There is always a dilemma when visiting a big city like Jakarta. The city is teeming with buildings and high skyscrapers. Ask any of your Jakarta friends where to go and they probably have a hard time answering you. However, there is one place you absolutely must visit if you are a person who loves the excitement of discovery, to be exact the discovery of history.
Lara Djonggrang is located in a nondescript commercial row on a busy street in Menteng in Jakarta, Indonesia. The restaurant gives you a slightly eerie vibe with its big banyan trees and red dominated façade as you enter. Move in closer and you’ll notice that this 10-year-old restaurant is guarded by statues on the two sides of the door.
It might only be a restaurant, but Lara Djonggrang offers an interesting story in every corner. Let me remind you, this is not your typical run-of-the-mill restaurant that sells its persona through rooftop city views.
The restaurant is like a museum. Each room is adorned with antiquities from Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, China, the Middle East, and other exotic parts of the world. The lamps, statues, chairs, desks and other furniture pieces are arranged carefully in a harmonious way.
Another interesting feature is that some of the columns that support this building were taken from real temples. In order to not miss a thing in this restaurant, ask the staff to take you on a tour in the restaurant and they will gladly bring you on an adventure.
Lara Djonggrang is actually the name of a warrior princess, a mystical legend from old Javanese folklore. Her story is one of love, honour, and tragedy. Her father was killed by a prince named Bandung Bondowoso. After conquering the land, the latter wanted Lara to marry him. Realising that she couldn’t turn down the prince, she gave him an impossible task of building no less than a thousand temples in one night for her.
Bondowoso accepted the challenge and set on to use his magic to create the temples. However, before completing the 1,000th temple, Lara staged a fake sunrise and Bondowoso lost his power. Because of that, Bondowoso couldn’t fulfil his promise, which also means he did not get to marry the princess. In a fit of anger, he cursed the princess and turned her into a stone to complete the temple. You can find her statue standing majestically in one of the rooms in this restaurant opposite the Bondowoso statue.
Speaking of food, the restaurant Lara Djonggrang offers a wide array of Indonesian food. Annete Anhar, the owner of Lara Djongrang, said that she has a mission “to put the Indonesian cuisine on the world map”. All the dishes are created with strict adherence to the original recipes, and they come beautifully plated as well.
Try their Pasar Nelayan (The Fishermen’s Market) which features fresh catches of the day such as fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, mussels served on a mini canoe. For lovers of all things spicy, the dish also comes with variants of sambal such as sambal rawit, sambal bajak, or sambal terasi.
Fret not if you can’t eat seafood; have a go at their satay or Aromatic Rujak Soto Banyuwangi. If you want something with a bit of history behind it, try Tugu Dom Dining; the dish was inspired by the royal journeys through the region during the times of the King Hayam Wuruk, who reigned over Majapahit at the beginning of the 14th century.
When the deed is done, don’t forget to chill at The LA Bihzad Bar with a glass of wine or sangria. This bar, like the restaurant, was decorated with the history theme in mind. Be prepared to get lost in ancient Indonesian history at Lara Djonggrang.
Lara Djonggrang
Jl. Cik Di Tiro No.4, Menteng,
Central Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel: +6221 315 3252 / +6221 316 0288
