Blok M area which is thick with Japanese nuance makes this place nicknamed as Little Tokyo. In this area, you can also find many choices of Japanese restaurant, entertainment, to supermarket with Japanese culture.

This time, Alinear will recommend best 5 Japanese restaurants in "Little Tokyo" Blok M area that you must visit especially for Japanese food lovers.

1. Daitokyo Sakaba
If you curious about the taste of beef tongue or Gyu Tan Don in Japanese, then you should come to this place! Daitokyo Sakaba known has the best Gyu Tan Don in Jakarta. You can also try Horenso with savory butter spices.

They have two storey. The upstairs meant for tables with grilling exhaust, for customer who prefer to have the meat grill at the kitchen could choose to sit downstairs. It is a wise choice if you choose to sit downstairs. Because, sometimes our unprofessional grilling technique could end up making the meat overcooked, so leaving it to the pro seems like a proper choice.

Carrying Japanese cuisines, the place has a strong feel of Japanese as well. Petite with wooden application all over the room. Expect to find small wood chambers with personal table inside. You will love the sense of privacy. The waiters are friendly and the product knowledge is awesome.

 
Photo Source: http://www.eshtravaganza.com/blog

Many people who have tried their Gyu Tan Don, walk out with a smile and happy belly. One look at Daitokyo Sakaba’s Gyu Tan Don and you will know this dish is on a league of its own. In its place are three thick Gyutan slices, cooked until golden brown on the outside with nice charred marks here and there. Big chunks of beef tongue, sprinkled with some nori on top, placed on top of a generous portion of rice.

After a bite, it becomes even more evident that this Gyutan is absolutely no joke. The tongue is soft and buttery, it encompasses your whole mouth with this buttery feeling. It’s fatty, creamy, and smokey. A bit on the salty side, but well-balanced by the rice. Tastes great with powdered chilli. The complimentary miso soup is also yummy, perfect match for a rice bowl.

Jl. Melawai 9 No.26, Kby. Baru, South Jakarta
(021) 7222047
Monday – Saturday: 18.00 – 01.00 WIB, Sunday: 17.00 – 23.00 WIB

2. Kashiwa
Kashiwa is situated on 2nd floor, upon entering you have to climb narrow wooden stairs which totally give us Japanese vibes. Since it’s a Japanese style bar (Izakaya in Japanese), they serve wide range of alcoholic drinks. The specialty dish of Kashiwa is Yakitori, but they have wide range of dishes from sashimi, tempura, rice, noodle, sushi, oden, etc, all Rp 29,800++/ portion.

Your eyes will greeted with the tons of Japanese writings on the wall. The wooden interior, Tatami setting, bookshelves filled with manga books & magazines, and the television airing Japanese TV channels will make you feel like you are in Nippon all together. The dining area divided into 2 rooms. A room for visitors who want to sit on the dining chair and another room with Tatami setting.

 Photo Source: Alinear doc.

For the menu, Kashiwa serves various salad, onigiri, sashimi, tempura, and yakimono. It maybe not a big portion, but you still can sharing it. Because, this restaurant focus on foods which are perfect with sake or other alcohol drinks, just like the pub. But, here you can also enjoy gohan set, udon, oden and soba.

The Japanese authentic looks so thick also from the menu that you might have not seen before. But, one thing that will makes you smiling, the price not more than Rp 35.000.

A menu you should try here is Nagoya Tebasaki. Tasty but salty, the deep fried golden chicken wings were seasoned with salty peppery seasoning typical Nagoya Tebasaki, it was a tad too salty but it makes a great companion for beer.

The bbq skewer (Yakitori in Japanese) is available in various options from meat to vegetables, you can order it with shio (salt) or tare (sweet) seasoning. Out of all dishes, their Yakitori stands out the most! No wonder they call it their specialty. Kashiwa's Yakitori was beautifully seasoned with inviting charred aroma.

Have not full yet? Kaisen Okonomiyaki can help you. 8 pieces of Okonomiyaki with pizza shape served in a hot plate. They give Katsuoboshi, mayonnaise, and chocolate sauce on the surface of Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki with thick batter tastes good with perfect sauce. The seafood filling is many enough. Yummy!

