Senayan area or the South is one of the areas in Jakarta with many good things to find. It’s not a surprise to find a gem here afterall, a restaurant/chophouse and a speakeasy bar which honestly is a very interesting concept that not many have explored. The Prohibition Chophouse and Speakeasy Bar is here to please people who appreciate finer things in life.
Located on the 2nd floor in Plaza Senayan Arcadia, this newly opened restaurant and bar is definitely a place you should visit, at the very least once. I was amazed with what they can offer. A classy dining experience, a place you can chill and drink, a venue you can go all out in blending with the gentlemen, and a secret bar that not everybody can get access to. Curious?
The idea of this unique establishment did come from the deep interest of the owner towards the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1933, when alcohol was illegal and banned from the country. This event turned out to secretly arise the number of secret bars where limited people can get access to it, in a hush hush type of situation. I think for modern days like this, it will really appeal many gentlemen who wish to indulge life with the company of cocktails, whiskeys and Cuban cigars, and to add more thrill, inside a hidden bar where you can access it via the “restroom”. Oh let me get back to you with that later.
Let’s start easy with the Chophouse restaurant.
The interior itself goes with the style of mid America in the 1920s and they really brings the classic vintage ambiance that will definitely remind you of the old time, something that you might see only in the movie. Oh, that only if you fancy movies like the Great Gatsby or Al Capone.
The bar itself looks exclusively awesome. There’s one trick on The Prohibition’s sleeve tho’. The wine or drinks display, can switch side/rotate to an ordinary “Prohibition” signboard, with just a single button. Fun! Everything in The Prohibition is secretive, always under camouflage. The kind of like “Oh there’s no wine or good booze here. Wait, the whole bar will rotate and show you limitless choices” or the kind of like, “Oh, it’s a nice postcard. On second thought, no it’s not, it’s a wine list”. In 1920s, it is necessary to do this to avoid them being caught by the lawmakers.
The Prohibition Chophouse serves an extensive selection of food with the concept known as “food fit for gangsters”, ranging from Prime steaks, fresh imported seafood to pastas. The cooking method that they proudly apply is broiling, and in case you are wondering, broiling is method of cooking directly under high heat. The broiler they use is a very expensive equipment, and it will guarantee you to have the best experience in enjoying steaks. Not only food, The Prohibition serves the classic Prohibition era cocktails and other unique concoctions.
When it comes to the Speakeasy Bar, they focus more on best selections of premium spirits, single mal whiskies and imported cigars, with the additional of tapas-like small food. This facility is exclusive for members only. The entrance is located at the back of The Prohibition Chophouse, with only a normal-looking steel door as the entrance. When opened, you will initially see it as a normal “male restroom”, until someone (could be you!) as the privileged member scans their fingerprints, then the real entrance, sort of an underground passage will open up. Just like a dungeon, it is dimly-lit, but passing a few rooms, it will lead you to the main attraction, the Speakeasy bar, where the live bands and DJs will spoil the gentle souls with swing jazz or where the glamour Burlesque and Cabaret shows tone up the mood on Saturday nights.
Meet the darkly-lit vintage restroom.
And meet the main area where the shows begin.
The private rooms are available for usage, for all members. The room is spacious and cozy with vintage details and gimmicks.
For your information, the Speakeasy offers exclusive memberships to select guests who enjoy bottle packages, their own personalized bottle lockers, and discounts on food and beverage. The other perks? Two private rooms for private usage.
The Prohibition Chophouse and Speakeasy Bar were thoroughly designed to be true to its root back there. If you ask me about my two-cents, I do love every detail of the corners, the rooms. The Prohibition Chophouse and the Speakeasy Bar are completely different, with their own vibe, their own unique atmosphere. It’s when I had finished the tour in the Speakeasy, I was brought back to The Prohibition and in a second and through a door, the atmosphere turned to a direct opposite. The glam and the exotic ambiance changed back to the calm and respectful restaurant. They’re like different realms. The camouflage is very well-executed. That’s the whole point right?
Let’s see what we had here.
Starting from the beverages, we met the brilliant head mixologist. After an introduction about his impressive background, we were given a few drinks he made which I didn’t try. Afterall, you know me, my body is highly intolerant towards alcohol, so I’ll leave it for the experts. ☺
One important thing to note is that even if there’s tons of selections for cocktails from the era for you to enjoy, it’s always back to one thing, customized drinks for patrons best experience. This was explained finely by the mixologist, that he understood about people different preferences towards cocktails. Some like it strong, some like it soft, citrusy. It comes back to you, and he listens.
# Mint Julep (IDR 90 k)
A toned down version of Mint Julep, which was surprisingly very good for me. It contained 0% alcohol (like I said, customized drinks, gentlemen!). It mostly had this dominant mint and citrusy taste. It reminded me of the refreshing Virgin Mojito. The serving cup was a bronze chalice that looked very classy.
