Canteen is a hip restaurant located in Pacific Place and Plaza Indonesia. In both places, they are next to the bookstore Aksara, to which they are related.
I visited the Canteen in Plaza Indonesia during the afternoon on a Saturday. It was quite crowded, with expats and visibly rich, cool Indonesians. Some of them looked familiar and could have been actors or singers. At night, I think it is best to make a reservation.
I liked the setting, in particular the fact that it is in a quiet part of the mall. With large windows letting a lot of light inside, and comfortable seats, it is a cozy venue, designed to be a hangout spot as much as a restaurant. Their menu features continental food, with mostly Italian dishes.
Everything seemed fine until I ordered my food: Salad Nioise (Rp55,000++), Rib-eye steak (Rp110,000++), Bruschetta (Rp45,000++), and Orange juice. A 2-course meal with soft drink should cost you around Rp200,000+. To give you an idea of how expensive it is, in some 5-stars hotel restaurants in Jakarta, you can have a lunch menu at the same price.
I visited the Canteen in Plaza Indonesia during the afternoon on a Saturday. It was quite crowded, with expats and visibly rich, cool Indonesians. Some of them looked familiar and could have been actors or singers. At night, I think it is best to make a reservation.
I liked the setting, in particular the fact that it is in a quiet part of the mall. With large windows letting a lot of light inside, and comfortable seats, it is a cozy venue, designed to be a hangout spot as much as a restaurant. Their menu features continental food, with mostly Italian dishes.
Everything seemed fine until I ordered my food: Salad Nioise (Rp55,000++), Rib-eye steak (Rp110,000++), Bruschetta (Rp45,000++), and Orange juice. A 2-course meal with soft drink should cost you around Rp200,000+. To give you an idea of how expensive it is, in some 5-stars hotel restaurants in Jakarta, you can have a lunch menu at the same price.
Salad Nioise (Rp55,000++)
Bruschetta (Rp45,000++)
Rib-eye grilled steak (Rp110,000++) First, I didn't get a good feeling when I found out the orange juice had been mixed with water. In other restaurants in Jakarta, they usually hide it by putting ice in your glass, but I had asked for none so instead they used this trick. They could have given me half a glass I would have been happier.
The Bruschetta was fine, just overpriced in my opinion for some simple toasts with tomatoes and olive oil. The presentation was fine though.
The Salad was a miss. I don't want to make a big fuss about it, but I think I should mention that I found a white worm in it. I know it can happen even with fresh food though, so it should not be the main focus point. What is more important is that it tasted average and the ingredients used were low-quality. Each bites felt cheap: The tuna, the tomatoes, the beans, the sauce. No matter how good the chef is, if you don't use good ingredients, you end up with low-end restaurants dishes.
The Bruschetta was fine, just overpriced in my opinion for some simple toasts with tomatoes and olive oil. The presentation was fine though.
The Salad was a miss. I don't want to make a big fuss about it, but I think I should mention that I found a white worm in it. I know it can happen even with fresh food though, so it should not be the main focus point. What is more important is that it tasted average and the ingredients used were low-quality. Each bites felt cheap: The tuna, the tomatoes, the beans, the sauce. No matter how good the chef is, if you don't use good ingredients, you end up with low-end restaurants dishes.
At last, there wasn't any incident with the rib-eye steak, but it was low-quality beef, not tasty nor tender.
Overall: I don't have any grudge about Canteen. I even feel sorry for the staff who was very friendly. But I think Canteen should be avoided because it is expensive and they don't give you anything decent in return, even for the drinks. The waiters were nice and efficient, though maybe a bit understaffed. I should mention that I didn't have to pay for my meal because of the worm.
Opening Hours:
Everyday from 11am to midnight (until 2am on weekends)
Canteen
Plaza Indonesia
5th Floor #E02-E10
Phone number: +62-21 315 6537
Fax: +62-21 319 01149
In Pacific Place:
4th Floor SCBD
Phone number: +62-21 579 73742
Fax: +62-21 579 73754
Website: http://www.canteenjakarta.com/
Facebook: Canteen Indonesia
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CanteenJakarta
Facebook: Canteen Indonesia
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CanteenJakarta
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