Take a Gastronomic Tour Around Indonesia at The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
With over 17,000 islands, Indonesia boasts of a diverse cuisine—with its many regions showcasing local flavors as well as influences from Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Penarakan, and Malay cooking. Indonesian food often has complex and rich flavors, and this can be attributed to the abundance of spices found in the archipelago (after all, they have the Spice Island, a.k.a. Mollucas). For a foodie with an adventurous palate, Indonesian cuisine is one that is very exciting to explore and discover.

This January 27 to February 9, experience a taste of Indonesia at Grand Hyatt Manila’s The Grand Kitchen, as Chef Untung Taurat cooks up specialties from his home country. Aiming to introduce Indonesian food to the local scene, the hotel’s chef de cuisine brings in the colors and flavors of regional Indonesian specialties to the Grand Kitchen’s buffet spread. For this special two-week promotion, expect familiar Indonesian dishes like rendang and nasi goreng as well as more intriguing fare like soto Betawi, bebek betutu, and Padang curries among the regular selections.

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
Chef Untung takes you from Jakarta and Bali to West Sumatra and North Sulawesi with his varied dishes. If you love ubiquitous Indonesian fare such as nasi—and miegoreng, then your taste buds will be delighted to find many other dishes at The Grand Kitchen, some of which you have probably never heard of. There’s so much to choose from that I almost didn’t want to try the nasi goreng (but of course, I still did, LOL).

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila

I learned from Chef Untung that the bumbu—or spice mix—is the base of Indonesian food. Similar to Indian curries, there are many types of bumbu; in Indonesia, there are 4 basic ones: white, red, yellow, and orange. They have almost the same spices and seasonings, with only little variations—i.e. coconut for white, red chilies for red, etc. Different dishes use different bumbus, of course.

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
I heaped my first plate with some nasi goreng, ayam goreng (fried chicken), vegetable lumpia, babi guling (suckling pig), and bebek betutu, a roasted duck cooked with garlic, turmeric, ginger, chili, kaffir lime, shrimp paste, nuts, and galangal. It’s incredibly popular in Ubud in Bali—and I was so happy to find it in the buffet! I also had some lawar ayam, another Balinese staple, a salad of minced chicken and green beans. And because I was able to try a Padang eatery in Bali, I got some of the beef rendang, gulai masin kepala ikan (Padang-style fish curry), and iga bakar rica-rica (beef ribs in a spicy sauce) as well. OMG they are heavenly (and authentic)!

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
If you love soups, you will find happiness with the delicious and fragrant soto Betawi—a traditional Jakarta noodle soup made of beef chunks and offal, cooked down in coconut milk and spices like lemongrass, turmeric, kaffir lime, and galangal, to name a few. At The Grand Kitchen, it comes topped with tofu, fried shallots, mushrooms, and tomatoes—giving another layer of flavor to the dish without ruining its essence. The bakso, on the other hand, is simple and comforting, with a light clear broth, noodles, beef balls, and vegetables.

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
Buffets exist so you can try a little bit of everything, and I highly recommend trying as much Indonesian food as you can. The semur lidah—braised ox tongue—is exceptional and melt-in-the-mouth, with hints of sweetness and heat. The gulai kambing (goat curry, Padang-style) has meat so soft it practically falls off the bone, while the bakwan jagung or corn fritters are spicy and addictive! To refresh your palate, eat some of the gado-gado which is a mixed vegetable salad served with peanut sauce and rice cakes (lontong), which somewhat resembles Cebu’s puso rice.

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
Desserts are not to be missed. The pisang goreng (banana fritters) are insanely good, with an extremely thin and light batter ensconcing sweet and surprisingly moist banana! When you dip it into the condensed milk (as is traditionally done in Indonesia), it makes every bite so much better. The kuih dadar—pandan crepe stuffed with dessicated coconut—is also good, but to be honest, I was so engrossed with the bananas to further appreciate, LOL.

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila
So, starting today until February 9, indulge in a delicious, exciting, and vibrant Indonesian feast at The Grand Kitchen in Grand Hyatt Manila. Take a gastronomic tour around Indonesia with Chef Untung’s authentic, homey, and delicious food. Buffet rates are at PhP1,906 for lunch and PhP2,200 for dinner (inclusive of taxes and service charge). Dinner includes free-flow wine and beer. Reserve your tables at +632-838-1234.


The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila

The Grand Kitchen, Grand Hyatt Manila



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The Grand Kitchen
2/F Grand Hyatt Manila, 8th Avenue cor. 35th St., Taguig City
+632.8838.1234
Breakfast: 6:30AM - 10:30AM; lunch: 12:00PM - 2:30PM; dinner: 6:00PM - 10:00PM
Budget: PhP2,000 up

Do you love Indonesian food? What is your favorite Indonesian dish?

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