Orange soufflé crepe JP/Triwik Kurniasari

Clad in black pants and a white shirt with a pair of black suspenders and a red band on his right arm, a man smiled and greeted us warmly as we entered Lobo, the new restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jakarta.

Unlike other employees at the hotel that have a name tags on their uniform, there was no name tag on his shirt.

He introduced himself and led The Jakarta Post to a soft comfy sofa with cushion pillows next to a big window. Later, the man handed out a menu and offered us a drink to start.

The man's costume looked casual and trendy, quite different from the usual stiff hotel service.

Located on the lobby level of the hotel, Lobo offers a premium and stylish dining experience.

The new dining place has replaced the classic Lobby Lounge and also puts together the hotel's Prime Steakhouse and Portovenere, the Italian restaurant.

The opening of Lobo also marks the hotel's strong commitment to providing excellent service to its customers. The hotel has only been back in business for two weeks after the shocking terrorist attack that destroyed the Airlangga, the popular hotel restaurant, on July 17.

Beginning operation on Aug. 1, Lobo is divided into three areas: a bar-lounge, a well-designed wine cellar offering an attractive setting to every wine and cocktail lover, and a restaurant where guests can enjoy sophisticated menus.

Lobo's stylish bar and lounge has a sophisticated and large selection of hip molecular cocktails, favorite wines, and an inspiring snack menu, including fusion tapas, mezze and modern Asian comfort food.

Three private dining sections with a capacity of eight to 10 people are also available for guests who want an intimate dining experience.

Want a more relaxing atmosphere? You can sip your drink, enjoy your meal and have a chit-chat with your friends or colleagues on cozy-red sofas under the restaurant's canvas-tented terrace. At night, alfresco dining offers even better ambience as it is decorated with dim lighting. Guests can also enjoy the view of the city while enjoying their meal.

The terrace, which is also designed for smokers, can accommodate about 32 people.

Elegant colors like deep burgundy, red, gold and black dominate the restaurant's interior.

The menu itself invites a fusion twist of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, dishing up a selection of signature Italian and steakhouse creations from mouth-watering east-meets-west appetizers to delectable mains, said Vincent J. Billiard, the executive assistant manager of food and beverage.

You can start your dining experience in Lobo by sipping refreshing drinks and cocktails, like Sexy Red Vojito (a mix of vodka, soda, fresh watermelon and fresh lime) or Love and Passion (vodka, soda, passion fruit and orange).

If it is too early to drink alcohol, you can just order a mocktail or a soft drink.

The menu itself has unique names for the different kinds of menu. For example, the "what's up" and "why not" menus have a range of appetizers, from tomato with mozzarella, prawn and avocado to Caesar salad and oriental chicken salad. If you want to have a bowl of soup, you can order it from the "let's sip" list. The choices include French onion soup, miso and clam soup.

After enjoying the appetizer, you can try "making out". Don't get the wrong idea - it is just the name of the restaurant's main course menu. The menu basically combines two meats in one dish.

For meat lovers, you can try tenderloin/prawn or rib-eye/prawn, while seafood fans can feast on the salmon/prawn combination.

Crazy for Italian food? You can go for "Italian job", which has a number of Italian cuisines to choose from, including mushroom risotto, spaghetti aglio with oilo and peperoncino, penne arabiata and gnocchi in tomato sauce.

"Pizza mania" offers delicious recipes created by Lobo's very own chef Mariano Liuzza. Try the Lobo pizza with fried capers and anchovy. The anchovy and cheese pizza really melts in the mouth.

If you need some red meat and fresh vegetables on your pizza, the "rustica" with cured ham and rucola is a good choice.

As time runs out, your plate and glass might start to get empty, but don't leave your seat in a hurry.

Lobo's desserts are a must. Once you order the sweet food, the waitress will give you a kind of treasury box, which contains eight cards with the pictures and name of the desserts on each of them.

Chocoholics will be overjoyed with the chocolate fondant, or you can taste the freshness of fruits in the apple tart (served with a scoop of ice-cream) or orange souffl* crepe.

The smoothness and sweetness of the desserts really complete the memorable dining experience at the restaurant. Lobo is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Lobo Restaurant

Lobby level, the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta
Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan kav E1.1 No. 1
Kuningan, South Jakarta
Phone : +62-21-25518881
Lounge hour : 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Lunch hour : 12 to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner hour : 6 to 11 p.m.

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