•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

While many patrons flock to Bamboo House for its food, the restaurant probably draws an equal number of people for its unique architecture, which features spires of reeds and an essentially all-natural design.

Owner Candriawan said he wanted to offer a new experience to culinary lovers in Jakarta, calling the restaurant’s theme “back to nature.”

As the name suggests, Bamboo House is all about — you guessed it — bamboo. Candriawan showed how the restaurant’s pillars, walls and ceiling were constructed out of this distinctly Asian material. In fact, he said bamboo makes up more than 70 percent of the building.

While modern design has obviously moved away from bamboo, the natural material was once heavily utilized in building houses throughout Indonesia, and still plays an important role as scaffolding in construction.

Sitting in Bamboo House, which opened in September, is a respite from Jakarta’s pollution and traffic, and the restaurant’s cozy, natural environment relaxes and soothes.

“Customers will definitely enjoy a new experience while they are here,” Candriawan said.

Ten large pillars sustain the restaurant’s main building, with each pillar composed of thick groupings of bamboo that support the roof, which resembles an upside-down triangle and is beautifully lit at night.

As it rains, water flows through bamboo designated as gutters (let’s not forget that the reeds are hollow). Candriawan said Bamboo House was likely the only building to use such a drainage concept.

Perhaps most unique to Bamboo House is its lack of screws, nails or other modern construction materials. Instead, traditional ropes are used to bind the reeds together.

While many people want to build modern buildings, Candriawan said he opted for the traditional. “This restaurant has an architecture that people will always remember,” he said.

Bamboo House is divided into three areas: The main dining area, the pool outdoor bar and the beer garden.

The main dining room is vast and filled with wooden tables and chairs. Candriawan calls the concept “open casual dining,” and the breeze filters through every centimeter of the dining room. At night, wooden lamps that resemble birds nests hang from the ceiling, while small table candles create a romantic setting perfect for couples who want to have an intimate conversation.

For an experience that is even closer to nature, patrons can enjoy their food in the restaurant’s pool outdoor bar, (but it’s not a swimming pool, so don’t show up in your bathing suit).

This area is located in front of the restaurant’s main building and features a long table made of bamboo and wood that’s surrounded by concrete seats.

Candriawan called this outdoor area “a social bar,” which he said allowed guests to mingle with people they just met. The only downside is that with no roof, you have to move inside when it rains.

Located in the back terrace, Bamboo House’s beer garden is surrounded by (you guessed it) bamboo walls and covered in grass, and can accommodate up to 40 guests. Unlike the dining area and outdoor pool’s subdued intimacy, the beer garden has a wilder atmosphere, breaking the strictly bamboo mold and using more eclectic, even Pop Art-like materials.

The tables are constructed of soft drink crates and tires topped with thick glass, all efforts to foster a different, more laid-back and beer-swilling vibe.

But let’s not forget that besides an accomplishment in design, Bamboo House is a restaurant. Candriawan points out that the restaurant has a wide variety of food and drinks, with dishes divided into two categories: Asian and Western.

Asian choices include bakmie campur (Indonesian traditional mixed noodles )and Kung Pao chicken rice. The Western choices include spaghetti, pizza and mushroom chicken, while the dessert selections include strawberry sorbet and pancakes of different flavors.

Candriawan said he had gotten very positive responses from guests and hoped that Bamboo House could become one of the best restaurants in Jakarta. In terms of its design, it already is.

Bamboo House
Jl. Salak Masir Raya No. 6
Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta
Tel. 021 568 7151