IDN: Gandy Steak House

Truly aromatic bread from its own bakery to kickstart the steak dinner~

A Western style restaurant that has stood the test of time, Gandy Steak House has been around since the 1980s. Honestly, I can't remember when was the last time I went there prior to my recent trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, but the experience has literally left an indelible mark on my forearm that accidentally landed itself on the bull-shaped hotplate.

To my knowledge, there's live song and music performance on some of the days in a week. Pika's advice: You can request for Indonesian and English songs. The person also knows how to sing popular Chinese songs, it seems.

Bread

The highlight of every meal at the restaurant, tried and tested by many, would be the complimentary bread served with salted butter. As the restaurant has got its own bakery, you'd expect no less than a piece of freshly baked bread. True enough, the bread that I got that evening was warm and highly fragrant. Firm on the outside, yet soft and airy on the inside, it was truly memorable.

Onion Rings Rp 25,000 (~S$2.60)

Taste: 8/10

The breaded onion rings were deep-fried well. Encased in each crunchy golden brown batter was a pretty thick slice of onion that retained its natural sweetness. However, while the BBQ sauce had quite a nice smoky aroma, it was somewhat too runny for my liking.

Gandy Seafood Platter Rp 90,000 (~S$9.30)

Taste: 7/10

Served on the hotplate was a huge slice of breaded fish fillet, three medium-sized prawns and their two little friends: juicy button mushrooms. While the fish was moderately succulent, the prawns weren't particularly so, although they weren't that dry either. Also, I felt that there could be more of the butter sauce.

Gandy Steak Combination Rp 91,000 (~S$9.40)

Taste: 7.5/10

Can't decide whether to have beef or chicken? This dish is for you. The red meat, which happened to be cooked just slightly more than my order of medium, was still adequately tender and juicy. The breaded chicken breast was firm, but not tough. It could've been deep-fried shorter to retain more moisture. Gandy's brown sauce, as always, isn't really bursting with flavours as it's made with the idea of keeping the dish moist without masking the true flavours of the meat.

Steak Accompaniments

That evening, I could tell that the restaurant wasn't using frozen vegetables. The fries weren't seasoned, so I added a bit of salt on my own from the shaker provided on the table. What's interesting is the fact that there's always an Indonesian element of pickled shallots and green chilis whenever one dines at the restaurant. Am I supposed to eat them with my steak? Hmm...

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 7.5/10

Service: 7.5/10

Overall: 7.5/10

While the food wasn't exactly in a class by itself, it was decent for sure. More importantly, it was nostalgia at its best, I must say.

As a bonus, here's a view from the hotel I was staying at. Do wait for the next review to know which hotel. :)

Gandy Steak House

Jalan Hayam Wuruk No. 73

Jakarta

Indonesia

(Daily: 10.00am - 10.00pm)

*Prices quoted are subject to 8% service charge and 10% VAT.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)