Juliette The Selfish, a restaurant in Bogor, West Java, seeks to provide the city’s most romantic night out.

As a restaurateur, 26-year-old Adwin Suhanda loves food. But more importantly, he loves love itself.

On Jan. 26, 2021, the marriage of the two biggest loves of Adwin's life resulted in a child named Juliette The Selfish, a restaurant in Bogor, West Java.

"When you make something, you have to think as if it were meant for somebody you love," said the Bogor native on July 21.

"And when it comes to the people that we love, surely we wish for nothing but the best for them. That's why we dare to take it beyond, to go the extra mile. We want everyone who dines here to experience all the joy there is to offer – the food, the services, the interior and the other details."

Located on Jl. Achmad Adnawijaya in the northern part of the city, the restaurant has styled itself as a fine dining inn that blends elevated fusion cuisine with whimsical fantasy.

It's a date!: Juliette The Selfish is located in Bogor, West Java, and opened its doors to customers in January of last year. (JP/Felix Martua) (JP/Felix Martua)

Letters to Juliet

Adwin's enterprise began a couple of years ago. His family had decided to close their Thai eatery, which had been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The young restaurateur, who had recently obtained his bachelor's degree in business management from Parahyangan Catholic University, felt compelled to "try something different" and start a culinary venture of his own.

"To be honest, I felt terribly reluctant to work at my family's Thai eatery. However, once I started Juliette The Selfish, I did things from scratch, including the concept, menu and design. And that was when that feeling of engrossment popped up. Like, 'Oh, so this is what the world of food and beverages looks like!'" Adwin said.

In the early planning stages, he determined, despite what most aspiring restaurateurs might assume, that the restaurant’s concept should take priority over its menu. After taking some advice from a professional design consultant, he settled on an idea. He would open a restaurant that appeared to be the home of a fictional character of his own making.

Specifically, it would be the home of an elderly yet adventurous woman named Juliette.

"Someone used to live here. Her name was Juliette. She was a grandma in her sixties. She loved gardening, collecting antiques and making home-cooked meals for her children," he said, explaining the fictional character of his own creation.

The storytellers: Juliette The Selfish's key players are chef Ryo Nakamura (left), founder Adwin Suhanda (center) and operational manager Nanang (right). (JP/Felix Martua) (JP/Felix Martua)

He also came up with a storybook for diners to read. It tells a fictional history of the building where Juliette The Selfish is located. The interior design of the restaurant, of course, emulates the fictitious historical transformation.

"We figured that, back in 1921, this building was an armory. Then, in 1938, it became a civilian's house. Then, it became a paint factory. Afterwards, it was purchased by Juliette's family. So this place is a part of her childhood as well," he continued. 

"I could reveal more details about it, actually. We designed these walls based on that history."

Adwin has used small design details to tell the story. For instance, the wall that represents Juliette's childhood years is plastered with finger-painted flowers.

"Juliette loved to paint. She saw this wall as her canvas, and she would just paint whatever she wanted," he noted.

Adwin determined that, of her many character traits, Juliette should be celebrated for her so-called selfishness. Be that as it may, she was by no means a self-absorbed egoist.

"She was old, so that means she had experienced a lot in her life. She had been to Europe, and she once lived in Asia as well. She had been through a lot and, considering her seasoned age, she decided that she wanted to build a place that she wanted, a place that she enjoyed. And she wanted the others to feel the same joy as well."

Despite what Juliette The Selfish's patrons often assumed, Adwin said, the restaurant’s concept had nothing to do with the ill-fated heroine of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Old romance

The food itself is best described as a fusion between Asian and European cuisine, or, as Adwin put it, “The home-cooked meals that Juliette loved to make”.

"When I came up with the menu, I wondered what kind of food Juliette loved. Would she eat beef? Would she eat fish? Did she also love gardening? If so, what would she have grown?" he said.

The restaurant's signature “Juliette's Salad” has proven to be a favorite. It consists of cherry tomatoes, lettuce, ricotta cheese, fruit and the restaurant's so-called “special dressing”. 

Adwin also recommended the nori cream pasta — a Japanese-style creamy seaweed pasta — paired with a cool “summer pineapple” mocktail.

For diners who prefer a stronger beverage for a hot day, the alcoholic lemon sour is a must-try.

Sweet evening: Juliette The Selfish's signature chocolate cake is among diners' favorite desserts. (JP/Felix Martua) (JP/Felix Martua)

Adwin noted that Juliette The Selfish was more catered to "women around 25 to 40 years old. Not that old, but not that young, either. Women who are also interested in vintage stuff".

Ultimately, Adwin aims to make Juliette The Selfish the city's go-to date spot. Besides single women and their friends, the restaurant also caters to couples seeking a romantic night out. For a date night, he recommended “Juliette's Bistecca”, a shareable plate of Australian wagyu steak with fried potatoes, complemented with a glass of the restaurant's house red wine.

To end the night on a sweeter note, Adwin recommended that diners try the restaurant's chocolate cake, paired with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberry slices.

Melida, a 32-year-old professional and one of the restaurant's regulars, praised Juliette The Selfish's "vintage" and "Instagrammable" vibes. She also appreciated the live music performances that often took place on the weekends.

"The vintage quality makes the restaurant feel so elegant, classy, and it feels like you are in a grandma's house. It's so warm and intimate. Also, every corner is so Instagrammable – even the restroom is gorgeous! Perfect for ladies who like to snap some pics," she said.