OKU, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski 1st Anniversary

Hi Eaters.

Whoa! It's been a year already! Days seem to pass by so quickly then suddenly it has already been a year since Oku opened its doors to public. I remember coming here when they just started service for maybe a couple of days. You can check out my post about that one here.
I clearly remembered how amazing the food was and certainly this time it was certainly an honour just to be back and invited for their first anniversary.

It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon as I prep myself for the invitation. They specifically mentioned a Japanese touch for the dress code, but since I didn't have anything on my closet that screams Japanese so I went wearing black (sorry for that) coz I thought it just matched my Instagram feed, LOL.
The restaurant itself hasn't change in a year, you can check out how the interior looks like at my previous post about Oku (link on the first paragraph).
They served the guests with a 7 course meals, not include their well-known dishes which apparently were also served too (yeaayy!!). 

Oku Karaage

I'm gonna start by talking about the dishes that wasn't included in 9 course meals, the first is the popular Oku Karaage.
If you check my previous blog post about Oku then you will know this one is the dish I highlighted in the review. It's so unique! Well, frankly speaking, the size has gotten quite smaller but the taste was still awesome. It may not look appealing, but this blackened chicken karaage is some serious stuff. So delicious and yet crispy on the outside but moist and tender in the inside.

Oku Chirashi Don

I failed to try this one, and truly I regret it as now I am looking at the photo. Those beautiful bright colors from the various sashimis are certainly appetizing.

Truffle Gyu Don

One menu you must (and I mean MUST) order is the Truffle Gyu Don. As a fan of everything truffled I must give this dish a 2 thumbs up. Kudos to the Chef, this dish is insanely awesome, and I mean literally everything on the plate is just mind blowing. Starting from the rice, the sauce, the egg, and that crazily juicy beef slices, they're just some deadly combo that will take your tastebuds to heaven. Maybe you think I'm overexaggerating, but honestly I can eat this dish forever.

This grilled lobster (I don't know for sure the name of the dish) was truly tempting. Luckily I got the chance to tried it, and yes it was delicious. The lobster was so good, so juicy, and that sauce was just spot on.

So now let's start talking about the 7 course meals, shall we?

Kaki – Japanese Oyster | Wasabi Sorbet

When you talk about Japanese food, you gotta talk about their fresh sea produce, wether it's the fishes or clams and oysters like this. This one is oyster served with salmon roe, wasabi, and signature stock. Gotta love this dish, it's so fresh yet without any tangy smell coming out from the oyster. The signature stock was just spot on and truly elevates the whole flavor of the oyster, giving it a rich savory flavor that was so indulging.

Uni – Sea Urchin | Chutoro | Seaweed Cracker

This premium sea produce was the one that I anxiously waited to be served. Uni is like the treasure of the ocean, and this one is served along chutoro (fatty tuna) on a bed made from deep fried seaweed cracker. Apparently that day I ate it the wrong way since I didn't recognize the seaweed cracker at first glance and thought it was a sea shell, LOL, pardon me for that. Well, nothing can beat the taste of some fresh uni, and this one was mine blowing. My favorite dish of the day!

Nodoguro – Soup of Rosy Sea Bass

A clear soup with sea bass. The taste was quite light, not my kind of dish though I think some might like this kind of light-flavory dish. 

Tsukiji Market – Seasonal Fish from Japan

A plate of various fresh seafood produce: salmon, tuna, squid, lobster, and one thing which I think is hirame (olive flounder). All seafood produce served on this plate were flown from Tsukiji Market itself so the freshness is beyond doubt. One thing cute from this plate is the fish-shaped-jelly soy sauce. Really cute!

Karasumi Pasta – Ikura | Angel Hair Pasta

Ah angel hair pasta, my favorite kind of pasta! The dish was splendid! I really really really (I said it like 3 times, which must mean great) love this dish. The truffle was really dominant in every single bites and slurps of that perfectly cooked pasta. It's just so amazingly tasty!

Kamo – Duck 3 Ways | Smoked with Rice Straw | Aged Soy Salt

Tender chunks of diced duck meat, perfectly cooked and seasoned. It's so juicy. I wish there were just more on the plate.

Unagi – Fresh Water Eel Rice Porridge | Charcoal Grill Rice

More reasons to smile that day after a cute littel bowl with unagi inside was served. Served on top of grilled rice, the way to eat it is to first pour some stock into the bowl. Well, frankly speaking, the stock was pretty light but the good thing is the flavor of the rice and the unagi was quite bold so the stock was just there to elevate the almost perfect dish.

Mizu – Water Mochi | Kinako | Anmitsu Sauce

It wasn't my first time having water mochi. It's definitely a cute dessert, I have to say, and most certainly unique. This one is served with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and anmitsu sauce which is thick and sweet. You have to eat the whole 3 elements at once, because if you only eat the water mochi then you might say it's bland and tasteless. You just have to scoop out the 3 elements of dishes to get the maximum taste of the dish.

Matcha – Green Tea | White Chocolate | Raspberry Marshmallow

The final dessert came as the most sweetest ending. Everything on the plate was just loveable. The matcha, served two ways, one is like a somewhat deconstructed sponge cake, and the other one was mousse. The raspberry marshmallow and the one which is like a sorbet, tasted nice, a bit sour but it really helps to balance the sweetness from the matcha and the white chocolate.

Never a disappointing experience at Oku. I will always recommend this restaurant if you're just looking for some authentic, yet sophisticated Japanese cuisine. The taste and the plating of every dish are just thought carefully by the mastermind of this restaurant, Chef Kaz. Again, my compliments to the Chef.

So thank you Oku for having me. It was a great time indeed. I wish you the very best for your anniversary and looking forward for more astonishing dishes 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