Featured Dining
Batula, Where the Food and Fun Begin!
Among many ubiquitous restaurants in Jakarta, one is renowned for its friendly location and its good tasting delights. Specialized in Western food, Batula is a place for both food and fun! by Galuh Wulandari / January 5, 2007
Choosing a place to dine these days is a bit like picking a movie. First, you need to know what kind of movie you are about to see, romantic, action, thriller and so on. The story line, the script, the actors and the directors are some of the essential elements from which you can tell between a good movie and an average one. Still confused, a reference from a friend is indeed a good option, “yeah, you should watch this movie… very interesting and funny!” Convinced, minutes later you might be on your way to the cinema standing in line for a ticket of that fabulous movie. Same thing goes when it comes to a restaurant; type of the cuisine, the location, the concept, and when there’s still a little doubt, surely a suggestion from a friend is always handy.
In the same way, there are very successful directors, or in this case, restaurateurs in Jakarta that have the magic touch when it comes to restaurants. PT. Cilantro International is one of them and one of its recently born babies is Batula, with its motto ‘Food and Fun’. The restaurant features a casual and laid back ambiance where you can feel nothing but its warmth and friendly vibe. I went there on one sunny Thursday and was welcomed by Ms. Martini Theresia, Batula’s head of GRO. Since it was around 2 pm, most of the diners had already gone back to work, only about three tables left and all were occupied with expatriates. “We don’t actually target ourselves for the expatriates. However, buzz spreads fast and most of our guests are expats. Nevertheless, we welcome everyone.” She smiles.
Once you walk in, you can easily spot a giant chalkboard in front of you, showing Batula’s food of the month. Those menus are chef Sammy’s creations for that particular month in order to give diversity to loyal diners. The restaurant also has a large open kitchen where guests get to see the chef in action, and an interesting backyard, clear glass rooftop design that gives natural light from the outside. “Yes, it’s kind of hot in day time due the sunshine, but it’s the favorite spot for dinner as if you’re dining under the moonlight and twinkling stars.” Adds Ms. Theres.
Batula prides itself on its fine selection of western food, which are cooked and prepared to perfection. Some of Batula’s specialties are Sirloin Steak, Tenderloin Steak, Batula Nachos, Batula Platter, Beef Burger, Chicken and Meat Skewer, and others. As for the local taste, you can try the Oxtail Soup, Batula’s Fried Rice, Singapore Laksa, etc. “We want to give the best to our guests, so we import all the meat from Australia.” During my casual conversation with Ms. Teres, I was presented with the Batula Platter, a generous portion of calamari, chicken fingers, chicken wings, shrimp rolls, and potato skin and it comes with BBQ, Mayonnaise, and lemon sauce. No oily aftertaste whatsoever and amongst all, the chicken wings are my favorite… It’s addictive and you just can’t have enough!
The fun is not over… not just yet. After having a hearty meal, why don’t you go upstairs to Batula’s sport bar and have a drink or two? Better yet, have a drink while playing pool…. Free of charge. Designed akin to an antique ship, the sport bar offers several tempting promotion. I personally call it ‘Mexican Nights’, as on Fridays and Saturdays, you can have a bottle of Corona for only Rp 30,000 and a shot of Tequila for Rp 12,500! A great place to start the weekend, right? Moreover, you can always come to its happy hour from 4 pm to 8 pm as you can have a 50% off for all drinks and a special privilege for the Australian wines. So, the next time you’re looking for a fun place with great food, you now know where to go. Enjoy! (SG/GW) Batula Food & Fun! (Closed)
Jl. Adityawarman No.61, Blok M
Kebayoran Baru - Jakarta Selatan
Tel: (62-21) 722 3735
Cuisine:
Modern Asian, Western
If I'm not mistaken, isn't this restaurant decorated with a lot of pebbles/stones?
The best place of hanging out, watching some sports game on the big screen, indulge in the best wine accompanying the overwhelming delicious beef steak cooked to order in perfection.. Very rich in flavour, the meat is very tender and juicy, melted in my mouth, and the selection of wine is only to add the richness of flavour and aroma of the steak, one complimenting the other. The ambience is warm and cozy, and the attentiveness of the waiters are great.. The price is reasonable to all the best experience of dining there..
The wine is good, the steak is fine. What else can I say, eh ???
Steaknya ok banget. The chef knows how to cook it properly! Menurut waitress nya, chefnya orang Singapore. Mudah2an chefnya jangan ganti....