Friday, March 20, 2009

Kedai - I Adore Thee


If being adorable is a crime, Kedai is so guilty as charged. It's every little corner is so delightful, it's criminal! Unbelievable creativity is reflected on its entrance to its back corner, further to its creative menu, friendly crew, and delicious food...I stood in awe, speechless.

The place is pleasantly tinged with bright pastel hues, I felt like I was in a little wonderland.


A karambol table at a corner reminded me that I suck at it and should not make myself feel worse by attempting to play ever again. Haha!


The colanders hung upside down as lamp shades caught my eye. Darn it. Why didn't think of that first :)


The walls were full of old Indonesian posters, and I love the combination of Indonesian and Dutch colonial furniture, the mismatched chairs, and the pop corn machine at the corner! Wow!


Up to this point, I am pretty much speechless. Isn't every corner a surprise?


Busy gushing at the place, I almost forgot something important, the food. The dishes were creatively titled with Indonesian names, such as Nasi Goreng Jumat Kliwon (Jumat Kliwon Fried Rice. Jumat means Friday, kliwon indicates the fifth day in Javanese Calendar. In Indonesia, Jumat Kliwon is believed to have mystic association, so it creeps me out a little bit. I am sure the fried rice should be delicious though ^_^). The whole menu made me giggle.


Baked Rice (Nasi Panggang)

Delicious rice with bits of bacon, topped with cheese and baked. Need I say more?


Unusually delicious.

Lemongrass Chicken (Ayam Serai)

Light and simple, yet fragrant and full of flavors.

and here comes my favorite...
Bakwan Komplit (Indonesian Mixed Balls in Clear Broth)

It has everything I want in a bakwan komplit. A perfect combination of beef balls, fried tofy, fried dumpling, fried fishball, in hot clear broth. It may look light, but it's hearty. Best eaten with lots of chilli. Nothing's more enjoyable than slurping the hot broth with sweat trickling down my face.

I opted for the drink that I crave every time I am back in Indonesia...
Teh Panas/ Es Teh (Hot/Iced Tea)

No lemon, no milk. Just plain ol' tea with a touch of sugar.


Happy trio at Kedai.

To all of my Indonesian friends living overseas, please forgive me for teasing you with this post ^_^
I bet you can't wait to visit this place.

Noticed something on top of the restaurant's entrance? Oh yeah, they have an adorable knick knacks shop, Bikin Barang, which is full of vintage and handmade goodies. Too bad it wasn't open when I was there, I am so gonna visit next time.

Not visiting this place? That's a crime.

Kedai & Bikin Barang
Jl, Benda Raya no 89, Kemang. Phone:021-7815114, Jakarta, Indonesia

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awww, I love Kedai as well! :) Some place nearby to Kedai that you might like as well: Dijan's (di Kemang, just off Benda, right next to Dela Rossa).

Try visiting at night where you can sit in the garden while eating dutch steak and pofferjess :)

Lidia Sianturi said...

Wah msh punya simpenan senjata ternyata....Making me jealous, it's a crime!

Anonymous said...

Interesting place.. must go visit this when I'm in Jakarta... thanks for sharing Rita

Ah King and Moon said...

looks warm and lovely....

Elsye said...

Iki toh kedai....:D..bener yo, tempat e lucu and keliatan ne apikk Rit...bikin ngilerrr..hikkss....aku yo mesti ke sana...hahahhaha...sengkkiyuuu yo

daphne said...

oh rita! That looks like a lovely place to hang out. The food looks great and i love the atmosphere of it.

Indonesia Eats said...

Is this the one that you told me last night? Damnnnnnnnn you made me jealous.

Love the interior

tigerfish said...

The decor looks very modern.

Cakelaw said...

What fantastic decor and great looking food! You all look so happy, so that's a great recommendation.

Anonymous said...

This place does look very gorgeous indeed! And the food looks so appetizing yummmm ^^!

LavanyaLea said...

stumbled upon your blog, seems like there are many tempo doeloe-style eateries in jakarta! there's one at kelapa gading mall (I) can't remember the name, but it's cute like this as well!

food makes me happy said...

This place is so cute. Looks cozy and charming!

dewi ayin said...

LavanyaLea: do u mean 'sagoo'? it's cute, peranakan decor, their es campur is nice, but you should try kedai, not in a mall, better parking space and not too crowded. happy tasting! :)

Kartika Jahja said...

Thank you so much for stopping by at KEDAI.
When creating this place, this is exactly what i hoped for my customers to feel.
Smiles are scarce in this city.
Please come again when you're in town, and maybe we can meet

M said...

This place is so pretty! It looks more like a fashion shoot studio or something.

How retro and cool is this place?