta, a city previously known as Batavia during the colonial era, and the restaurant’s spacious interior provides a perfect, relaxing backdrop for a really fi rst class feed. Contemporary versions of Javanese glass paintings are dotted around the dining area and depict scenes from old Jakarta, including the old Town Hall in Kota. The restaurant’s patrons can also choose to dine alfresco however, under the tropical night sky amid the verdant greenery of the Dharmawangsa’s handsome garden. Live musical entertainment is even provided to add to the ambiance.

The restaurant offers both a la carte and buffet delicacies, including traditional Indonesian, Asian and Western cuisine. Olivier Piganiol, The Dharmawangsa’s highly skilled and relentlessly fastidious native French Executive Chef, is unquestionably a master of his art and pays particular attention to sourcing out what he believes is the fi nest selection of quality meats in town.

Jakarta Java Kini got proceedings off to a fi ne start down at its near namesake with some Homemade Pâté en Croute and Onion Jam (Rp.125,000). The combination of the veal pâté and pistachios in puff pastry made for a superlatively enjoyable opener, the pâté in particular really demonstrated M. Piganiol’s French fl air and was soft and creamy but with a real zingy tang to it.

But how would the non-French fare perform, we wondered? We opted for a portion of Wagyu Beef Rendang (Rp.395,000), the much loved Indonesian curry made with coconut milk, galangal, turmeric and ginger. I consider myself something of an expert on the old rendang, as I’m an inveterate frequenter of Padang restaurants and here, the balance of spices was just perfect: pungent, but possessed of a delicious creaminess. The Wagyu beef, moreover, simply melted on the tongue and confi rmed the chef’s self conferred status as a meat master. Truly the Rolls Royce of rendang.

We also tried a classic French Croque Monsieur (Rp.165,000). All of Jakarta’s dishes are fully halal and so the ham had been replaced with beef ham. We hardly noticed the difference however, as we masticated on delicious hanks of rustic bread, béchamel sauce, gruyere cheese and rich butter. A decent Croque Monsieur can hold its own with the best sandwiches in the world, and this was most defi nitely a decent offering.

As you can see from the prices above, Jakarta restaurant sure ain’t the cheapest in town. If you want quality however, you have to pay, and quality you indeed get down at The Dharmawangsa.

OLIVIER PIGANIOL, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE DHARMAWANGSA JAKARTA AND EXPERIENCED THREE-STAR MICHELIN WHIZ KID, CHATTED WITH JAKARTA JAVA KINI RECENTLY ABOUT HIS ART.

So what have you got on offer down at Jakarta?

Some of my personal favourites include a version of the classic Indonesian rendang that uses Wagyu beef to really propel it to the high table. Rendang is a favourite of mine and also, I think, of many of the expatriates who live in this country. The lowest grade of meat that I use in this restaurant is a 300 day grain fed Black Angus beef, as I’m very picky when sourcing and selecting my cuts! I’ve also found a fantastic new supplier in Tasmania, from whom I buy milk fed lamb chops. I also make my own French fries, which I humbly suggest are the best in town, crispy, tasty and full of fl avour. Potatoes in tropical countries are usually lacking in starches and sugar, however I have sourced out a supplier of excellent organic potatoes, again from Tasmania, who took me six months to track down!

What’s your basic food philosophy?

I always say that food is a memory and good food will evoke times gone by. I’m also quite an old-fashioned in that I don’t like fusion cuisine so much. To create fusion cuisine you have to fuse at least two styles together, and you should be a master of both styles, which is not easy! Also, people want to enjoy their food and, in my opinion, I don’t believe that they wish to think about it too deeply. I’m suspicious of the, excuse my language, cerebral masturbation approach to food appreciation. People go to restaurants to relax and to enjoy. So I create Indonesian food and French food in a real traditional style. When I worked in Saudi Arabia, the team working under me were all Indonesian and so I knew the food before I even came here!