Jl. Melawai VIII, Kby. Baru, South Jakarta
(021) 7396063
Everyday: 17.00 – 00.00 WIB

3. Kira Kira Ginza
This Japanese restaurant is located just across to Blok M Square. Kira Kira Ginza and Daitokyo Sakaba only separated by 2 stores. Apparently they are managed under same management.

We can say that the most authentic izakaya in Jakarta is Kira Kira Ginza. The rich, wood-paneled space, complete with private tatami rooms in the back, is so authentic. Kira Kira Ginza is also an Izakaya. Calm down! You still can enjoy Japanese food here.

Photo Source: Alinear doc.

One of their food you should try is sashimi. Sashimi at Kira Kira Ginza will makes you satisfied, because the fish meat is thick and big enough. For you who love sushi, you should try their unique sushi, Cabe Toro Maki. This is a sushi roll with chilies in it.

Jl. Melawai 8 No.9, Kby. Baru, South Jakarta
(021) 7262611
Monday – Friday: 11:30 – 14:30, 18.00 – 23:30 WIB, Saturday & Sunday: 11.30 – 22.30 WIB

4. Echigoya Ramen
Since nowadays, many dining spot has offered interior more than taste, it's amazingly relieving and refreshing to find one that still has a nice simple interior with a great food! Their interior design is not kind of luxury with ornaments or anything. It just simple one but create a good vibe of Japanese traditional restaurant. To all otakus out there, this will probably be your top dining destination with all the manga they provide.

Upon entrance you will see on your right side a dedicated room with noodle machine, stacks of flour and a machine intended to create the rather thin and curvy noodle. 

 
Photo Source: http://restochoice.com

You should choose Tonkotsu Ramen. This ramen has a thick broth made from boiling pork bones, fat, and collagen over high heat for many hours, which suffuses the broth with a hearty pork flavor and a creamy consistency that rivals milk, melted butter or gravy. The taste are rich and flavorful but will not make you feel bloated afterwards.

Jl. Melawai VIII No.2A, Kby. Baru, South Jakarta
Monday – Friday: 11:30 – 14.00 WIB, 18.00 – 01:00 WIB, Saturday: 11:30 – 14:30, 17:00 – 00.00 WIB, Sunday: 11:30 – 14:30, 17:00 – 23.00 WIB

5. Shibuya Cafe
Shibuya Café located in Kamome Building. The reason why this place called cafe, because they also provides a Japanese coffee shop ambience.

For the design, this cafe looks masculine. You will look black grayish dominate the wall and lampshade adorn the cafe. While wall accesories which look like traditional home window with square partition make it more Japanese. Shibuya Café divide the room into smoking and non smoking.

Photo Source: https://www.zomato.com/id/jakarta

Meat Sauce Doria is your must-try here. Doria is a gratin (cooking technique from France where food ingredients sprinkled with brown crumbs, they usually use bread crumbs, cheese grated, egg and/or buttera) in Japanese version with rice, Bechamel sauce, and melted cheese.

You can look brownish color which is the rest of grilled on the surfaceof cheese with sprinkles of parsleys. When you spoon on it, you will see rice layer, meat chopped, tomato sauce, Bechamel sauce, and cheese.

Creme Brulee become the favorite ones here. This coffee comes in a cup of hot coffee covered by frozen sugar which is from blow torch process. The aroma from caramel smells so good. When you break the sugar with spoon, it will melt and merges with the coffee. Give a little sweet taste on double shot espresso. The coffee taste so good with combination of milk and hazelnut. You will taste bitter aftertaste while you sipping.

But, if you don't like coffee you can choose Shocking Kiwi Melon. A combination of soda, melon syrup, and pieces o kiwi. You can taste the sweet of melon syrup, but you will also taste a little acid comes from the kiwi.

Jl. Melawai No.189, Kby. Baru, South Jakarta
Everyday: 07.00 – 00.00 WIB
(021) 27515835