Raffles Jakarta – Culinary Journey Around the World Sunday Brunch at Arts Café

[JAKARTA, INDONESIA] To celebrate 130th Anniversary of Raffles, Raffles Jakarta has launched the Raffles Culinary Journey Sunday Brunch where you can indulge in the signature dishes of each Raffles destination.

To start, we had the Jakarta’s version of The Singapore Sling which was prepared right at our table. I am sure many of you know that the Singapore Sling is a famous cocktail from Raffles Singapore. At Raffles Jakarta, the Sling is given a local twist with North Sumatran passion fruit and native star anise, the lead notes of a telling blend of flavours, it has been named, The Jakarta Sling.

<

There are five main buffet stations at Arts Café, from the appetizers to pastry, meat, main and desserts. We were spoilt by the various options of Continental and Asian cuisine served in chic interiors. There were fresh seafood on ice, sushi, cold cuts, salads and hot dishes.

At the live station, fresh crayfish was flambe with cream sauce. There is also a carving station with ribeye steak and roasted greens.

Now here comes the fun part! Let your appetite guide you through France, Turkey, China, Cambodia, Phillipines, the Middle East and of course Singapore and our home here in Jakarta.

Inspired by one of the most famous dishes of Singapore, “Singapore Chilli Crab” was given a twist by Raffles Jakarta culinary team by replacing it with a fried squid ink bun filled with creamy crab meat and coriander leaves. It has been on the menu for Raffles Jakarta since it opens its door to the public, and has been the hotel’s signature dish at Arts Café by Raffles with more than 67,500 buns sold. Drizzled with our famous chilli crab sauce, each bun has chunks of crab meat packed into a steaming hot bun. Even though I prefer a thicker and richer sauce, this is a savoury gravy-filled treat that spells home.

Another memorable dish is the Perfect Egg, a dish that was inspired by the Japanese cuisine Matsuhisa to the celebration of Italian regional food at the Michelin-star restaurant Il Carpaccio, at Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris. Incorporating fresh seasonal mushrooms, the Perfect Egg made its way onto the plate for the exclusive VIP dinner at Il Carpaccio and has been on the menu ever since.

There were other dishes such as Rendang & Foie Gras in Truffle Bun, Slow-cooked Oxtail Parmentier with Black Truffle jus and Thai Young Coconut. Note that these dishes are on rotational basis.

There is always room for dessert. I mean, who won’t be attracted to the table of pretty cakes and ice cream?

The new Arts Mango is utterly delicious, it’s creamy and sweet-sour, and never less than utterly refreshing. Those mango cubes on top… oh man, they are so so sweet!

This is a truly unique Sunday brunch experience. Raffles Culinary Journey Around the World is available every Sunday from 12:00 PM – 3:30 PM at Arts Café by Raffles.

IDR 688,000++ per person including free flow of non-alcoholic beverages
IDR 275,000++ per child (ages 6 to 12 years) includes a selection of fruit juices
Additional IDR 200,000++ per person including free flow beer and house wines
Additional IDR 1,200,000++ per person including free flow champagne

RAFFLES SPA

For the real indulgence, head to Raffles Spa before having your brunch to enjoy the Signature Heritage Massage. Using a combination of Lomi Lomi, Balinese and Javanese massage techniques, and a signature Ginger oil, this traditional massage decreases muscle tension, indulge the senses, and relaxes the mind and body.

There are also steam room, experience shower, vitality pool and ice fountain for you to use. We also relax at the Heated Relaxation Loungers which provide the radiated heat surface and warms the body. It is the perfect place to retreat after a long day (or like us, after a long day of eating).

ART EXHIBITION

Raffles Jakarta is all about arts. Take a slow walk around the hotel with the Art Concierge and you will realise that there are many pieces by the celebrated Indonesian artist Hendra Gunawan, mostly depicting the charm of rural life and the beauty of nature. There is also a Ciputra museum linked to hotel where it pays tribute for Hendra Gunawan.

STAY AT RAFFLES

It was a very short trip in Jakarta, hence I didn’t have the time to stay here. But we did a walk around the hotel and I was so tempted to book another flight to come back and enjoy the rooms and bespoke services. I have been to Raffles Singapore a few times and I realised each Raffles has its very own story to tell with a compelling mix of cultures and styles. I look forward to coming back here again!

FLY BY SCOOT

Scoot and Tigerair officially completed their merger, and under the merged Scoot brand, it now has a wider travel network of 65 destinations across 18 countries.

Scoot from Singapore to Jakarta from as low as SGD 55, or to Surabaya from SGD 74 (For travel by 24 March 2018) ! Log on to www.FlyScoot.com to book your tickets now. ESCAPE THE ORDINARY!

Disclaimer: this was a media trip