IO, Jakarta – Among culinary lovers, the name Chef Jean-Georges Vongrichten is clearly a familiar name. Together with his son, Cedric Vongrichten, Michelin three-star chef presents ‘New York’ through Vong Kitchen in Jakarta. Michelin itself is one of the highest titles in the culinary industry that became a means of proving the quality of a dish. In fact, so prestigious is this award, that only a few countries have a restaurant or chef with a Michelin degree. But now you don’t need to go abroad to taste the delicacy of the dish made by a Michelin chef, because you can enjoy it in Indonesia. Located in the area of SCBD (Sudirman Central Business District), South Jakarta, there is a restaurant that serves a variety of processed food creations by a 3 star Michelin chef.
Chef Jean-George has a long history in the culinary world. He was once the youngest chef to receive a four-star review in The New York Times when he was 29 years old. In the 1980s, he also led the French culinary evolution in New York. Plunging into the culinary business, chef Jean-George has many restaurants in different parts of the world, from New York to Singapore. His restaurant in New York has even earned the title Michelin Star and crowned as the best French restaurant in the United States.
“Creating world-class food is always our main focus, we always try to use local ingredients when creating food,” says Cedric
Using the name Vong Kitchen, this restaurant presents delicious menus that combine French and American flavors. All the menu itself was created directly by the French chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, along with his son Cédric Vongerichten who followed in his father’s footsteps as a professional chef. New York, USA is a city that has a character similar to Jakarta. People termed it as the ‘melting pot’, so, Cedric said, the restaurant menu is the result of a mix of flavors from various countries.
“I once worked in London, a restaurant in Hong Kong, Spain, my father was born in France while I was born in Bangkok and have lived in France,” he said.
This fine dining style restaurant brings the concept of open kitchen that lets visitors see first hand view of the kitchen atmosophere in Vong Kitchen. This is certainly the main attraction for visitors who are waiting for their dishes to come.
Here, you can enjoy a variety of delicious dishes from fresh ingredients that are guaranteed to make you addicted. There are dishes such as Kale and Mixed Lettuce made from baby kale and mustard vinaigrette beans with savory parmesan, Crispy Calamari with fresh yuzu dipping sauce, The Creamy Burrata served with sourdough, lemon jam and fresh basil leaves, Hamachi Sashimi softly greased avocado and chili-soy dressing, and Roasted Wild Mushrooms of choice mushrooms and baked pine nuts with pecorino cheese.
In addition to the above menus, Vong Kitchen also has some mainstay menu that is definitely not to be missed, such as Rice Cracker Crusted Tuna which is a signature dish of Vong Kitchen. Served with a soft sauce made from sriracha and spring onion sauce, this dish has a crisp texture on the outside and soft on the inside.
And don’t forget to taste one of Vong Kitchen’s favorite menu of Truffle Pizza which is guaranteed to make your tongue sway. Served with a crisp thin skin, a mixture of truffle mushrooms, and three types of cheese selection and eggs tastes delicious with a balanced blend of taste.
Once satisfied with a variety of tasty dishes, it is incomplete if you don’t taste the dessert as a complete sweet dining experience. In Vong Kitchen, you can taste Molten Lava Cake combined with soft vanilla ice cream and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese served with savory caramel beans.
Uniquely, the cook Cedric Vongerichten told that the recipe of Molten Lava Cake was actually created by accident because of the wrong cooking process. Precisely about 20 years ago, Jean-Georges Vongerichten intended to make an ordinary chocolate cake, but because of the unfavorable temperature the end result of the homemade chocolate cake is premature. However, this ‘failed’ cake is preferred because its texture is so soft and melts when eaten.
Whilst serving a full tasty menu, in Vong Kitchen there is also a mini bar that serves a variety of alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, cocktails, and many more. Mini bar is suitable for you who want to feel a more relaxed atmosphere of Vong Kitchen.
Jean-Georges himself is a famous chef who has been unlawful in the culinary world for decades. After successfully leading several starred restaurants in various countries such as New York, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, upto Japan, Vong Kitchen also adds a long list of restaurants serving delicious menu with this 61 year old chef’s style.
In accordance with the concept, this fine dining restaurant is open daily from 6 pm to midnight. Especially on Fridays and Saturdays, Vong Kitchen is open until 1.30 pm. It would be perfect if you visit Vong Kitchen during the weekend with your family and relatives. (aldo)