Baby spinach salad with parmesan cheese and dried spinach. (JP/Alvin D. Soedarjo)

Over the past two years, Shy, a chic modern French restaurant, has been carving out a reputation for itself in Kemang, South Jakarta, with its elegant bite-size dishes.

And for those who visit on the first Sunday of each month, a little surprise lies in store: the Shy Brunch menu.

The restaurant has been serving its brunch specials for about a year now, and each month the kitchen team attempts to invent one or two new dishes for the guests.

Shy recently invited The Jakarta Post to partake of the brunch, which comes in nine or five courses.

Those who show up hungry and with time to kill would probably opt for the nine course option. I thought nine courses was not going to be enough because the platters were oh-so-petite.

But I was wrong. The kitchen meticulously prepares each course to be light yet fulfilling.

Our nine courses opened with the Lime Granite with Sparkling Wine, which was sweet, clean and fresh. This will open your taste buds for the next two hours of gastronomical delights.

The second dish was the Baby Spinach Salad with Parmesan Cheese and Dried Tomato. Like a classical orchestra, the taste of each subsequent dish kept escalating.

The third act was the Bagel with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese. This might look humdrum but Shy takes great pains to knead its own dough and bake the sesame seed bagels in its own kitchen.

And as a sumptuous follow-up, Shy's Creamy White Onion Soup with Duck Bacon -- a dish that could have come from your own pan, only so much more tasty.

The soup exceeded all expectations. Shy's kitchen created the duck bacon from duck breasts. As the beer slogan says: it's "good 'til the last drop".

Shy's Herbed Scrambled Egg with White Asparagus and Smoked Butter is considered a staple dish at the restaurant because of its popularity. And it owes its presence on the brunch menu to the loud clamors from restaurant patrons. The asparagus is imported from France, which makes the dish that much more special.

The Slow Cooked Salmon with Tomato Antiboise and Herb Risotto might sound ordinary. But judging by the way they cook the glowing pink Norwegian salmon, the health factor should be good for almost anyone.

The last entree before the dessert was the Lemon Chicken with Zucchini and Black Olives.

For the eighth dish, Shy served the Cream of Wheat Pudding with Blueberry Compote, which they assure us is the French way of serving fruits. And we're certainly not going to argue with them.

The last plate was the Passion Fruit Tart with Vanilla Yogurt and Raspberries.

The five course option features only the bagel, onion soup, scrambled egg, lemon chicken and passion fruit tart.

Shy also offers a glass of Veuve Clicquot sparkling wine with the nine course option, or a glass of regular wine with the five course menu.

So what are the other choices of beverages to accompany the soulful courses? Shy recommends the Chocolate or Lychee Martini, which are both fantastic.

The Chocolate Martini has an authentic chocolate aroma and is made complete with a sliver of the dark stuff, while the Lychee Martini is quite possibly the best one in town (taste the real fruit in the bottom of the glass and you'll see what I mean, a staff member said).

Those looking for other drinks will be delighted to find a wide variety of aperitifs on Shy's long list of beverages.

All in all, the sumptuous monthly brunch experience is well worth the money, considering the quality of the food.

Chef Eelke Plasmeijer, who replaces outgoing executive chef Stephan Zeita, said Shy deliberately set out to make each course light.

"I'm not a heavy eater myself," he said.

"After eating here, you can still go to the gym."

And the Dutch chef was not kidding.

-- Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo

Shy

The Papilion 4th floor

Jl. Kemang Raya no 45AA

South Jakarta

(021) 719 9921

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