Akane at Crowne Plaza

In a desperate search for authentic Japanese food (since my past favorite restaurant had closed down), my mom came across this restaurant, Akane. Apparently Akane is located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just right next to my mom's office. Coincidence coincidence, eh?

Anyways, let's take a look at the restaurant entrance.

The most gorgeous bit from the entire restaurant's interior:

On to the food! So before we start reviewing, I am going to tell you some details. I ordered the lunch set special, priced at Rp. 89k. This lunch set includes one starter, choices of various dishes for the main course, and dessert. It's a pretty good deal, in my opinion. Just like what the name had stated, this deal is only available at lunchtime, 7 days a week.

First, the starter...

 Chawan Mushi (included in the Lunch Set Special)

Placed in an adorable, mini (but not too mini) greenish-brown, clay bowl, this Chawan Mushi is smooth and light. With seasonings that did not overpower the texture and taste of the egg, in addition to the smoky scent of the shitake mushroom, it is a starter that can really enhance your appetite.

Next, the main course..

 Main Course (included in the Lunch Set Special)

So for the main course, we get to pick three choices of dishes ranging from meat, vegetables, tofu, even street snacks like takoyaki! You also get to choose your carbohydrate. Choices include california rolls and rice topped with various ingredients. For my dishes I picked agedashi tofu (top left), beef steak (bottom left) and salmon sashimi (bottom middle). For the carbohydrate I chose rice topped with miso paste, shitake mushrooms and preserved vegetables (top right). Pickled vegetables, a plate of potato salad and a bowl of clear soup with shredded chicken were also given as complements. This is going to be a lengthy review, recounting the number of components present in the main course but oh well. Here goes.

1. Agedashi Tofu - Unlike any other agedashi tofus I've ever tasted, the white tofu inside the coat has a taste! the shoyu seeps inside the tofu, and well, it's a plus point.

2. Beef Steak - Not as tender as I expected it to be, but it is still very enjoyable. The marinade really worked it's way to the beef. I recommend choosing this.

3. Salmon Sashimi - Holy moly! Those are thick slices of absolute freshness!

4. Potato Salad - Light and creamy at the same time, with huge accents of tangy.

5. Miso Rice with Shitake and Preserved Greens - Best bit from the main course. Generous in the miso paste, it complements perfectly with the salty and smoky shitake mushrooms and preserved greens. I could eat this dish alone, if I had to.

Another one of the main course..

Mix Kamameshi, Rp. 110k

This dish is not included in the lunch set specials, but it comes with a plate of salmon, tuna and yellow tail sashimi. The kamameshi is uh-may-zing! Every grain of rice was coated with tasty sauce, which I suspect to be composed of broth. Just to make this even better, the kamameshi was topped with chunks scallops, shrimps, salmon, fishballs, chicken and shitake mushrooms. The sashimi platter was also fresh, it can please the tongue of anyone who's a fan of sashimi. Highly recommended. 

Lastly, dessert!

Coffee Jelly and Cream (included in the Lunch Special Set)

When they said it's a coffee jelly, they meant it! It's not at all sweet, but it's not too bitter either. Adding the cream on top softened the bitterness though, and it reminded me of regular coffee (caffè

 americano and a creamer, does that ring a bell?). The jelly had a nice texture too.

Oh yeah, ocha was served without charge! Now, with a deal as awesome as the Lunch Special and free-flow green tea without charge, who can say no to this place? Here's a pic of the green tea:

Why is it so green? It's because they use actual matcha powder for every glass of green tea! The refill, however, did not contain too much of the powder.

All in all, I rate Akane 4 stars out of 5. Good food, affordable price and great deals - I'd be stoned if I gave it any stars fewer. Go check out this place, it's perfect for those who holds fondness of traditional Japanese cuisine. I must warn you though, their service isn't the best and you might have to wait in line, but it's all worth it ;) 

Akane

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Level 1

Jl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 2-3

Jakarta Selatan