E&O: Eastern & Oriental Restaurant

E&O is a charming collaboration between Chef Will Meyrick (Sarong and Mama San restaurants in Bali) and the same company that handles Loewy and Union. Initially the restaurant planned to highlight a unique blend of Thai and Vietnamese cuisines as their main concept but as time goes by E&O expanded their kitchen creations to cater to everyone's diverse tastes. Therefore prepare yourself to face a wide variety of Asian cuisines with some interesting twists coming from the West!

I like how the mixture of rustic and vintage atmosphere in this restaurant is wrapped nicely in elegance. As you can see, most visitors in E&O fall into executives or businessmen/businesswomen category during weekdays but on weekends there are also crowds of families and teenagers filling the seats. Fancy enough but still pretty casual after all. Also the food portions here are made to share so it would be very fitting if you tag along some friends or relatives on your visit.

E&O's menu selections are divided into starters, mains, and desserts. One of the hallmark of their fusion creations can be found in Thai-styled Caesar Salad and Vietnamese Cheong Fan for starters, which consist of shredded pork, Shiso leaf, and Thai basil. Meanwhile Crispy Pork Belly would be a top notch option for main course. After landing my first try on this menu I understood why this is simply (almost) everyone's favorite every time they visit E&O. The pork is served in fair cuts, with incredibly crispy skin and tasty seasonings that soaked in perfectly into their juicy texture. Wonderful! I find it interesting that they pair this menu with double sauces, Tamarind and Tamarillo. Both have distinct characteristics though there's a certain blend of flavors that connect them that are derived from sour, sweet, and spicy. It is also served with a handful of sticky rice. Gotta say it's quite an impressive result from Thai and Western styles crossover!

The next prima donna is called Country Style Roast Chicken served with Spicy Thai Sauce. Instead of french fries, it's paired with fried cassava! Such an unforgettable fusion experience, indeed. For other selections in the book just take a look at Jungle Chicken Curry, "Choo Chee" Crispy Barramundi,  or Caramelised Duck. The humble and skillful waiters/waitresses will be pleased to elaborate more about the menus to every guest so no need to worry if most of them don't sound familiar to you.

Now that our happy tummies are satisfied, it's time to spend the rest of the night by moving on to the bars and pick up some nice drinks to lift up the mood. Cocktails, mocktails, even wine selections, all is complete all is good. If you still have some space for desserts (WELL WHO DOESN'T?) please give a try for E&O's super smooth and glazy Coconut Crème Brulee. It is topped with crunchy almonds and some fruits that blend perfectly with the creamy texture. I'm definitely in love with this dessert!

E&O is undoubtedly a must visit restaurant for it will not only enhance your culinary experience but also a decent pick for your afterwork or weekend getaway.


(photos by: Hardiman Widjaseno)


E&O
Menara Rajawali Lt.1
Jln. Dr. Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung Lot#5.1
Kawasan Mega Kuningan, Jakarta 12950
Ph: 021 5761645
Average spending: Rp 200.000,00 — Rp 300.000,00 for each person
Twitter: @eandojakarta