Part of a quintet of restaurants (including Ironplate upstairs) overseen by Andri Dionysius—a brilliant computer engineer turned chef who has had a close working relationship with Akira Back—Carbón shows off bold Mexican-Peruvian flavors through ingredients touched by fire. (The name, after all, is Spanish for “charcoal.”) In the masculine, industrial-ish dining room, a popular choice is the smoky chargrilled cauliflower steak that will have even avowed carnivores eating up every last scrap. The humble vegetable is zhuzhed up with a salsa macha of dried poblano peppers, alongside a creamy cilantro aioli featuring salty cotija cheese and toasted hazelnuts. Lighter Nikkei-inspired appetizers include shrimp and scallop tiraditos in tangy aguachile with Peruvian cancha corn. Further down the menu, a savory and buttery pozole stew provides the base for a griddle-seared halibut fillet adorned with fresh greens, hominy, and crispy fried tortilla strips. Don’t miss the roasted duck leg and seared foie gras in mole; the corn husk tamale with a couscous-like filling of cornmeal and cheese lets you mop up the rich cacao-forward sauce. Cocktails also have a Mexican twist, while eight house-made tequila infusions range from coffee to hibiscus to jalapeño. —James Louie

mdarestaurants.com
+62 877 7722 7266
11/F MD Place, Jl. Setiabudi Selatan No. 7, Jakarta, Indonesia

Carbón: Smoke Inspired

Jakarta Dining

Stay inspired with our DestinAsian newsletters