Where To Get Authentic Thai Food in Jakarta

Thai cooking is all about preparation and choosing the right ingredients. In Thailand, frozen or canned food is not so common. Thais adore the idea of getting all of their ingredients fresh – as fresh as possible, in fact! Thailand is among the blessed countries on the planet when it comes to exotic fruit, neat vegetables and excellent seafood. The scrumptious meals of this country can now also be savored in Jakarta, Indonesia – the culinary capital of Indonesia.

Ingredients of Thai Cuisine

It is the ingredients that make Thai cooking authentic. Finding fresh Thai ingredients is easy no matter where you live in the world – and especially easy in Asia. In Indonesia, it is very rare to have to get canned products of Thai ingredients, as the climates of the two countries are relatively similar. Freshly grated ginger is one example of a delicious spice that is added to a majority of Thai dishes and is readily available all over Indonesia.

Cooking to Your Flavor

The art of Thai cooking relies on the very harmonious blending of key ingredients even if they vary in their freshness. Without this harmony, the flavor of the dish tends to fall short of the expectations of Thai food connoisseurs. The five elements of taste in Thai food are as follow: sweet, spicy, sour, salty and bitter.

When cooking Thai dishes, experienced chefs tend to use recipes only as guidelines, as there are many possible ways to prepare the same dish. Also, flavor varies for every person, so it can be difficult to please everyone in the same way. For example, when it comes to curry fish sauces and pastes, some brands are saltier than others. Fortunately, it is easy to modify a recipe once done - if it is too sour, add a bit of water, sugar or more fish sauce!

Top choices for chefs who are experienced in the art of preparing Thai cuisine in Jakarta include Jittlada Thai Cuisine Grand Indonesia, Horapa Seafood & Thai Kitchen, Blue Elephant Menteng and King of Thai Restaurant. However, your search doesn’t have to end with these four, there are literally hundreds of other selections offering very authentic Thai food.

Fried Rice & Coconut Milk

Fried rice will almost inevitably accompany any dish you order at a Thai restaurant. The rice is always well cooked, but is never mushy or too soft, causing it to stick together. Some chefs keep rice in a refrigerator for 2-3 days to prevent it from getting too mushy. Another common ingredient is fresh coconut milk, which is often squeezed until dry, before warm water is added to create a second and third pressed kind of coconut milk, also known as "Hang Ka Ti."

How to Get the Ultimate Sushi Dining Experience

Traditional seafood often emphasizes the freshness of the daily catch, along with vegetables readily available from the store. The Japanese know this very well, being seafaring island based people for centuries.

Japanese cuisine is the perfect example of seafood in its most pure form. It places an emphasis on the balance between the land and the water, tying in staple food crops such as rice and root vegetables and bringing in delicacies from the Pacific such as seaweed and freshly caught tuna.

Here are some of the ways to ensure you have the best sushi experience possible while going to a Japanese restaurant.

Make sure all ingredients are fresh

In this instance, that means nothing has been overly processed. Freezing and thawing, freshly caught fish does not change their designation, since it serves a vital health role in preventing diseases and parasites from harming restaurant goers.

A good example is to see if the restaurant uses fresh rice, or reconstituted instant rice.

Check with the local health authority before going

A clean restaurant will serve higher quality food than one that is barely passing its health inspections. All major cities have well-staffed health departments whose goal is to insure that visitors and locals alike do not become ill.

If in doubt, ask your waiter when the last time an inspection was carried out, and what the results were. If they do not know, head somewhere else.

Check for online reviews

People talk about everything under the sun. When visiting a city for the first time, go to local messaging boards and see what the locals recommend. You may find that the perfect sushi bar may be located not in a tourist trap, but a sleepy suburb ten minutes out of town.

Menu Best Picks from Jakarta Restaurants

Finding the best restaurant Jakarta can offer takes time and research. This is a massive place that has numerous types of cuisine available. The foods will get your taste buds dancing, your mind and heart racing, and your feet running to the entrance to get a plate for yourself. Of course, that is if you can find the restaurant that appeals to you the most. 

To find restaurants, you need to figure out what it is you really want. Once you have an idea of what will appeal to you, you can start narrowing down the list. Whether you want a sushi bar or a steak house, a family restaurant or a burger restaurant, there is something here to get you happy and in the eating mood.

The Twenty8

For one of the best restaurants in Jakarta, check out The Twenty8. Here, you have foods that explore the continent, giving you multiple types of dishes. They are each beautifully plated and served, and they give you the types of flavors that you never imagined was possible. Delicious, beautiful, and pieces of the world come together, Twenty8 does not fail to impress or deliver. You are going to find yourself wanting more of this food the moment that you leave the place.

Dapur Babah

Another fantastic restaurant in Jakarta is Dapur Babah. It is a collision of East and West, and the result is stunning. You have the best of both worlds under this one roof, creating a new experience that your taste buds will not soon forget. The influences show up in nearly every aspect of this restaurant and help to give it its own personality, taste, and unique twist that you are not going to find elsewhere.

Salt Grill

One Jakarta restaurant that everyone has to check out is Salt Grill. Australian cuisine at its finest, this restaurant offers a large and mouthwatering menu that perfectly complements elegant décor. You have all of the flavors and foods that make Australian cuisine outstanding, and all handled by professional chefs who excel at what they do.

Rosso

Of course, if you are trying to find the best restaurant Jakarta can offer, you cannot forget Rosso. An Italian restaurant that creates splendid dishes for both the eyes and stomach, Rosso does not sacrifice quality in any area. Anyone trying to have a luxurious, comforting meal will find themselves falling in love with this place. You cannot find restaurant quality like this in many other places.