OKU, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski

Hi Eaters.

Say hello to the newest addition to the Jakarta culinary destination.

OKU, a premium Japanese restaurant has opened its doors for Japanese food lovers since the 1st of April, 2016.

Located strategically in the heart of Jakarta, it stood firmly side by side with other premium restaurants at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski.

I was invited by FoodyID to try the Japanese delicacies, handcrafted by Chef Kazumasa Yazawa, better known as Chef Kaz. Bearing the experience as the Executive Chef at the Japanese restaurant Izy Dining Restaurant and Bar in Singapore and oversaw the award-winning Waku Ghin Restaurant at the Marina Bay Sands. With a wealth of experience under his belt, he aims to embed his cooking philosophy into his dishes.

“My cooking philosophy is simple: all of my creations are made with absolute respect 

towards all the products and ingredients that are used.”

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.

The restaurant itself was quite big with warm wooden material applied to the furnitures and interior. Combined with its Zen-like atmosphere and laid-back jazzy vibes, make it the perfect for business lunches, special occasion dinners, and after-work destination.

Uni - IDR 245K

Sea Urchin, Onsen Egg, Water Shield

Started my exciting lunch was this dish. Uni, or sea urchin, as we know is one of the most premium seafood ingredients. Tastewise in this dish, the uni was delicious. The onsen egg was cooked perfectly, with that soft and milky white and firm egg yolk.

Ehire - IDR 80K

Charcoal Grilled Skate Fin

I love how Chef Kaz put extra attention to the presentation. Like this Ehire, which I think looked visually artistic. The texture was a bit chewy, but the flavor was quite tasty. It goes with some mayo dipping sauce. 

Unagi - IDR 95K

3 Pieces Charcoal Grilled Japanese Eel, Rice Cracker

As you see again, it's brilliant how the food was presented. Like this Unagi. The dish may looked simple, but the presentation was very beautiful. For the unagi itself I have to say it's a job well done. They grilled it nicely, so the unagi was still juicy. The flavors were spot on. And I truly love the combination of texture between the unagi and the rice cracker in every bite.

Oku Karage - IDR 110K

3 Pieces Deep-fried Chicken Thigh, Shichimi

This dish may not looked as appetizing as the others, but let me tell you that this one was DA BOMB! I don't know for sure how Chef Kaz managed to blackened the karage, but they tasted soooo delicious! Crunchy, savory and so mouth watering. The use of Shichimi as the karage topping was also nice. It gave a hint of heat that's full and abrupt but also passes quickly. So don't be afraid to get your tongue burnt.

Uzusu Kuri - IDR 140K

Salmon Trout Carpaccio, Truffle-Ponzu Dressing

Delicious! The truffle dressing was dominant and seemingly the fresh salmon can get you pretty addicted.

Sashimi - IDR 280K

5 Kind of Chef Selected

Soy Jelly, Angel Hair Seaweed, Gracilaria Seaweed, Sea Grapes

My favourite Japanese food. Yes, the sashimis. This one is the platter that consists of 5 kinds of sashimis, selected by Chef Kaz. On mine were Botan Ebi (Botan Shrimp), Hotate (Scallop) topped with Ikura (Salmon Roe), Kampachi (Yellowtail), Maguro (Big Eye Tuna), Sake (Salmon Trout), and Yari Ika (Japanese Spear Squid). 

Overall I loved all the freshly cut ingredients in this sashimis platter. I liked it so much, I even ordered it twice. LOL.

Karasumi Pasta (with Sea Urchin) - IDR 260K

Angel hair pasta cooked with truffle oil which tasted so delicious. If you're a fan of truffle oil then you will be indulged because it tasted so strong and dominant in this dish. 

Salmon Teriyaki - IDR 195K

Salmon Confit, Lotus Pickle

Truly in love with this salmon. Especially loving the crispy salmon skin. Being cooked confit-style, the seasoning really seeped through while the juiciness of the salmon still well preserved. Absolutely delicious.

Unatama Don - IDR 245K

Japanese Freshwater Eel, Japanese Style Scrambled Egg

Grilled unagi on top of rice and served with Japanese style scrambled egg which is yolky. The eel was delicious, juicy, but for my personal preference it's a bit too salty. Perhaps it's because of the egg yolk that drenched the eel. But tastewise and appereancewise, the dish was stunning. 

Angus Beef - IDR 350K

Australian Angus Tenderloin

Actually this one was a bit turn down. I ordered the level of doneness to be medium, but what came to the table was a well done steak. So I didn't get the juiciness from the steak. The seasoning was good though, just how it was cook was not my favourite.

Green Sundae - IDR 80K

Sweet Macha Custard

This dessert was absolutely stunning. Hands down, the best matcha custard I've tried. It's not too sweet and that hint of bitterness from the matcha was very dominant. Loving it!

Chocolate Mousse

Sorbet

Besides the matcha custard there are also ice cream, mousse and sorbet in their dessert line. For the sorbet, I tried the beetroot, pineapple, and yuzu (Japanese sour orange). My favourite sorbet has got to be the pineapple one, since I don't like vegetables as desserts and also the yuzu was a bit too sour for me. But still, the Green Sundae was the champion among other desserts I had that day.

Summer Breeze

For the beverage I had the Summer Breeze which had a tropical milky orange flavor. It's really refreshing, and the sugar level was just fine.

Overall conclusion, I really really enjoy my lunch at OKU. I think their dishes were refine and it took premium Japanese dishes to another level. Loved how each food had beautiful presentation and exquisite taste. Definitely one premium Japanese restaurant recommended to try.

So congratulations to OKU for its opening. I hope the menus will keep improving and more delicious delicacies will be added in the future.

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

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OKU
Bali Room Lobby
Hotel Indonesia Kempinski
Phone: (021) 23583896
Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 1
Jakarta Pusat

Opening hours:
Mon - Sun: 12.00 - 15.00, 18.00 - 22.30