Jl. Cipete Raya No 7, Phone 021 579 17471

One of the things I miss the most about home is the array of bistros dotted around the lanes of Brighton. You can pretty much lose yourself in the myriad of cobblestone gangways that make up the north and south lanes and be guaranteed to discover some new and exciting little French, Italian or Bratislavian joint along the way – somewhere you never noticed before and the kind of place you'll keep returning to again and again. Rumor has it there's even a good English restaurant tucked away somewhere down there but
that piece of speculation remains unsubstantiated.

I've always had a thing for small restaurants, they invariably have a better atmosphere and, as a rule of thumb, I've found the menus tend to err a little more to the adventurous side of things, which, in my book is good news. Now, don't get me wrong – I didn't come to Jakarta to lose myself down cobblestone lanes in pursuit of new and exciting al fresco dining opportunities (I did try something like that once in Kota - the experience was regrettable) but I do relish the odd indulgence in some of the city's lesser-known, more independently styled restaurants and I'm more than happy to brave the traffic to get at the best ones.

BokaBuka is a one of these. The restaurant is a cubbyhole affair with seating for 25 to 30 inside and a further 10 tucked away out the back in the extremely romantic garden area. In fact, the whole place is a perfect date environment with a strong burgundy and maroon theme running throughout. The service is relaxed, friendly and doesn't come close to being at all fussy. Tasteful local art adorns the walls and the modern style globe lighting is neither obtrusive nor excessive. In fact, almost everything about BokaBuka is approaching the mark of excellence for a small restaurant, including what's on offer on the menu.

I started the meal with the Carpaccio of Beef Salad with Apple and Parmesan. No complaints on the quality of the beef, apple or Parmesan but the vinaigrette slightly overpowered the subtle combination of the other three flavors to the detriment of my ultimate enjoyment. My companion went for the Green Olive and Feta Salad with fresh radish and peppers, classic, simple and (minus the overpowering dressing present on my Carpaccio) a very sprightly entrée.