IZAKAYA KAI - ANOTHER GREAT RESTAURANT BY CHEF AM & PASTRY CHEF KC

Owned by chef Adhika Maxi and pastry chef Karen Carlotta, the couple behind the Union & AMKC atelier. Together with tempura master chef Hitoshi Kimura, they instantly made Izakaya Kai become a buzz in the town.

The two storey building was located at Pluit, North Jakarta, not to expect the location would be in Pluit for this kind of restaurant and dining concept. I believe for those who stays in Jakarta would understand, especially those who stay at the north.

The wooden strip with the KAI logo outside of the building are easily be spotted from distance. Clothes curtain of Japanese kimono welcome us at the entrance and when we stepped in, their beautiful cake showcase was easily becoming the center of attention. We came without reservation around 1.30 PM for lunch and have to waited to be seated. Of course, we don’t mind waiting, as we believe good food is ahead of us in just a moment. (Highly recommend to book your table ahead).

The cake showcase

Second Floor - Japanese Section

Japanese bar section with live kitchen

After a long wait, we were seated on the second floor. It seems the concept between the floor is different, while second floor is more to Japanese cuisine. We opened the menu, the first dish item that highlighted our eyes was the Butakakuni (the 8 hours pork belly & trotter) and indeed it turns out amazing.

Served with braised soup, pinch of chili powder, chopped spring onion and mustard on the side. The pork belly is absolutely tender and melted in your mouth, especially the fat part! The soup didn’t have lots of fat even though they used a think cut of pork belly. I think it’s braised with the Japanese soy sauce, which make a difference with normal Chinese style. As from the tangy flavor from the mustard, we think it goes well with the pork, but somehow might not suitable for everyone.

8 Hours Pork Belly & Trotter - IDR 60.000

Second dish that came to the table was Dobin Mushi – Superior Seafood Broth.

We confused for a while with the dining ware, looks like a tea pot.. until we realized that actually the small cup on top was used for the “soup cup”, then you pour the broth into the cup and drink it like a tea. Once it opened, we could immediately smell the fragrance coming out from the pot. First, we try the soup without the lemon, it tastes light, a little bit sweet and savory. Then we try to squeeze some lemon, the broth become more vibrant and give a refreshing feel. The soup consists of mushrooms, shrimp and shrimp ball/dumpling (I think it was minced shrimp meat mixed with a bit of ginger and simmered)

Dobin Mushi - IDR 50.000

As the the buzz of Japanese tempura master is in town, obviously, we had to order the Tempura. So we picked The Assorted Tempura, so that we could taste each of every ingredients used.

When it came, we were a little bit shocked with the size of it. Consists of Kisu (fish), Amaebi (prawn), Ebishinje (Prawn dumpling), Green Bean & Shiso leave. Amaebi is taste sweeter than the normal prawn. The flour coated evenly, not oily and we still can hear the crisp from the bite. It served with the tempura sauce & salt-pepper to adjust your liking. But I don’t see this as extraordinary, looking at the portion and the price, we expect something more “Wow”. Please for those who more understand about tempura, perhaps you able to share the knowledge on the commend below (thank you).

Assorted Tempura - IDR 125.000

Coming next was Yakitori, that has been recommended by the waiter. So we tried 2 stick; the Momo & Ebi Bacon. Yes, ebi bacon..

Never tried ebi and bacon grilled together and never though the combination could be this good. The fat from the bacon gives the natural savory while the sweetness from the ebi balance it.

Momo Yakitori (Chicken Thigh) – looks appetizing, brown color from the grill pop up to the chicken and we could see the juices dripped to the plate. Well executed but unfortunately we felt it was need more seasoning, as its taste bland.

Momo Yakitori - IDR 25.000
Ebi Bacon - IDR 50.000

To close our lunch, we didn’t forget the order chef Carlotta’s masterpiece, her cake

We ordered the Chocolate Red Velvet Cake. Layered between sponge cake, chocolate ganache and cream. Crunched peanut was mixed between the cream and added on top of the cake. They used rum in the cake, taste quite dominant but combine with the sweetness of the chocolate just help to balance it. Overall was a pleasure cake to indulge.

Red Velvet Cake - IDR 50.000

Writer's Opinion: It was a bold move for the chef to open a Japanese restaurant in the area. Despite the long wait, overall was a pleasant experience and would love to go back and try their other menu. 

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IZAKAYA KAI
Jl. Pluit Kencana No. 59, Pluit Jakarta
021-22663966