This one is a bit of a cheat, as the Altitude complex in The Plaza contains three separate restaurants, but each one of them is well deserving of a place on this list. Located on the 46th floor of one of the most centrally located skyscrapers in the capital, each of Altitude’s restaurants offer spectacular views of the city from up above, as well as refined decor and irresistible dishes to match.
The first of the three restaurants is Salt grill by Luke Mangan. Mangan is quite the celebrity chef in his native Australia, known for several successful restaurants, including the original Salt grill in Sydney, as well as numerous TV appearances and popular cookbooks (the Jakarta restaurant recently held a lavish dinner event to celebrate the launch of his newest cookbook, “Salt grill”). He is also gaining quite a reputation throughout the region for his well-reviewed restaurants in Tokyo, Singapore and Bali.
The menu at Salt grill epitomises Mangan’s concept of modern Australian cuisine – the simple, straightforward dishes emphasise the freshest and most flavourful ingredients available, enhanced with just enough seasoning or sauce to highlight their natural flavours. As the name suggests, grilled items are a speciality of the house. If you love steak and have a friend to help you, order the massive rib eye, which gets topped with crispy onion rings, pancetta, bulbs of roasted garlic, bone marrow and a tarragon sauce to pull it all together. Even if you don’t have any room left after devouring that monster, be sure to order Mangan’s signature dessert, the sublimely sweet and tangy Liquorice Parfait, which is one of those rare desserts that make you feel lighter after eating it.
The other two restaurants in Altitude are also new branches of restaurants that found great success in Singapore. First there is Gaia, an Italian restaurant led by Chef Diego Chiarini, the man behind the renowned OSO Ristorante. The menu focuses on Northern Italian dishes and has drawn rave reviews for its pasta dishes specifically, featuring firm al dente noodles dressed with light but incredibly flavourful sauces, such as an angel hair dish with light, springy noodles enrobed in a citrusy sauce and generous chunks of tender crab meat. The airy tiramisu is also among the best that can be found in Jakarta.
Last but certainly not least is the intriguing Enmaru restaurant, the first Indonesian location of the restaurant that earned the distinction of being declared Japan’s Number One Izakaya in a culinary competition held back in 2010. Although izakayas are generally thought of as casual, laid back places to enjoy drinks and Japanese comfort food, Enmaru offers up a high-end dining experience that still maintains the fun factor. Executive Chef Tsuchiya Yusuke has created a menu specialising in fantastic sushi using fish flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market and the finest cuts of wagyu beef cooked over a special charcoal grill.
(www.altitude.co.id; The Plaza, 46th floor, Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Kav. 28-30; +62 21 2992 2448)
