To other bloggers out there…. do you have such a special experience that you end up putting off doing a post about it because you want it to be nice enough to give the experience justice? Well that’s what happened with this post!
TD took me to Sekitei for my birthday and I had such a wonderful time that I took so many pictures and wanted the post to be soooo perfect. I put so much pressure on myself that I ended up putting it off so long that I forgot about posting it at all. LOL. (My birthday was last September…eeep!)
So finally here it is folks! Our new favorite Japanese Resto in Jakarta – SEKITEI! It’s tucked inside the very posh The Dharmawangsa Hotel. Perhaps it will give you an idea of where to take your loved one on a date for Valentines day!
THE INTERIORS
The first thing that struck me was the interiors. It was very zen and I immediately felt at ease. I love the minimalist look of zen, though I don’t think I can ever replicate it since I have too much stuff! =P
Lovely Zen interiors
view from our table
Sushi bar
Sigh... =)
☹ The only thing that I recommend they improve is the toilet. =( The location is not very good which is I think the reason for the smell. It is near the kitchen or the exhaust I think. I just expect much higher standards for a hotel toilet.
THE CUISINE
Everything was exquisite and authentic. Though the chef is Indonesian, you can tell that much care was taken in the preparation and presentation of every dish. The Japanese are known for their aesthetic and this restaurant reflected it not only in the interiors but also in their food!
I was a bit worried at first because we were the only ones there – though a Japanese family came in later (always a good sign). When there is little turnover the ingredients are usually not fresh, but I had nothing to worry about. They used the finest quality and fresh ingredients! Most of the ingredients are imported from Japan and some all the way from Norway.
Pickles and salad. Though the salad was simple it was SO good - must be the authentic high quality Japanese mayo.
Prawn Tempura and Maki
Maki
Perfect Prawn Tempura - the batter wasn't so thick and it wasn't oily
Stone Steak. (FAVORITE DISH OF THE MEAL)
Gindara Teriyaki
They gave us each a small fresh Fruit platter at the end of the meal.
It was just perfect way to end such an exquisite meal of made with such fresh ingredients. My favorite was the dragon fruit (that’s the name of the one with the black seeds right?) which they accompanied with the most delicious cream.
Our other favorite Japanese place is Sushi Tei but it’s more for casual dining, unlike Sekitei which is more upscale and romantic (for dinners). We loved it so much that TD wanted to check out the Set Lunch Menu THE VERY NEXT DAY! Yup it was that good.
And besides the lunch set menu looked like a steal at only Rp 100,000 (10 USD est) for 2 starters, 2 sides, miso soup, 3 entrees and fruits!! Awesome. Stay tuned for my post on it next week!
Sekitei Japanese Restaurant
- Dharmawangsa Hotel, Jl. Brawijaya Raya No. 26, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta 12160, Indonesia. (click here for map)
- Tel. 62-21-725 8181
- Fax. 62-21-725 8383
- reservation@the-dharmawangsa.com
- Sekitei is open daily for lunch from 11 AM to 2.30 PM and for dinner from 6 PM to 11 PM.
Happy Birthday! I’m sorry that I didn’t know your birthday was coming! I am glad that you had a nice dinner celebrating your birthday! I love Sekitei, too and it was my first Japanese restaurant that I went in Jakarta after we moved and I was so happy to find it. My husband, one of our girls (the other one was at school) and I went there for lunch about a month ago and enjoyed it!