Located just steps away from Bundaran HI, right in the heart of Jakarta, Sudestada is a gorgeous Argentinian grill, bar and café that offers a truly authentic experience of this scrumptious Latin American cuisine.
Rustic, comfortable, open… Those are the first things one notices upon entering Sudestada Jakarta. The gorgeous brick walls maintained its natural colour, and is enhanced by wall hangings and furniture of the same colour scheme. Jessica Novita from Genius Loci Studio was tasked to create the overall design, and her number one priority was to allow guests to experience the true Argentinian flair. She wanted to make the interiors look like the façade of buildings found all over Buenos Aires, hence the balconies on the second floor and the hanging plants on the ceiling.
Chef Victor Taborda, the executive chef and co-owner of the establishment, was very much involved in the designing process. Coming from Argentina himself, he knew exactly what his inspiration would be. “A lot of people mistake the design style of Argentina to be just like Mexico and Colombia, but in fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s not loud, or crazy, or colourful. In fact, it’s very muted. We love natural tones, but with small hints of colour.” Chef Victor said, as he pointed towards the large photo of the colourful neigbourhood of La Boca hung on a plain brick wall.
The building is two storeys tall, with a combination of small and large tables for groups of all sizes. To mimic the communal feel of Argentinian culture, the large dining area sits right by the open kitchen, where guests can look in and see the grill working its magic. Local and traditional items can be found on the walls, such as the ponchos hung around a mural of traditional black frames, and some equipment for Polo, one of the country’s most popular sports, hung right by the entrance along with blue and white ribbons representing the country’s flag.
Sudestada’s floor layout separates into four parts. The left side from the entranceway is the restaurant where the open kitchen is located, as well as the bright yellow staircase that leads to the second floor with balcony seating. On the right is the industrial-style bar that serves delicious cocktails perfect for an after-work drink, and the back area is the café where breakfast is served in the morning. The restaurant also has beautiful outdoor seating. It is quite unique, as it contains an outdoor fire pit to host large open-air barbecues. The brick walls continue on to this area, and painted on it is a mural of an Argentinian village at night. Outdoor string lights adorn the place, which makes for an intimate and romantic dining experience in the evening.
As if the design isn’t truly Argentinian enough, the food itself represents the best of what the country has to offer to the culinary world such as Short Ribs served with delicious Chimichurri sauce, house made Salchica Parrillera or Spiral Sausages, and Spanish Fried Broken Eggs are just some of the special menu items Sudestada has to offer. The meat itself is imported from Argentina and Australia, serving the best quality of meat possible. Meat lovers will be sure to find a favourite among their wide variety of house specialty cuts. “When I designed the menu I wanted our customers to taste the popular dishes available in Buenos Aires. It’s not only Spanish-inspired, but there are some Italian flavours there as well.” Chef Victor explained.
Every single detail in the restaurant shares the same rustic vibe, using browns, greens and other earth tones. The plates were specially made for the restaurant in the same colour scheme, and was created to match the simplicity of their food presentation. “I wanted the food to match the design of this whole place. Same colours, with the same feel of Buenos Aires.” Chef Victor stated.
To experience the incredible Argentinian cuisine in Jakarta and have a taste of what this beautiful country has to offer, Sudestada is undoubtedly the place to go. On weekend nights, guests can enjoy live Latin music whilst having a selection of delicious cocktails with friends. Comfortable seating, intimate vibes and mouthwatering food. What more can you ask for?