Tamani Kafe Grill

Tamani Kafe's history dated back to more than a decade ago (it was 1999 and I was still happily trotting in my oversized school uniforms LOL...the good old days!). It was probably one of the few fancy restaurants / cafe back then, when the culinary scene in Jakarta wasn't as happening as it is today. And today it is still standing strong with a total of 16 outlets spread all over Jakarta and its satellite cities like Depok, BSD, etc. I never had the chance to truly appreciate Tamani Kafe's offerings until that day I visited its Hayam Wuruk outlet for lunch with my brother (whose tummy is practically bottomless!).

Probably one of the reasons Tamani still stands strong today is the reasonable price compared to its newer and fancier competitors, but I could attest that the price did not compromise the taste. Besides, Tamani also offers an extensive variety of food and beverages. Admittedly, the menu is dominated by Western dishes, but don't be surprised to find something familiar like Gado-Gado (Indonesian style salad) or Tahu Campur on the list. They've also added Dim Sum items to whet our Asian appetites.

Left: Iced Black Coffee IDR 15.900
Middle: Iced Berry Minty Tea IDR 21.900
Right: Apple Mint Italian Soda IDR 28.500

The drinks came first & I finally had something to do while waiting for the food to come. Oh, fyi I only took a few sips of the Apple Mint Italian Soda. It tasted sour (to me), this drink would certainly appeal to those who love refreshingly sour beverages (count me out, I'm all for sweet drinks).

Spaghetti Alfredo Katsu IDR 36.900

The Spaghetti Alfredo Katsu was flawless (according to my brother) but I had to add some salt to reach the saltiness I desired. I think this dish was flawless too, the alfredo hit the right creaminess, the spaghetti cooked longer than al-dente (according to my request). The chicken katsu was more like finely-mashed chicken patty wrapped in bread-crumbs instead of unprocessed chicken strips that katsus normally should be. Nevertheless, I like it, just some misleading name.

Shrimp Wanton Noodles (dry) IDR 33.900

I tried my brother's Shrimp Wanton Noodles (cooked dry) and it tasted okay...not bad for a dish you could rarely find here (I've had better wanton noodles in Singapore, so this one was good, but did not impress much).

Cheesy Fish Fillet IDR 58.900

Unfortunately my tummy was too full to enjoy the Cheesy Fish Fillet at the restaurant (or should I say Kafe? haha), so we requested to take-away.

My verdict: Tamani offers good food, perfect portion for a tummy-filling lunch at good price. Oh I was quite surprised that they do not include service charge in the bill, except for the 10% tax added to the subtotal. So (here's some basic courtesy when dining out), if you're paying with credit card, do leave some tips for the attentive crews who attended to you. But hey! it's just a suggestion, feel free to adhere or ignore =).

Tamani Kafe Grill

JL. Hayam Wuruk No. 96A | Ph: +62 21 6282172
JL. Kemang Raya No. 5| Ph: +62 21 7198077
JL. Melawai Raya No. 189 | Ph: +62 21 7231917
JL. Tomang Raya No. 15A | Ph: +62 21 56943269
Mal Artha Gading | Level 1 | Blok B1 #1 - 7 | Ph: +62 21 45864086
Citywalk Sudirman | Ground Floor #15 - 16 | Ph: +62 21 25556673
JL. Salemba Raya No. 57 - 59 | Ph: +62 21 31901321
BSD Plaza | Ph: +62 21 53151015
Plaza Bintaro Jaya | Ph: +62 21 7372885
JL. Cinere Raya No. 12A | Limo, Depok | Ph: +62 21 7533762