JAKARTA EATS: Unforgettable Dapur Babah

I’ll be honest with you. This restaurant was recommended to me by Tita Noreen, not for the food but to experience the highly unique interiors. She recommended that I take my in-laws to lunch first at Kembang Goela then just have coffee and dessert Dapur Babah.

It was definitely worth the trip to Jakarta Pusat and I definitely want to bring TD here for lunch some other time. He was unable to come because he had to work through the weekend. =(

I hope you enjoy the pictures. It is strange to say the least but an experience for sure! My MIL said it reminded her of Manila Peninsula’s Salong de Ning however she felt that Dapur Babah had more character because of the antique items which had more stories to tell for sure. Despite being only 6 years old, the restaurant is filled with unique antique treasures!

“Babah is the term used for the culture that resulted from the intermarriage of Chinese settlers and Javanese women during the Dutch colonial era. Babah cuisine was a fusion of both culinary traditions, with the addition of a Dutch influence.”

I shared the Oliebollen IDR 35,000* with my FIL (Father-in-law) and had a cappucino IDR 28,000*. I will be honest, we were already told that the food isn’t great (it was okay) which is exactly why we went for only dessert and coffee. My MIL (mother-in-law) loved the Javanese Coffee IDR 22,000*. Next time I want to try the A chicken soup with galangal

*Add 5% Service Charge and 10% tax to all of the above prices.

Despite the just okay food, I highly recommend that you check out Dapur Babah if you have never been. It is a unique experience. The decor is crazy. I didn’t have time to ask the wait-staff who I heard are well versed in the stories of the different pieces but I will definitely be back to ask them with TD.

Decor of Dapur Babah is a melange of cultural influences, featuring antiques and artifacts from as early as the 17th century, and statues depicting Chinese, Hindu and Buddhist gods. Owner/designer Anhar Setjadibrata, who also owns Tugu Hotels and is an avid collector of Indonesian antiques, refurbished and decorated the two 1940s shop-houses in which the restaurant is located, creating a series of rooms all with their own unique atmosphere and fascinating stories.

The painting is one of the mistresses (I surmise of Babah descent)

This bird on top of the elephant holding a lamp caught my attention

Antique carved doors

TAO Bar

The corridor on the way to the toilet is quite dramatic

DAPUR BABAH ELITE

• Jl. Veteran I No. 18-19, Central Jakarta
• Tel. 021 7060 2256 / 385 5653
• dapurbabah@tuguhotels.com