Kayu Kayu by Kosenda Hotel

Named as Kayu Kayu, it wasn’t without any intention behind. The concept of the restaurant itself merely contained wood; wooden ceiling, wooden furniture, some wooden tiles, and many more. It was a gigantic space that wowed me at my very first footstep. The interior was beyond amazing, different complicated details at different spots. The combination of green and brown, yeps those two military colors, made the spot looked so fresh for the eyes, a totally different ambiance from the ones often being offered lately. 

Semi-outdoor area, meaning an indoor spot with glass ceiling and full air-conditioned, was also available in a quite spacious size which was able to accommodate several groups of people. Besides, there were other private room as well next to it with more dimmed lightings. Some other spaces were separated by racks and walls, entertaining those who prolly demanded their ‘own spaces’. 

The giant twinnie staircases standing magnificently around the trees at the center of the venue, carried you to the gigantic upper level. Not many tables were settled there yet, as I believed even the first storey was huge enough to accommodate tons of guests. I could imagine having private events with big group of people here would be something awesome. Nice place, high capacity. 

Firstly arriving at the resto, I was actually quite bothered by the fact that some of the waitresses were not that responsive. Yeah perhaps they were busy preparing the opening, yet I guessed serving a cup of ice tea wouldn’t take you 50 minutes, so why didn’t you just spared that few seconds to quench the thirst of this ‘dying’ customer?

Luckily, some others (better trained ones I guessed?) were very welcome and deeply regretting that priorly miserable attitude. Such warm gesture shown there, along with offering the menu for my friends and I to place the order. 

What came first were the breakie menus, which would all be ready early in the morning starting 8am by end Oct (Yes, they would start serve all the early birds by then!). Another great news for those whose tummy wanted nothing but rice, they did serve Indonesian menu which was mostly rice-based for sure; so there you were with the heavy breakie to satisfy the hunger. 

Avocado with Eggs

Nonetheless, for the ones in the same boat as me who’s not that much into rice early in the morning, you could opt for this first dish I was trying. It might look super healthy and some might mistakenly think it’s only good in appearance but not the same in taste. Nonetheless, let me tell you that I’d proven you wrong when I took my first spoon. 

It’s surprisingly so good being so flavorful, both the avo and the eggs as well. Somehow it reminded me of Scottish Eggs just that this wasn’t fried and most of the elements were healthy ones. So for those who might be having extreme health concern, this was simply the perfect choice, adding those fresh veggies on the side as well. 

Bubur Ayam

Looking familiar? Yeah, it’s indeed a bowl of chicken porridge but brought to the upper level being served in nice presentation. Nonetheless, it was quite lovely having several ‘mandatory chicken porridge ingredients’ like nuts, fried shallots, fried wonton skin, and many more brought together in one tray. The porridge texture itself was smooth and the chicken was tender and coming in satisfying portion. 

Nasi Uduk

Colorful! Perhaps that represented my impression well when first looking at the dish. Surely the next level of Nasi Uduk in appearance and it did turn out delectable. With rich blend of spices and elements, the dish served a portion of spoiler for the palate to kickstart the day. It might be quite pricey being priced over IDR 40k, but luckily the quality showed comparable pay-off. 

Martabak Telor (IDR 38k)

When the breakie was completed, it didn’t mean the dining session ended as we had another round of lunch jaw-break. To begin, the curtain of the stage was opened by the appetizer, serving something deeply loved by almost all Indonesians, Martabak! This crunchy egg-based snack was yummy as it did feature minced beef to give extra delicacy on the plate. 

Fried Gyoza

Though the martabak was okay, the I loved the fried gyoza more, being less oily and lighter version of opening meals. The flavor itself suited my palate better with more ‘kicking’ taste from more variety of seasonings. 

Nasi Goreng NKRI (IDR 158k)

Another signature ingredient of our beloved country, shrimp paste, which was now blended into one of the dish we have been always proud of, fried rice! I had a kind of love-hate relationship with this dish as the taste wasn’t standardized throughout the whole plate. Some part was pretty bland, while the other went a bit too salty. Luckily the companions, 3 kinds of satay and fried chicken, were scrumptious and tender, coming as the savior!

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Another chicken and rice pair, being served in different style than the prior dish. As I wasn’t a fan of Hainanese Chicken Rice, I would let you know my friends’ comments on it since they loved it. For them this dish was in the same quality with the one served in the places specializing in the dish. Great job done there by Kayu Kayu, able to serve juicy and smooth chicken slices, complemented with full-of-herbs rice and soup. 

Laksa Peranakan (IDR 48k)

Called out as one of the must-try, my friend had it on our order list just in a blink. Like common laksa, it served udon as the carbo, with additional ‘happiness’ from bean sprout, egg, fried tofu, and eggplant. For the protein, you could add other toppings of chicken/tiger prawn by paying another IDR 20k for each. Yep, quite pricey yet the quality and size did worth the pennies spent. Though some of us thought the coconut broth was slightly salty, for me it was precisely seasoned. All the flavors mixed were strong and it’s awesome that the broth itself was pretty light in texture so it didn’t result to nauseated feeling. From all the carbo-based dishes served, I agreed with the crowd that this deserved the try especially if you’re first timer to Kayu Kayu. 

Bandeng Bakar Sambal Matah (IDR 95k)

You could spot a jaw-break on my face when this dish was landed on the table. It’s quite sizable and looked tempting with the colorful spicy sauce on top of the fish. As expected, the fish was indeed fresh and the sauce was scrumptiously burning the tongue!

Sate Maranggi (IDR 68k for 6)

Saving the best for the last, I intentionally put this satay as the final one to mention. My number one from all the meals I had at Kayu Kayu at my first visit. Presenting grilled marinated beef served with oncom and chopped tomato, not only the enticing beef got me but also the overall sauce accompanied it. The peanut one was flawless and the oncom was absolutely peculiar yet spoiling!

Iced Lemongrass

When it came to drinks and you asked me what go have, I guessed I would come up with Iced Lemongrass, something not too traditional, refreshing enough, and having the taste that’s friendly to most palate; my kind of comfort drink. As I did love this drink, I was kinda picky on the flavor and Kayu Kayu’s successfully got me hitched. 

Having mountains of foods on my dining table and passing multiple rounds of meals, I got happily bloated upon the session. I was pampered as well by the amusing ambiance and design. Overall I would say it could be considered as one of the choices when you’re trying to find resto serving mainly Indonesian and Peranakan cuisines, which didn’t only focus on delivering delicious foods but also enchanting interior.

Taste: 7/10

Place: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Price: 7/10

Thanks for reading! :)

KAYU KAYU

Address: Jl. Jalur Sutera No. 28A, Tangerang

Phone: (+62 21) 8082 1338 / (+62) 813 1800 2828

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 11.30am - 10pm

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