Jawa Restaurant - Traditional Indonesian Food — Restaurant in Hamburg

When i heard there's a Indonesian restaurant in Hamburg, my heart start pounding rapidly and all i wanna do is goin there. But well...maybe i was expected too high, or maybe it just was not my day. When my first step reached the door, a waitress came toward us, i assume at the same time, she want to left the room. Then she saw me and my friend, and suddenly frowned. And i was like, what the heck? Then she asked us, so curtly, in German, how many person we were, where we want to sit, cleaned the table, and then gave us the Speisekarte. She gave us nothing but a bad, unfriendly tone for a normal conversation between a waitress and customer.

We called her again after that, ready to order our food. I called her with "Hallo" and she didnt respond. "Hallo" i said again. With a subtle tone, totally.

Suddenly, she stopped washing the table, gave me a terrible glare, and said, "Ja ich komm doch gleich!"

Wow.

I did not expect that, pal.

I ordered hot tea and wasnt aware that they have some options of the taste. And she said, "Welche?" Again, in a curtly tone.

"Teh panas" i said.

"Ja, welche?" Again, in a not-so-friendly tone.

"Ah, ok. Schwarze" i said.

And then later she gave me Jasmine tea. Ok, its okay, not a big deal.

But the way she served us, unfortunately make us uncomfortable. As an Indonesian, i always told to be always kind, polite, and well mannered. Well thats why maybe Indonesians are popular with that kinda stereotype. I know that we are not in Indonesia, but at least every customer need to be well-served. I work in Gastronomy so i know what she did to us is simply unappropriate.

The food? Is amazing! Cant complain anything and they serve more than generous amount portion.

Thank you for the food, and thank you for nothing for...

As an Indonesian, this was my first time eating at this restaurant two days ago with my partner. We ordered Iga Bakar, Bebek Crispy, and Sate Ayam—all were superb! The sambals were rich, spicy, and authentically matched my Indonesian palate.

We also tried Batagor, which I was excited about since it’s a delicacy from my hometown. Unfortunately, it was quite disappointing. The fried fish dumplings and tofu weren't crispy, and the peanut sauce was too thick and heavy, lacking that fresh, zesty kick—especially the lime hint—that usually elevates the dish.

For dessert, we had Cendol. It wasn’t very fresh—possibly because we came during dinner time, but the coconut milk had clumped and didn’t taste fresh at all. Also, the drink options were quite limited.

What saved the experience were the Iga Bakar and Bebek Crispy. However, I must express my disappointment regarding the service. We were left standing at the entrance without being greeted or seated, so we had to find our own table. We felt rushed when ordering, and it was difficult to get the staff’s attention when we wanted to order more. As an Indonesian, I was hoping for the warm, friendly, and homey service we’re known for—but sadly, it wasn’t there.

I’ve read other reviews pointing out similar service issues. As a fellow saudara setanah air, I offer this feedback sincerely: please work on improving the hospitality aspect to truly reflect the Indonesian...

An Indonesian Customer Review: (I will list what I have tasted and if I remember, I will add more and edit.). Ayam Kremes 9.8/10. The sambal sauce is delicious, authentic. The chicken is rlly good on the outside and okay inside. a.) Sate/Satay (Goat) with PEANUT sauce is great 9.1/10. b.) Satay Goat with SOY KECAP MANIS sauce is not good nor authentic 3/10. Pangsit Mie Ayam (Chicken Wantan Noodle) 8,7/10: is so much better than in other Indonesian restaurants in Berlin (e.g.: Nusantara restaruant’s Mie Ayam tasted nothing like Mie Ayam, trash). Still Jawa’s could be better (I think it needs more of that “Mie Ayam Oil”). Gado-gado looks like a solid 8,2/10. It needs a bit more “lontong” (rice cake). Though “emping” (Melinjo Nut Chips) addition is superb. I might need to retry the Gado-gado and Rendang to rescore them. Rendang (Beef) is a solid 9/10. I am a Javanese (not Minang). And my judgement is purely based on the reason that it tastes reaaally good. If it’s authentic, yes to Warung Padang/Warteg level in Java island.

(NOTE: Personally, Sate/Satay and Rendang are my fav food ever but I be open-minded a bit since there are many variables like how the restaurant try to adjust the flavour to German taste, as well as the spices availability. My point is: If it tastes good, and close to the original, I’ll give the point for making me have a “suspension of...