Culinary Bonanza: Bring Designated Driver When Dining at Alcoholics Bar

Ellyna Tjohnardi

To some people, alcohol is like our morning cup of coffee, our daily rice that we ought to have. To some others, paradise is when everything we ingest contains this depressant chemical and we can find this at Alcoholics Bar & Grill, a new hangout spot in Kemang, South Jakarta.

The Only Place Where You Can “Eat” Alcohol

While this claim is not entirely true, considering there are plenty of places in Jakarta that also infuse alcohol in their menu, I’d alter that into something like this: “The only place where you can “eat” good alcohol. Why?

What makes Alcoholics Bar & Grill different is 99 percent of the food menu contains alcohol, and the alcohol used is not only the classic red or white wine or malt beer. You can find such as Jack Daniels, Guinness, tequila, brandy, vodka, etc. infused in your food.

The only thing that’s alcohol-free is the Potato Wedges (Rp 25,000). But no, don’t expect to get drunk from eating the food, because most of the alcohol evaporates upon cooking. The alcohol simply adds richer scent and flavor to the food.

The whole idea and concept of Al Bar was born from the proprietors’ love for fine food and booze. Some items on the menu are actually personal recipes by the proprietors: Patrick Gunadi and Judith Harris. Patrick, who came from business consultancy background, heads the kitchen as the Executive Chef and Judith Harris, whose background is steeped in design and advertising, manages the daily operation and marketing.

Al Bar positions itself as a bar & grill establishment, so you can expect to be served good quality steaks. I have yet tried the steaks, but I can vouch that they make awesome beef patties, such as which you can find on its signature menu: the Guiness Mini Burger (Rp 60,000). This exquisite bar snack is great to be served along with your beer. The burger tasted so juicy and succulent and the portion is just right. Viva bite size!

Another signature item is the Beer Can Chicken (Rp 180,000) — which takes 1.5 hours to cook! It would be wise to call and make a reservation if you’d like to have this served upon arrival. The beer is slowly roasted with the whole chicken, resulting in delicate beer scent seeping all the way to the bones. The Southern Comfort (Rp 45,000), a crispy thin crust pizza is also worth trying, especially if you like spicy stuff.

Alcoholics Bar & Grill is located inside the Kemang 72 complex (the same area where you can find Koi Gallery and Anomali Coffee, Kemang). Parking may be quite challenging, especially if the complex is packed.

Alcoholics Bar & Grill
JL. Kemang Raya no. 72 N, South Jakarta
Tel. 021 7195675
www.alcoholicsbar.com
Twitter: @Alcoholics_Bar

For more delicious treats, visit the author’s blog at http://culinarybonanza.blogspot.com/