Traditionally, a Japanese restaurant is not what you would think of when hearing about the three wise monkeys. You’d probably think of the classic proverbs “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”—or the WhatsApp emojis 🙊🙉🙈 . Now you’re going to have another thing to think about: a Japanese restaurant and bar at Senopati area, Jakarta.

3 Wise Monkeys boasts a cool, laid-back vibe that encourages people to sit down just a little longer. The huge windows let in plenty of light in the afternoon, perfect for photo enthusiasts. Expect open-ceiling design, gorgeous hanging lights, monkey decorations, and randomly placed blue chairs that pop out nicely against the white walls.

The decoration reminds us of those minimalistic-modern type restaurants that are spreading rampantly around Jakarta. Simple furniture, cement flooring, and wooden floor make us feel pleasant sitting for hours. Leaving out the toilet’s condition (yes, they seriously need to renovate the toilet soon), the restaurant is overall quite comfy. If you choose to sit on the second floor, you can see people’s activities on the first floor through the void—in our case, there is a loud birthday party!

Japanese food lovers would surely love coming to 3 Wise Monkeys! The restaurant serves a long list of classic sushi and innovative rolls options—and overall they’re quite yummy. One thing we’d like to note is 3 Wise Monkeys’ wasabi is not too strong, perhaps they are using wasabi powder?

Chawan Mushi (IDR 35k)

3 Wise Monkeys’ Chawan Mushi is definitely one of the best we’ve had in Jakarta. The steamed egg custard is seasoned perfectly, giving a smooth texture and savoury flavour that complements other ingredients—salmon roe, shrimp, mushrooms—beautifully. Two thumbs up!

Salmon Lava (IDR 58k)

Whoever loves salmon would surely love Salmon Lava! *raising our own hands enthusiastically*

Tuna Avocado Tartar (IDR 68k)

Tuna Avocado Tartar dishes up diced maguro slices mixed with tangy tartar sauce. We really like the freshness and slight acidity of this dish, although the pungent tartar sauce is admittedly not for everyone’s palate. 

Aburi Salmon Truffle (IDR 55k)

Oishii! Love this dish! The salmon is fresh and the creamy mayo on top gives a little heat.

3 Wise Monkeys Special Roll (IDR 72k)

True to its name, this roll is among 3 Wise Monkeys’ signature dishes. We really like how the salmon, kani stick, and mayo blends inside our mouth. Yum!

Salmon Skin Roll (IDR 40k)

Although we’re a bit unsure about this dish at first—the presentation is a bit messy, to be honest—it turns out okay! The salmon skin is fried nicely, giving a satisfying crunch that you can hear when you bite the sushi! 

Matcha Shiratama Parfait (IDR 45k)

While matcha and ogura (red beans) are quintessential Japanese dessert ingredients and should be a recipe for foolproof deliciousness, we have to say that this particular dish has a couple of shortcomings. The dish is as pretty as a picture—the green matcha ice cream contrasts beautifully with the red jellies, and the pocky sticks are so darn cute—but it’s kinda small for the price. And the red beans could be sweeter? Perhaps this is a bad batch of red beans. Oh well.

As it’s too early for sake, we decide to try a glass of iced latte and some of 3 Wise Monkeys’ mocktails: Kiwi Mocktail, Ganbatee, and Lychee Mocktail. The mocktails taste general, but quite refreshing indeed. Iced Latte is what you would expect of coffees in a Japanese restaurant, not too strong.

Latte (IDR 35k)

Kiwi Mocktail (IDR 40k)

Fresh kiwi, lemon juice, kiwi syrup, sprite

Ganbatee (IDR 40k)

Banana, orange juice, fresh lime juice, vanilla syrup

Ganbatee in Japanese means semangat, so we believe this drink should give you that extra oomph to get through the day. It doesn’t. The sliced banana is too ripe and thus has gone too soft, which is a shame because the combination with other ingredients is actually pretty nice.

Lychee Mocktail (IDR 40k)

3 Wise Monkeys has become one of our favourite sushi places in town! Although the service could have been better (the staffs are quite slow and can’t remember our order right; but then again perhaps they’re understaffed because of the huge birthday party on the first floor), we have hopes that it’s going to improve. We’ll be back!

Don’t you people agree with me that one of the greatest God’s gifts to the world is all you can eat restaurant (AYCE)? Especially one that serves high-quality meat that would satisfy even the pickiest carnivores. One that is also somewhat healthier, as it mainly serves shabu-shabu and not barbecued meat. Say hello to Shabu Ghin, Senopati area’s latest shabu shabu joint. 

Social media savvies most likely have seen a picture of cute-looking pandas on a plate of curry, or intriguing churros with chocolate inside a syringe. Those two dishes belong to Itadakimasu, one of the hottest restaurants in Pantai Indah Kapuk area. They look extremely cute that we can’t help but hopping on a car and visiting the restaurant as soon as possible. After all, what could go wrong when pandas are involved? A lot of things, apparently.

The food scene in Jakarta these days reminds me of something Heidi Klum always says on every episode of the ’Project Runway’: one day you’re in, the next day you’re out. It seems that only a while ago one of my favourite restaurants in Grand Indonesia, Waraku, went out of business. And now, no more than a couple of months later, another Japanese restaurant - Itacho Sushi - has taken its location! Itacho Sushi is a chain sushi restaurant who has gained success in some Asian countries.