The Clandestine Critic | Social Climber
Our expert epicure continues an undercover operation to bring you the truth about Jakarta’s dining scene. No spoon is usually left unturned inside quest for honest, balanced reviews, through long-established favourites to the hottest brand-new tables in town.
This kind of month, young crowd magnet Social House.
Gastro geeks everywhere will have noticed the recent trend towards a more relaxed, casual approach to dining. Escoffier may well be turning in his grave at the thought of Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social in London, or the speakeasy-style eateries of today’s Manhattan. No starched linens, no trolley service, no waiters in tails. A restaurant is usually no longer a formal beacon of Great cuisine. the idea is usually a meeting place. A co-opted office. A concept: eat, yes – yet socialise too.
Social House, darling of cool-kid restaurant group Ismaya, is usually Indonesia’s answer to the social-eating scene. A hipster joint like This kind of wouldn’t be caught dead in a mall in brand-new York, yet This kind of is usually Asia, so the east wing of Grand Indonesia is usually a fitting location. Trekking your way through the shops makes for a slightly less-than-glamourous entrance, yet once in you are rewarded with an open as well as also welcoming space. The pale wooden décor is usually offset by trees as well as also bits of shrubbery bedecked with fairy lights. In true social style, the space is usually sectioned into functional areas: there are private rooms, a bar, a raised dining area as well as also even a wine shop (with decent choice as well as also average prices).
As all civilised socialising should, we began inside bar. There is usually an extensive list of particularly imaginative, if not always tempting, cocktails. I always think anyone who needs to dress their alcohol up as dessert (vodka crème brûlée, anyone?) doesn’t actually like drinking, as well as also therefore probably shouldn’t. The wines by the glass, though lopsided with four reds as well as also two whites, were reasonable quality as well as also adequately priced. yet since they have a wine shop, they could afford to add a few more whites to the list at least. We sampled a classic Californian, Robert Mondavi’s Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon at Rp.104,000, which was very agreeable, as well as also through the course of dinner, both whites on the list, Alexis Lichine Sauvignon Blanc (Rp.85,000) as well as also Domaine Chandon Chardonnay (Rp.144,000), which were fine.
Alas dear readers, therein lies the rub. Because unfortunately Social House couldn’t help itself. Like a kid in a sweet shop, the idea just had to go for of which all-encompassing catch-all of a menu, ‘international’, or as I like to call the idea, ‘indecisive’. Here, the food concept ranges through sushi, sashimi, noodles, fajitas, pizzas as well as also pastas to the ubiquitous steak.
Restaurateurs of Indonesia: why, why, why, must we try to please everyone? You know as well as I do the idea’s impossible anyway. Yes, you’re located in a mall using a great variety of taste buds with fat wallets walking around inside idea. yet of which doesn’t mean you can successfully cater to them all.
Have conviction in your cooking as well as also in your diners’ tastes, pick what you’re Great at, as well as also leave globe-trotting gastronomy to the hotel buffets.
Still. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So we did – as well as also in part, we were pleasantly surprised.
To whet our whistles on This kind of international gourmet-gallop, we began with ‘tiny plates’ through a couple of culinary canons. First up, crispy roti prata with thick seafood curry dip (Rp.69,000) was both an original idea as well as also, frankly, quite moreish. The ‘dip’ was a medium-spiced, rich Malaysian sauce perfect for scooping up with of which flaky, pastry-like bread. Successful.
Alongside This kind of was a tuna maguro tataki with crispy garlic as well as also ponzu sauce at Rp.75,000. The portions are not large, yet the fish was convincingly fresh (though of course, not of which spankingly, just-off-the-boat fresh you get in Japan), as well as also the ponzu was tasty enough.
For something more substantial, we split the Wagyu beef burger with Brie, Emmental, eggplant, rocket, sundried tomato, Social House special sauce as well as also fries. The burger patty itself was actually juicy, though the onion rings could have been crispier. Overall This kind of was not a disappointment at Rp.165,000.
What was a let-down was the service. Disorganised, forgetful, as well as also just a bit too casual (even for the social-dining concept), overall the team came off as essentially inept, albeit friendly. Like lots of places in Jakarta at This kind of point, their hiring policy is usually evidently based on the coolness of your haircut rather than any sort of ability to get the job done.
I don’t need to restate of which I prefer my steak without a side of sushi. yet since nothing will change the sheer breadth of This kind of menu’s dithering, we’ll put of which issue aside, because Social House does have its Great points. Yes, there are improvements to be made inside kitchen, as well as also most certainly to the service, yet all in all, I admit I could go back – most likely using a group of friends, as well as also an emphasis on conversation rather than consumption. After all, even I have been known to socialise.
Cheque please!
Food: Rp.374,000
Drinks: Rp.437,000
Service: 10%
Total: Rp.941,000 (inc. taxes) For 2
Social House Restaurant & Bar
Grand Indonesia East Mall 1st Floor, JL. MH Thamrin, No. 1, Jakarta 10320,
+62 21 2358 1818, www.ismaya.com/socialhouse
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The Clandestine Critic | Social Climber
The Clandestine Critic | Social Climber