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Chibo seeks to introduce authentic 'okonomiyaki' in Indonesia
Japanese restaurant Chibo specializes in okonomiyaki, located in Gandaria City shopping mall, South Jakarta.
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Chibo restaurant in Gandaria City shopping mall, South Jakarta can seat 86 diners. (JP/Jessicha Valentina)
The residents of Jakarta are no stranger to Japanese cuisine as it is quite easy to find Japanese restaurants across the capital.
However, okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) may be lagging behind in terms of popularity.
“Not that many [restaurants] serve okonomiyaki in Indonesia, [particularly in Jakarta],” said Jaddi Foods CEO Doni Wanandi, adding that the dish was not as well known as other Japanese dishes.
With that in mind, Jaddi Foods decided to open Chibo, a Japanese restaurant specializing in okonomiyaki, in Indonesia, specifically in Gandaria City shopping mall, South Jakarta.
Established in Osaka, Japan, in 1973, the brand currently has more than 60 outlets in Japan and other countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
“[Okonomiyaki] is not as popular as other [Japanese dishes], and we wanted to introduce it [in other countries],” said Kanji Nakai, president of Chibo Co. Ltd., adding that though there were many similar dishes in other countries, they were not the same as the original okonomiyaki.
Read also: Chibo brings authentic ‘okonomiyaki’ to Jakarta
Along with introducing okonomiyaki, Chibo works hard to maintain the brand's quality.
Nakai said the company still directly managed outlets located in Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya.
“[Besides those three cities], Chibo restaurants in Japan are managed by someone who previously worked for Chibo,” explained Nakai.
For outlets outside Japan, Chibo offers franchise opportunities.
“We found the right partner,” said Nakai when asked why he decided to extend the franchise to Indonesia.
Moreover, the company also conducts training to ensure that the outlets meet the standardized service.
“The Indonesian staff received training in Japan. Sometimes Japanese staff will come to [Indonesia] for quality control,” he said.
Regarding the dishes, Nakai said the main ingredients were imported from Japan, allowing franchise outlets to serve food of a similar quality. (wng)
