A few weeks ago, my husband and I made an appointment with a friend to visit our mutual friend. We met at a restaurant near her house. It’s in Jalan Haji Nawi, South Jakarta.
The restaurant is called Little Japan. From the outside, it looks like some of the classic food stalls in Japanese films or anime. It consists of two parts: indoor and outdoor. We decided to meet and have a quick meal in the outdoor area.
The Decoration
This restaurant is actually a combination of three small restaurants located next to each other. One of the restaurants has an outdoor area on the second floor. This area is decorated in such a way that it looks like a garden in Japan.
In the middle of the garden are placed a Sakura tree and a red-arched bridge, typical of Japan.
The dining area is divided into two parts; some use chairs, some use tatami.
At first glance, this outdoor area does look like a beautiful garden in Japan. But if you pay attention, the garden is not really that beautiful. To be honest, it looks a little bit messy.
In the middle of the area, under the bridge, there is a shallow pool, but no water. It looks like they're trying hard to decorate the place Japan-style on a budget. Nice try anyway.
The Food & Beverage
Since we were only there for a short time (our main destination was our friend's house), we only ate snacks from what was available on the menu. We ordered takoyaki and gyoza.
Once the food came, the appearance of the food to me was less appetizing. Likewise with the taste, it was unsatisfactory.
The takoyaki I ordered was overcooked. The texture was a bit hard and crispy, not soft at all. The taste was so so. Sorry to say, but the takoyaki I've bought at street vendors looks more appealing and tastes better than this.
The gyoza is not impressed me as well. The texture is not soft and the taste is a bit too salty and oily.
For drinks, we ordered mango tea. We were disappointed that the drinks were served in plastic cups. We thought drinks would be served in glasses or something to suit the restaurant's theme.
The Price
The price of takoyaki is 22K IDR (ca. 1.5 USD), gyoza is 32K IDR (ca. 2.2 USD), and mango tea is 17K IDR (ca. 1.1 USD). I think it's too pricey for snacks with an unsatisfactory taste. That price is not a problem if the food is good.
I knew about Little Japan restaurant from someone's Instagram. When I saw the video reel, it looks like a fun place and the food looks good. But since the location is far from my house, I didn't think about going there.
When we happened to go near that place, I wanted to go to the restaurant to see the place, what the food was like, and to take photos. Turns out, Little Japan didn't really impress me.
The place is good to take pictures, but there's not much to see. If it's not tidied up or updated, people might get bored with the decoration.
I wasn't satisfied with the food and didn't feel curious about trying other menus. If I'm in the area again, Little Japan isn't my first choice. I'll probably look for another restaurant.
Thanks for dropping by. Have a nice day!
All pictures are mine, taken with Redmi Note 10s