Jakarta is already a city with a serious dining scene. From bustling street stalls and food courts to high-end restaurants and bars, the capital’s culinary offering is vast and diverse. Yet while individual venues often shine on their own, the city as a whole has yet to make the leap into being recognised as a global dining destination.
Our Southeast Asian neighbours have successfully marketed themselves as food destinations, like Bangkok or Singapore; Penang is said to be up-and-coming, building upon their reputation as a heritage food destination with an evolving contemporary dining scene. So, what’s the secret sauce?
Well, according to restaurateur and food writer, Kevindra Soemantri, it’s more of a complex recipe with a long list of ingredients, and two separate but complementary components need to be prepared.
“There are the intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The intrinsic covers the dining ecosystem itself, the balance between street food, mid-range establishments, and fine dining that gives a city its identity. The extrinsic comes from outside: government support, accessibility, international promotion, and public-private collaboration,” says the author of ‘Jakarta: A Dining History’, determined to see Indonesia get recognised for its culinary prowess.
The intrinsic factors have arguably been met, with the many layers of Jakarta’s food scene offering a rich potpourri of local eateries, great cafés to cosmopolitan hotspots. However Kevindra points out a need to shift perspective: “We are always inward-looking, focused on pleasing the domestic market.” He says to achieve recognition from abroad, the market must consider how to please international visitors too.
The upmarket venues already have this mindset, but the informal sector needs to catch up. This is where standardisation is key, like Singapore’s hawker stalls who must meet certain hygiene standards but remain an authentic experience, accessible to local and international visitors alike. From Thailand to Tokyo, street food is a draw, offering more confidence than our kaki lima and pecel lele warungs.
Next come the extrinsic factors, outside of the control of the dining ecosystem. Everyone knows that accessibility and connectivity are major challenges, continuing to hinder Jakarta’s reputation as an ‘enjoyable’ destination. But traffic aside, Kevindra notes other initiatives that can improve engagement with the industry: clear zoning, integration with tourist routes, and practical tools such as maps, guides, and digital platforms can make navigating the food scene easier. Printed guides still play a role here, distributed through hotels and airports.
Walking the talk, Kevindra’s food-focused media, Feastin’, recently published a printed Blok-M food guide to raise awareness of the area’s culinary developments and spotlight its distinct experience. And Jakarta has many districts worthy of their own guidebook (as we touch upon in the following feature).
(Food Writer, Restaurateur, Co-Founder of Feastin’)
With the foundations laid, we’re then ready to market. “What we need is a catalyst, an umbrella framework that everyone is pursuing together,” he adds, sharing examples of city government-led initiatives like Melbourne’s Food and Wine Festival or Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Wine and Dine events have become international magnets. Such events create media attention, international awareness, and pride among locals.
Awards are another catalyst, with internationally recognised bodies like Guide Michelin, 50 Best or Gault&Millau spotlighting excellence within the city. Even just one superb venue can have positive ripple effects, changing perceptions of the entire city. Recently, four Jakarta venues were recognised in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 – Modernhaus, The St. Regis Bar, Carrots Bar, and Cosmo Pony – bringing well-deserved attention to Jakarta’s bar scene.
Introducing Wonderful Indonesia Gourmet
In the past, the Ministry of Tourism’s culinary efforts centred largely on promoting Indonesian cuisine itself, an important step in shaping the nation’s food identity on the world stage. Wonderful Indonesia Gourmet, however, marks a shift in strategy.
Launched under Minister of Tourism Ibu Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and developed with leading dining industry professionals, including Kevindra, this new programme is designed to draw global attention to Indonesia’s increasingly sophisticated dining scene. Rather than focusing solely on traditional cuisine, Wonderful Indonesia Gourmet highlights the country’s upmarket restaurants and culinary experiences — positioning them as part of the nation’s wider tourism offering.
At its core, the initiative recognises the close relationship between dining and travel. By spotlighting refined venues and gourmet experiences, it seeks not only to elevate Indonesia’s international culinary reputation but also to drive quality tourism to regions already delivering a world-class experience.
In line with Kevindra’s points on creating a unified umbrella, Wonderful Indonesia Gourmet sets out to present the industry through a single narrative, creating a platform for media, experiences, and events that amplify the work already being done by the dining community.
The programme’s first initiatives will run from 25 September to 1 October 2025, beginning in Indonesia’s two most established dining markets, Jakarta and Bali. Both destinations will serve as launchpads, capitalising on their reputations as international gateways.
Across the week, Wonderful Indonesia Gourmet will activate several touch points: an international media familiarisation trip introducing leading journalists to star venues and local brands; an industry-focused talk show and public artisan market in Bali; and the launch of the country’s first-ever Restaurant Week, in partnership with Mastercard Indonesia, spanning both regions as a promotional driver for the industry.
By bridging international media exposure with domestic participation, the programme is designed to act as the much-needed catalyst, positioning Indonesia’s dining scene firmly on the global stage.
Stay tuned for updates ahead of the late September launch, and follow @indonesia.gourmet on Instagram for the latest news.
