1945 @ Jakarta

Jakarta has seen an economic growth in the last ten years under the current President that was unseen before. And with this middle class wealth came many fine dining restaurants that feature the national cuisine(s).

On 17 August 1945, Indonesia declared independence from the Dutch colonial government. What happened was 5 years of conflicts called th Indonesian War of Independence that resulted in the formal separation from the Dutch in 1949. This restaurant was named after the year when the Indonesian identity took root, taking note that Indonesia is actually made up many races and languages in the many islands of this archipelago country.

1945 is the pioneer of Halal-certified restaurant in a five-star hotel in Jakarta and one of the top and best places in Jakarta that offers reimagined Indonesian cuisine in fine dining concept with authentic flavours.

Krupuk & Sambal

1945 Rice Crackers, Trio of Sambals

Indonesian food is undoubtedly one of the most delicious cuisine, rich in spices and full of flavours with wide variety of dishes from vegetables to meat, sweet to savory, snack to heavy meal, street food to restaurant. Take even a simple snack like keropok, there’s a hundred different ways it is presented in Indonesia. It can be made from fish, prawns, squid or any other animal proteins. Some are made from seeds or vegetable.

And then there’s the myriad of condiments that come from different influences across this vast country. There’s the sambal terasi, popular in Java and made with chilli and prawn paste, which give a special shellfish taste to the spicy chilli. And then sambal hijau, made with green chilli padi and kaffir leaves, which is special to Padang and refreshing. And then sambal rica-rica, which is from Manado and spicy as hell.

The Lunch

Elevating familiar dishes into exquisitely flavourful creations through the alchemy of its kitchen, the recipes created by Chef de Cuisine at 1945 Restaurant, Oscar Kusumawijaya, juxtapose the old and new, the common and the unexpected of Indonesian cooking. 

Indonesian cuisine is all about communal eating. You order a series of dishes and then you partake these spicy, saucy, spice laden delicacies with plenty of steamed white rice.

Tuna Gohu

Thinly Sliced Yellow Fin Tuna, Gohu Dressing, Fish Roe, Kemangi Leaves, Peanut Crumble

Tuna Gohu is Indonesia for sashimi or (more accurately) poke, and is inspired by Manado and Maluku dishes. The raw tuna is served in a modern way in which the fish is sliced sashimi style and served with gohu spices, chilies, red onions, basil, salt, lime juice, and sugar to give a taste of sour, sweet, and spicy in equal measure. 

Lumpia Bebek

Duck Spring Roll Cigars, Betutu Mayonnaise, Spicy Peanut Crumble

Deep fried spring rolls with savoury stuffing are called lumpia in both Indonesia and Philippines. This is a very special betutu duck filled spring rolls. Betutu is a Balinese dish of steamed or roasted chicken or duck in rich aromatic spices and herbs. This highly seasoned and spiced dish is a popular dish in Bali and Lombok, Indonesia. Delicious.

Sop Buntut

Oxtail Soup, Baby Carrots, Potatoes, Celery Leaf, Lime Leaf Oil

Sop buntut is a clear soup, the oxtail simmered in broth with carrots and potatoes, and with a salty and lightly peppery broth with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon to remove any gamey taste. The oxtail had been deboned to facilitate eating in this fine dining restaurant.

Ayam Bakar Madu

Jogjakarta Grilled Honey Chicken Leg, Curry Leaf, Smoked Green Chili Sambal

Ayam Bakar Madu is honey grilled chicken that gained popularity in Yogyakarta. This dish is usually grilled on open charcoal fire, but this was done over a gas grill so it did not have that smokey deliciousness from the street food version. But on the other hand, the chicken used was of much higher quality,

Kambing Bakar Karo

Cassava Leaf Torch Ginger, Chicken Liver Sauce

Kambing Bakar Karo or stewed lamb leg is a dish from Solo, the twin city of Yogyakarta. The marinated lamb leg was then slowly roasted in the low temperature oven until all the succulent meat breakdown and easily to separate with fork. The finishing sauce was made from chicken liver and cassava with the refreshing taste of torch ginger.

Kalio Sotong

This is a special dish that is not on the normal menu. The stuffing tasted like prawn otak-otak, with its lemongrass freshness and umami from the minced prawn. The stuffed squid was cooked in a kalio sauce, and fortunately the squid was not overcooked. Delicious.

Kalio Udang

Braised Lemongrass, Coconut King Prawns, Lime Leaf, Lemon Basil, Coconut Cream, Crispy Curry Leaf

Kalio is a type of rendang  from Padang that is cooked for a shorter period of time and much of the coconut milk liquid has not evaporated. The king prawn (or udang in Bahasa) was marinated with coconut and braised lemongrass, and then cooked with full of delicious coconut cream and a crisp of curry leaf. The prawn curry was delicious and a rice killer.

Beef Tomahawk Maranggi

Wagyu Beef Chargrilled over Coconut Husk Charcoal, Maranggi Spiced Marinade of Coriander, Galangal and Sweet Soy Sauce

Maranggi, a sweet beef satay from East Java, is usually served with bird eye chilies, tomatoes, shallots and sweet soy sauce. Instead of making sate, 1945 use a whole wagyu tomahawk grilled on the bone to produce a “maranggi” that is tender and succulent, simply luxurious. Served on a hot stone with a gas stove to keep the beef warm. Eat it quickly or the beef gets cooked on the hot stone.

Emping are a type of Indonesian chips, a bite-size snack kripik cracker, made of melinjo or belinjo (Gnetum gnemon) nuts (rather they are seeds). Emping crackers have a slightly bitter taste.

Kembang Papaya

Papaya Flower, Cassava Leaf

There’s more cassava leaves than papaya flowers, but I didn’t mind. The sweet, turmeric infused curry was great to be poured over liberally onto the rice.

Pelecing Kangkung

Water Spinach, Spicy Red Chili Sambal, Lime Leaf, Peanuts

Wanted to order petal, but they were out. So we have to settle for kangkong.

Durian Panna Cotta

Durian Panna Cotta, Pineapple Sorbet, Pineapple Gel, Durian Foam

This is the first time I had durian with pineapple on the same plate. The panda cotta only had a hint of durian, but the espuma was full of it. To really enjoy, just take a spoonful of a mix of everything.

Afterthoughts

Many would frown at the price you pay here, but 1945 Restaurant is a place to truly indulge in the ultimate Indonesian taste experience. Service is wonderful, the surrounding private and well appointed. It’s a great place to host a business meal, and the food will not disappoint.

1945 Restaurant
Fairmont Jakarta, Jl. Asia Afrika No.8, Gelora, Kecamatan Tanah Abang, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10270, Indonesia
Tel : +62 21 29703333

Visited in Sep 2022