Growing up in Indonesia, my tongue is so much Indonesian that wherever I go, I will end up craving for some local dishes. Not only that, there is certain feeling of proud when I see/hear about acceptance of Indonesian cuisine widely, not only for local taste but also those which can be received by all people. That’s why I immediately said yes when I got the invitation to attend the introduction event of Indonesian Tapas & Cocktails at BUNK Lounge, Pullman Jakarta Central Park 2 weeks ago.

This event introduced new pairing menu of Indonesian Tapas & Cocktails, which are available from 1 – 30 November 2015 at IDR 68,000++ per portion and the exclusive cocktails are IDR 138,000++ per glass.

The event was opened by Mrs. Rita Elisabeth (Ass. Director of Marketing & E-Commerce) introducing Mr. Albero Dominique (General Manager of Pullman Jakarta Central Park) and the star of the night: Mr. Ayip Muhammad Dzuhri – the recently crowned Indonesia’s ‘Bartender of the Year’ in the South East Asian semi-finals of the prestigious Diageo World Class (DWC) Bar Show 2015, part of the industry’s most respected bartending competition on 1 – 2 July 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Currently working for Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort as the house bartender, Ayip’s creations for this event are inspired by the magnificent places around Indonesia and he is proudly presenting: Astrajingga, Kemangi Fizz, Taste of Honje, and TNT Chocolate. Before I move to the drinks, let me present you some photos of him during the “action”!

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TNT Chocolate

TNT stands for Tamarind and Turmeric. This cocktail’s ingredients are the basic Indonesian traditional “jamu” drink but the flavor is a lot nicer! Sorry I am not a fan of jamu drinks and can only drink the “beras kencur” one at the very least. The tamarind flavor is dominating and if this counts as healthy drink, I am up for the next glass!

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Kemangi Fizz

You know, I have always thought that “kemangi” is actually basil, but I was told that they are somehow different. This Indonesian kemangi has this strong fragrance that is undoubtedly different from the typical basil leaves, creating a whole new level of aromatic cocktail. This is fizzy, refreshing and addicting.

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Tales of Honje

Inspired by the well-known Mount Honje in Ujung Kulon, where all the Javanese Rhinos live. This drink has a simply yet enjoyable flavor, a kind of cocktail that you won’t realize sipping glass after glass. My favorite among the four.

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Astrajingga

Inspired by Native Sundanese drink called Bajigur, Astrajingga is made from fresh coconut cream that is combined with brown sugar and ginger, added with a touch of Ron Zacapa 23 Years: an aged Dark Rum that has won medal awards for its exquisite and mellow taste.

The presentation is so Indonesian I totally fell in love with it at the first sight. The taste is simply magnificent. I had never imagined bajigur kind of drink (with coconut cream) can go so well mixed with rum! And heard that this is the drink that made Ayip won the Bartender of The Year thing, need I say more?

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After Ayip finished making the cocktails, the guests can also learn making our own cocktails too, yay! I think it’s quite fun to engage the audiences to do this as well, as doing is better way to learn than looking, right? XD

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Mr. K also made his version of Tales of Honje! He didn’t want to do it at first but I wanted to try his creation as I really like his own-made dishes and drinks. FYI, Mr. K used to be a bartender back in Australia but he refused to do it because he said that his skill has already been rusty, LOL! In the end, he still did it smoothly and the drink turned out nicely! 😉

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CHEERS!

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From the 4 cocktails presented that night, my personal favorite was Astrajingga, closely followed by Tales of Honje. Basically all the drinks are unique and flavorful in their own ways but my mind just is completely stuck to these two, LOL.

Moving on to the food. Basically they serve sweet and savory food, which didn’t only look tempting but also taste good! I absolutely love all the savory ones but after some deep-thinking, my favorites are Gado Gado, Rendang Balls, and Sate Lilit. The sweet ones are pretty but I enjoyed the Dadar Gulung the most! 😉

Gado Gado Wrapped with Bean Cake

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Mini Martabak Telor

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Beef And Corn Perkedel with Quail Egg

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Sticky Rice with Rendang Balls

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Sate Lilit With Chilli Matah

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Kue Lumpur

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Proffer Cheese

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Dadar Gulung

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BUNK Lobby Lounge has a stylish atmosphere adapting a raw industrial design concept. Artwork such as paintings and sculptures of Indonesian artists encircle the double-height ceiling of the lobby which is aimed to enliven the urban touch.

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Ranks of comfortable furnitures with warm lighting and natural day light making it the perfect location for casual business discussion and is an inviting space to relax with acquaintances. For a more private discussion, BUNK’s private room and Mezzanine floor can be the alternatives, while the outdoor area is available for those who prefer to enjoy Tribeca park view. Through these three seating area, BUNK cater up to 150 seating capacity.

Providing a perfect opportunity to unwind during the day with extensive range of tea, coffee and all day light meals accompany with electro jazz and light pop tune, in the evening, BUNK sparkles as it transforms into a bar serving extensive arrays of wines, cocktails and mocktails savored by selections of Tapas Platters while electronic and rhythmic pop tune are playing.

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Don’t miss the chance to try this Indonesian Tapas & Cocktails Selection which are available only this November. Do let me know what your favorites are, okay? 😉

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*All prices are subject to 21% service charge & government tax

*The Food Escape team are not paid whatsoever for writing this post.

** This review is written based on our visit on 23 October 2015.

 

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BUNK LOUNGE
Pullman Jakarta Central Park

Podomoro City
Jl. Let. Jend. S. Parman Kav. 28
Jakarta 11470
Ph. +62 21 2920 0088

Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri  7AM – 12AM
Sat – Sun  7AM – 1AM