February 16th, 2017. Definitely a good day to eat good food. I was very happy that I had chance to try this Japanese restaurant. Most of my foodies friends talked about this place as one of delicious place to eat Japanese food. When Hans asked me to go to the place with him, at first I rejected the idea. I never met Ananda in person. I was a shy girl *big grin*. But Hans forced me to come with him. So that afternoon, I was there. OKU.

Japanese premium restaurant OKU is the latest addition to Jakarta’s vibrant culinary scene. Helmed by Chef Kazumasa Yazawa, OKU offers a modern take on Japanese dishes combined with traditional flair, which, when combined with its Zen-like atmosphere and laid-back jazzy vibes, makes it perfect for business lunches, special-occasion dinners and after-work destinations. The name OKU itself implies the peeling back of the layers of an onion, representing the culinary journey that diners will experience at the outlet while savouring these “life stories”. It implies multiple layers of meaning, experience and discovery, as well as a flexible approach to creating innovative dishes.

Located at Lower Ground of Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta, OKU came with a bang. As a premium Japanese dining venue, OKU offered a luxurious dining experience. Spacious restaurant with calm and serene ambiance, open kitchen, wooden furnitures and specific decorations, like 2 golden rocks and bonsai pot at the entrance, and flying birds in the middle of the restaurant.

                    

Wasabi

They showed to us how they make the wasabi with natural process of making.

 

Ocha 45k

Summer Breeze 85k

Pineapple Juice | Orange Juice | Coconut Milk | Simple Syrup

Refreshing drink was always my favourite.

SMALL EAT (Cold)

Ajitama 50k

Smoked Organic Egg | Shigureni Beef

What a melodramatic presentation with the smokiness around the egg. We should open the cone-shaped glass cover to make the smoke disappear. But actually the smoke fiddled with the egg, so when you ate it, you could taste the smokey smell. The egg was cut in half with its beautiful golden yolk. What a lovely way to start the meal.

    

Karasumi Pasta with Sea Urchin 320k

Bottarga | Ikura | Angel Hair Pasta

The first thing on my mind was: wow, the plate was very unique. Thick like a bowl but it’s more like a plate. COOL, aight? Love the sea urchin. It was the second time I ate sea urchin, and I was in love. The texture of the angel hair pasta was perfect. And the black caviar enhanced the luxury of the dish, with the richness smell of truffle. OMG!

Bottarga is the Italian name for a delicacy of salted, cured fish roe, typically of the grey mullet or the bluefin tuna (bottarga di tonno), frequently found near coastlines throughout the world, that often is featured in Mediterranean cuisine and consumed in many other regions of the world. The food bears many different names and is prepared in several different ways.

Ikura (イクラ) – Salmon roe. Large reddish-orange individual spheres. Since salmon eggs are also used as bait, first-time sushi eaters who have experienced fishing may be taken aback when served ikura. It is a loan word from the Russian, “икра” (soft-shelled eggs, in this context caviar)

 

Foie Gras-Wagyu Roll With Uni 330k

(2 pc) US Karubi Beef | Foie Gras

Another sea urchin’s dish. It’s wagyu roll with foie gras as the filling. High calories, for sure hahaha.. but worth to try. Top notch!  Tender, juicy and wonderfully fatty LOL. The sea urchin was amazingly delicious.

 

SMALL EATS & SOUP (Hot)

Oku Karage 110k

Crispy Chicken Thigh | Shichimi

When it came to our table, I asked, “What is it?” And they said, “It’s Karage.” I was shocked. This karage is different from any other karage. The twist is on the skin. I expected golden skin. It’s actually black, made from squid ink. One bite and it’s like a delicious blast in my mouth. The crispy chicken thigh and the sauce burst in your mouth. Excellent!

Shichi-mi tōgarashi, also known as nana-iro tōgarashi or simply shichimi, is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients.

 

SASHIMI

Sayori Fish Carpaccio 230k

Strawberry Juice | Pome Sauce | Junsay | Olive Oil

It’s a different kind of sashimi for me. So far, salmon or tuna was the one for sashimi. Now they use sayori fish. The delicate flesh with delicious flavour attracted me after one bite. Such a wonderfully simple, light meal that will make you smile in every bite.

Carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish, thinly sliced or pounded thin and served mainly as an appetizer. It was invented in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry’s Bar in Venice and popularised during the second half of the twentieth century.

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SUSHI & SASHIMI (Platters)

Sashimi 7 Kind of Chef Selected 450k

Tsukiji Market Seasonal Fish

7 kind of sashimi with soy jelly, angel hair seaweed, gracilaria seaweed, sea grapes, and also rocks as the decorations below the sashimi. Amazing presentation, for sure. It’s like an ocean in front of you. Fresh sashimi with beautiful appearance. My favourite!

 

SUSHI (Rolls)

Oku Aburi Salmon Roll 180k

Tasmanian Salmon | Salmon Roe | Lumpfish Caviar

Melt-in-your-mouth. LITERALLY! 6 aburi salmon rolls, and I ate 2 pieces. The Tasmanian Salmon was very moist. And, instead of tobiko, they used lumpfish caviar. Lumpfish caviar is one of the less costly types of caviar, a delicacy made of salted fish eggs. The lumpfish is a thick-skinned, lumpy cold-water fish. They dyed black for this lumpfish caviar. Looks not only exclusive, but rich in taste.

 

MAIN (Charcoal Grilled)

Salmon Teriyaki 195k

Salmon Confit | Crispy Skin

The salmon was very fresh and tender and delicious. It wasn’t smelly at all. We fought for the crispy skin LOL. Salmon was my favourite. Teriyaki sauce was my favourite. Marry them and it was fun-tastic! The presentation was mouthwatering. Good thing that the taste was as fun as it looked.

 

RICE (Don)

Hokkaido Japanese Beef, Foie Gras Don 650k

Japanese Wagyu | Foie Gras

Wagyu and Foie Gras and Egg and Rice. Brilliant combination ever! That lingering feeling of tenderness from the wagyu with creamy texture of the foie gras, combined with the runny egg yolk. Generous amounts, too. Flavour wise, it’s deliciously superb.

   

DESSERT

Ispahan 120k

Rose Pancetta | Raspberry | White Chocolate Snow

A combination of colours and textures. The rose-colour wafer was sweet. The lychee pannacotta was fresh. And the shiny edible gold papers was luxurious. LOL. But my heart went to the white chocolate snow. Ugh, I wish I could touch snow *day-dreaming* Such a beautiful dessert. Lovely.

‘Ispahan’, also known as ‘Rose d’Ispahan’ and ‘Pompon des Princes’, is a clear pink, half-open kind of Damask rose, a type of garden rose introduced from the Middle East to Europe during the crusading 13th century.

 

Yuki Chocolate 120k

Dark Chocolate | Yuzu Cloud | Hazelnuts Praline

Dark Chocolate and Hazelnuts Praline. Heaven for chocolate lovers. A beautiful combination with the refreshing yuzu cloud and cute pannacotta. Recommended!

  

Thank you OKU and Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta for the lovely lunch. What a bliss experience.

OKU Japanese Restaurant
Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta
Jl. MH Thamrin No. 1
Jakarta
Phone: +62 21 2358 3800
IG: @okujakarta