# Whiskey Sour (IDR 120 k)
Like the name suggests, it’s sour. Yes, I took a sip out of curiosity. But the acidity turned out to be on the refreshing wake-up kind of level. I could taste a bit of bitterness at the edge of my lips, but it’s probably because I’m such a lousy drinker. My partner told me that it was very good actually.
# Naked Julep
I didn’t try and didn’t know what it tasted like. 🙂
Then we went the food, crafted by the brilliant executive chef, Olivier Guilmain. We talked a bit, briefly explained about some of the menus, and we were excited to see what they could offer.
# Cold Oyster’s – Fines de Claires Oysters – ½ dozen (IDR 425 k)
Served chilled with lemons, shallot vinegar & bread basket, these oysters were gorgeous. The freshness were pretty much undeniable. And when it entered my mouth, it almost felt like I could smell the sea. Yes, it’s that good. Oh remember this, fresh imported seafood comes every early Friday.
# Chicago Spicy Pumpkin Soup (IDR 55 k)
The soup that my fellow foodie ordered is this, the creamy pumpkin soup,which was served with pumpkin seeds and whipped cream. On the contrary to the explanation, we found that the texture was not creamy enough. I haven’t tried a lot of Pumpkin Soup yet, but I think that they could probably thicken the texture a bit to bring out the best of the flavor.
# Salmon Tartlet (IDR 75 k)
These little tartlets are consisted of smoked salmon, salmon gravlax, sour cream, chives and shallots. I personally loved every bit of the tartlets. The combination seemed just right. The savoury crusty tartlets, the smokey salmon, and the sour cream complemented each other perfectly. Well-done.
# Angel Hair – Scallops with Eggplant and Pesto Sauce (IDR 139 k)
As beautiful as it looked, the angel hair was perfectly cooked, al dente and it just went nicely in the mouth. The pesto sauce was light and earthy, and the scallops and eggplant did their part very well too. No complaints, happy belly.
# Papilote of The Sea (IDR 129 k)
As quoted from the menu book, the explanation for this unique dish is “Delicatessen of mixed seafood & vegetables with green butter, baked in a packet of pastry paper and it comes with Mash Potatoes or Angel Hair Pasta”. It was said that it bear a very close resemblance to our Indonesian “Pepes”, but when it showed up, it looked quite, hm, different. Like “Pepes”, it was wrapped under something for the process of cooking. But the similarity ends there. Taste-wise, it’s completely different. It was more hearty, simpler, with a nice hint of fine butter.
# Striploin 200 gr – Australian Wagyu (IDR 350 k)
This was definitely the main highlight for the evening. Since my partner doesn’t eat steak in a medium-rare doneness, we requested it medium-well instead. The striploin was nicely cooked under a broiler to our requested doneness. When cut, I could see a little bit of pink inside. It was very juicy, and it just blasted inside my mouth. The sauce was perfect as well, complementing the succulent meat perfectly well. But I couldn’t help but imagined that it would be a whole level of goodness when it was served medium rare. I’ll do that next time.
For the side, I ordered the recommended Creamed Spinach, and bang! It was so good, it changed my point of view towards that old boring popeye spinach.
# ABC – Apple, Banana, Cranberry Crumble (IDR 45 k)
We initially intended to try Sticky Toffee Pudding, but it was sold out. We went with the second choice, the ABC. Turned out that the Crumble was pretty good. But I just prefer the other one below. 😉
# CDC – Chocolate Devil Cake (IDR 45 k)
I wish they could name it Chocolate Gangster Cake, to coupe with the theme. But anyway, the chocolate cake was seriously good. If you love chocolate like I deeply do, you can imagine how good and bold the chocolate in it. Not to mention the dulche de leche caramel layer, which was lusciously there to enhance the whole chocolatey foodgasm.
All in all, my experience dining in here was positive. I loved the ambiance, the atmosphere, the design, the concept, and the food. Service was of course, impeccable during my visit. They are capable of making you comfortable, all spoiled and treated like a real high-class gangster, or perhaps, a true gentleman if you prefer. ☺
There are other menus that I didn’t try or put here, which might attract you. The Tuna and Foie Gras (IDR 119 k), New England Clam Chowder (IDR 69 k), Baked Escargot (IDR 79 k), Australian Lamb Cutlet 250 gr (IDR 349 k), and Pasta with Lobster with Tomato Fondue (IDR 219 k) are a few to name.
Prices for the mains start from IDR 65 k for Pastas to IDR 2350 k for Gangster Size dishes. While for the desserts, each choice is only IDR 45 k.
Give this place a try? Your call. I certainly think that this place holds a great potential to be huge someday soon.
The Prohibition Chophouse & Speakeasy Bar
Plaza Senayan Arcadia Units X215-217 (2nd Floor)
Jl. New Delhi No. 9, Pintu 1, Senayan
South Jakarta 10270
Phone: +62-21-5790129
