The meeting of Rachel Tjahja and Ryan Kim saw two culinary cultures collide. Having met in Sydney, the two chefs have created SU MA Restaurant here in Jakarta, where they have found a way to unite their cultural backgrounds and present a fusion of their respective countries’ dishes with style and finesse.
SU MA is nestled on the second floor of a newly established building designed by renowned architect, Andra Martin. Its all-white, modern and minimalistic façade seeks immediate attention from passersby, standing out from the sea of buildings that surround it. Inside, the restaurant presents a contemporary Japanese interior, with sleek wooden beams above dark tables, to which at the other end of the room stands a naked kitchen— where guests can see the chefs preparing their course menus for the night. The entire restaurant is made up of one main dining area with only 22 pax seating and two VIP rooms.
SU MA’s dining experience is centred on two available tasting menus, Experience Vol.1 (7-courses) and Chef’s Seasonal Menu Vol.1 (10-courses). This is where the two chefs showcase their individual backgrounds: Chef Rachel Tjahja, a Chinese-Indonesian chef with experience running kitchens in five-star hotels and private dining establishments; and Chef Ryan Kim, a Korean pastry chef whose work has taken him from Australia to Indonesia, where he opened Fragments, a Korean influenced pasty shop in Jakarta.
The tasting menu thus incorporates Chef Rachel’s Chinese-Indonesian culinary elements, from chrysanthemum to sonkit—the ingredients used to create a remarkable dish with both Japanese and Korean cuisines. A star dish is her ‘Nasi Goreng Encore’, where she takes all the leftover ingredients and mixes them with rice and chilli oil, turning scraps into a whole new tantalising dish. Chef Ryan as the head pastry chef of SU MA also showcases his culinary background and skills by experimenting with ingredients that pay homage to his home. From Omija to Nurungji, a freshly put-together dessert infused with Korean heritage for the palates of us locals in Indonesia.
At SU MA guests will experience delectable tasting menus that celebrate the diversity of Asian cuisines, from the Far East to the South East, an ode from the chefs for their cultural roots and culinary backgrounds. Experiences are available from Thursday to Sunday and seatings begin at 5.30pm.
SU MA Restaurant
Jl. Sultan Hasanudin No. 74, Melawai
+62 822-1017-5433
