Cheongdam Garden - Senopati — Restaurant in Jakarta

We have several korean restaurant options before we opted to this restaurant. Since this is our first time, we didn't know whether should we call for a reservation first or we could just walk in, so we try our luck and come here directly. As we expected, the receptionist asked us for a reservation, my bf said we're just walked in, she said politely to follow her inside and see if there were seats for us, as we checked all tables were full, and we thought we should find other restaurants but then one other staff approached us and said to follow her, we did and she took us to one private room and told us that's our table, she's explained to us that since we're in a private and closed room so we can't do all the grill because of the smokes, the staff will do it instead, we both had no problem with that. Since this was our first time, the staff was very helpful, and informative, she informed us about menus that we can ordered, also about the soju promo which of course we ordered. So we're ordered some meats, I forgot the name, octopus and dumpling fried. As we waited for our foods, others staff brought in some side dishes, we refused it at first because we didn't order it but she said the side dishes were already included in the menu and the best part was it's refillable. We had speechless moment when we ate the meats, because it's very very delicious, luscious, and scrumptious, beyond our expectation, the meat was so soft and tender, and easy to chew. The octopus and dumplings also tasty and savory. I had a little embarrassing moment after I drank my second or third soju, because I felt dizzy and seems the world was spinning, my bf laughed at me and told me to stop drink it and drink tea instead. He finished the sojus and seems just fine. We were so impressed with the meat that we ordered it again but different kind of meat, based on staff recommendation, and the taste also made us speechless It was a great and awesome moment, the place, the foods, the drinks, and the staffs treated us very special like a VIP and very polite, knocking our door first before entering the room. I like the spoon and the chopsticks because it's very rare and unique, I'm kinda disappointed though I'm not allowed to take or buy them, and still curious till now...

In my opinion, Cheongdam Garden is one of the best Korean Restaurants in Jakarta. They serve the great quality of food and even their side dishes are so so so greattt! I like how they served in friendly manner, and they also have Bekseju (the healthier version of Soju, I'm told), which quite rare for other Korean Restaurants to provide. I ordered:

Marinated Grilled Chuck Flap Tail IDR 385K - 7/10 Actually I expected more than what I rated. But hey it’s an honest review. This large primal comes from the shoulder area and yields cuts known for their rich beefy flavored and it’s finely textured. Well, it’s a bit hard to chew, and not as juicy as it supposed to

Marinated Grilled US Prime Short Ribs IDR 325K - 8.5/10 The flavor was great and juicy. It’s perfect for making Ssam (쌈 - meaning “wrapped”), lettuce, mint leaf, meat, garlic, and paste. Every bite was so amazing for me. Couldn’t stop eating this one

Bukeo Kongnamul Gukbab (Bean Sprout soup with Dried Pollock) IDR 115K - 8.5/10 Tasted so good and felt like your grandma cooked for you. I’m told by my Korean friend, it is known for hangover soup

Son Kalguksu (Korean Style Noodle Stew) IDR 99K - 9/10 Love the texture and how chewy their homemade noodle.

Bekseju (IDR 200K) - 8/10 “Healthier” version of soju my Korean friend said. It’s a subtly sweet drink with a distinctive herbaceous character. Love how smooth the texture when it touched your tongue and it’s perfect for Korean BBQ. Only 13% ABV.

They let us used the private room without minimum charge. Oo you might want to take a taxi rather than drive your car, as their parking space is not spacious and would be hard to find a spot somehow.

Overall, I loved every second I spent in here and I will be back for sure whenever I miss...

Perhaps one of my top favorites when it comes to Korean BBq in this bussling town of Jakarta. There are PLENTY of options in the city, and many of them are amazing. So Cheongdam Garden is no exception. It is as great as advertised and as pleasantly delightful as the word of the streets says.

Every order of the meats was flavorful, mouthwatering, and leaves you wanting more and more. From the beef options to the pork options, no meat was just so-so. Every single one exceeded my expectations. But if I were to pick a favorite, my personal preference was the marinated options. It adds an extra BOOM to the already amazing texture of the meats.

Other than the meats, the japchae and the soups and even the banchan they give at the beginning were great! I loved the fish cake that they keep refilling over and over again. I also loved the chewy texture of the noodles in their kalguksu.

The pajeon was just alright. The first time I came I tried the seafood pajeon and it was just okay. I was then recommended to order the bulgogi pajeon, but then it was still just okay. I like my pajeons crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, but would rather err on the crispy side. The pajeon in cheongdam garden were all kinda soft and soggy and doesn't provide a good satisfying crunch in every bite. The cheese they put on top made it even worse. So I would not recommend getting any of their pajeon options.

But despite their disastrous pajeons, everything...