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The flagship location of <a href="https://www.kaum.com/jakarta/?DestinAsian">Kaum</a>, Potato Head’s pan-Indonesian restaurant, bridges past and present. It unites a Dutch-colonial bungalow with vintage tiles and a much larger industrial-chic space where the concrete walls bear traditional Dayak motifs from Borneo. As beautiful as this setting may be, the food remains the undisputed star. Head chef Rachmad Hidayat has crisscrossed the archipelago to bring the flavors of its far-flung regions to <a href="https://destinasian.com/category/indonesia/jakarta">Jakarta</a>, as exemplified by the quarterly Cipta Rasa menus. Both seasonal and year-round dishes use handpicked ingredients sourced from small-scale artisanal producers: menthik susu heritage rice grown in Central Java, cooked the traditional way without MSG; the purest palm sugar harvested in Sulawesi’s Gorontalo province; and Amed sea salt from eastern Bali.
Preface your meal with locally inspired cocktails such as the kecombrang (torch ginger) martini. Popular sharing plates include gohu ikan, a ceviche-like specialty of the Maluku islands comprising coconut oil–seared cubes of fresh tuna mixed with kenari nut, mint, and ginseng leaves. Thinly sliced bilimbi fruit and calamansi juice give the gohu ikan a citrusy tang; it’s meant to be eaten atop crispy rice crackers. Another must-order is the rich and intensely smoky sate buntel kambing, or Central Javanese minced lamb skewers. Heartier choices range from crispy fried duck with green mango sambal to the wok-fried noodle dish mie gomak, which will transport you to Sumatra’s Batak highlands. Desserts are no less comforting: try the sweet-smelling kweni mango ice cream on sticky rice or the steamed kue kojo. A spongy rice-flour cake from South Sumatra, the latter comes infused with palm sugar and fragrant pandan. Be sure to spoon over the syrupy espresso-and-coconut sauce before digging in. —James Louie
<a href="https://www.kaum.com/jakarta/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kaum.com/jakarta/</a> 
+62 21 2239 3256 
<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/bVgSvUL4E8nqDi3g6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jl. Dr. Kusuma Atmaja No. 77–79, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Indonesia</a>

A spread at Kaum Jakarta that includes crispy duck, nasi goreng, and gohu ikan tuna.

Kaum Jakarta: Handpicked

Jakarta Dining