AW Kitchen by Akira Watanabe's First Outlet Outside Japan

Jakarta this year welcomes two new 'Akiras' in the ranks of its continually-growing list of new restaurants. After the headlines-making and talk of the town Akira Back debuted back in May 2014, another Akira opened in a posh shopping mall of Jakarta, Plaza Senayan.

AW Kitchen by Akira Watanabe replaces the venue in Plaza Senayan which used to be an Italian restaurant. AW Kitchen itself is not much different than the restaurant it took over, serving serves mainly Italian and Western food at the core, but the preparation and ingredients are very much steeped in the Japanese cuisine culture. AW Kitchen is a franchise acquired by JADDI Foods Group from the thriving group of AW Kitchen restaurants in Japan, according to Wonderland Japan's website:

AW Kitchen is named after the managing chef of the restaurant, Akira Watanabe. Now AW Kitchen group has 8 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba...Menu is changed every two or three weeks, and features the best ingredients of the season. Vegetables, selected by the owner himself, are sent directly from the farmers. AW Kitchen has a great selection of pasta, which is cool enough to be your main dish!

Well, unfortunately, such luxury of having seasonally changing menu is not feasible in Indonesia. Nonetheless, the menu at AW Kitchen Jakarta is extensive. From Cold / Hot Appetizer, Cold / Hot Pasta, Risotto, Side Dish, Fish / Meat Main Course and Dessert, the food alone take up to not less than 11 pages! Don't even get me started on the menu. As you enter the restaurant, there's a wine storage along the wall, definitely a tell tale that you can expect to find good drinks here.

The restaurant is quite spacious, with smoking and non-smoking tables and at the back end, there are private rooms, an open bar and a pizza oven at one side.

Napoli Style Pizza Oven at AW Kitchen

Bar at AW Kitchen

Open Pizza Station & Pizza Oven

So let the feast begin!

Cold & Hot Appetizers
Both of the cold appetizers are refreshing and light, but I particularly fancy the tuna salad. The Fried Fish Ball reminds me of a type of dim sum dish, but AW Kitchen's version is definitely much fancier & tastier with scallops in it.

Black Angus Beef Tataki with Soy Truffle Sauce IDR 108,000

Hot & Cold Appetizers at AW Kitchen

Fried Fish Ball with Shrimp and Scallop IDR 85,000

Tuna Salad with Japanese Radish Sauce IDR 65,000

Pasta

Spaghettini in Garlic Oil with Spicy Cod Roe & Japanese Mushrooms IDR 138,000

Fettucine Japanese Mushrooms Cream IDR 98,000

According to my friends, they truly love the Fettucine Japanese Mushrooms Cream, which come with assorted Japanese mushrooms (maitake, king oyster, champignon & shimeji). But the seasoning is quite light in my opinion, and didn't leave much impression to my taste buds that I can't remember the taste by the time I'm writing this post...

Spaghettini Pescatore IDR 148,000

Risotto in Ikasumi Sauce (squid ink risotto) IDR 88,000

The Spaghettini Pescatore comes served with tomato sauce, topped with tiger shrimp, clams, green mussels and squid as well as generous serving of rocket salad on the side. This dish is quite large! As for the Squid Ink Risotto, despite the name, tasted quite delish, creamy and umami with squid rings to top it off, still a palateable dish even to a neutral seafood eater like me.

Meat Main Dish

Black Angus Sirloin Beef with a choice of porcini sauce / pepper sauce or wasabi pepper sauce IDR 198,000

Pour one of the three sauces: porcini, pepper or wasabi sauce

The Black Angus Steak is served with three sauces: savoury porcini, pepper, and lightly tangy wasabi. My favourite is the porcini sauce. The steak didn't leave much to praise, but the potato gratin turns out to be a black horse! I enjoyed the potato gratin more than the steak...LOL.

Dessert
From the dessert that we had, the most memorable one was the Banana & Strawberry Tiramisu, it tasted quite like ice cream, but richer due to the mascarpone.

Chocolate Profiterole IDR 68,000

Left: Panna Cotta & Berry Sauce
Right: Banana & Strawberry Tiramisu IDR 68,000

Panna Cotta & Berry Sauce IDR 58,000

The dishes at AW Kitchen are certainly healthy and palatable, but maybe it's just not quite suited to my personal liking. For Japanese food fans, do give AW Kitchen it a try!

Open Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM (daily)

*) Prices are subject to 10% Government Tax & 8% Service Charge

AW Kitchen by Akira Watanabe
Plaza Senayan level P4 (below the Cinema XXI Plaza Senayan)
Ph: +6221 57906071
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