
Social House – SOCIAL HOUSE is a fine dining restaurant that opened in 2008 to great acclaim at the local (now closed) branch of English-owned Harvey Nichols in the Grand Indonesia Mall in central Jakarta. Now successfully operating as an independent destination, Social House remains one of Jakarta’s most popular and casually sophisticated dining destinations. Social House is owned and operated by local group Ismaya, which is behind other mega popular local establishments like Dragonfly and Blowfish.
Social House is open all day from morning till night and offers a varied menu: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, bar food and snacks, sushi and main courses divided into East and West. Occupying a large corner lot, Social House has three main areas: dining area, bar and lounge, and exhibition and wine store. With a popular and convenient location, combined with the all-day casual dining concept, Social House is busy at all stages of the day and night, attracting many customers, from offices having breakfast before work, shoppers in shopping malls. Stopping in for coffee or lunch, and after work crowds for a drink at the bar or a full dining experience. The Social House kitchen is under the direction of Executive Chef Tristan Balian, who has a wide range of experience and culinary skills from British to Thai cuisine. The relaxed and “casual” atmosphere of the interior spaces encourages social participation, similar to the name of the establishment, and underpins the attractiveness of the social house.
Social House interior design includes extensive use of ceiling and wall coverings as well as furniture and display shelves. Glass, steel and raw concrete are used to evoke an ‘industrial chic’ style. Green touches, such as several valuable live trees, soften the space and give it a natural and homely feel.
Two entrances serve the social house: one through a small lobby at street level that takes guests to an elevator in a renovated bright red shipping container. An interior access from the first floor of Grand Indonesia Mall takes guests past the open shelves of Winpost to a reception desk made from recycled wooden packaging boxes.
The main dining area occupies a large curved part of the space and has an open front to the interior of the shopping center. The table setting is discreetly zoned and there are several private dining rooms: two smaller spaces that seat up to 12 diners and a private VIP room that includes a MIELE functional kitchen for interactive sessions with the chefs.
The seating area is located on the sides of the space that are connected to the outer surface of the streets. During the day, the large windows in the front corner of the living room remain closed to save the air conditioners from the tropical heat, but in the evening they return to the cool night breeze. Counter seating on either side of the facade offers panoramic views of the Hotel Indonesia roundabout and the Jakarta skyline. The long bar is ‘L’ shaped and overlooks a large communal table on one side, while another long raised table/counter extends into the seating area.
The living area with large windows folds back and opens up to views of the Hotel Indonesia logo.
Located on the inner wall of the mall’s entrance, the Winery Post features a wide space with rows of wine bottles displayed on bright wooden shelves and repurposed wine crates. With over 300 labels curated by the in-house sommelier from the world’s leading wine-producing regions, bottles can be purchased to dine at Social House or to take home.
The stunning bar offers a varied drinks list with creative cocktails and mocktails, beers, premium coffee and tea drinks, frozen fruit, smoothies, fresh juices and an extensive wine selection at Winery Post. Includes signature cocktails
The Social House Kitchen serves a variety of Western and Asian ‘comfort food’ dishes, featuring fine portions prepared with the finest fresh ingredients.
With all-day dining, the kitchen opens early with a breakfast menu from 8am to 3pm, followed by lunch, afternoon tea, bar food, sushi and a dinner menu late into the evening.
Breakfast at Social House is a popular choice for nearby office workers and can be ordered as a set or a la carte menu. Favorites include
The SUSHI menu offers a selection of rolls, nigiri and sashimi and small seafood dishes.
Dishes on the entree menu are divided into East and West, with a wide selection in each category. EAST offers dishes such as rice and noodles
FRIED JOHN DORY CRUCENT FISH WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE; Lamb on lemon and garlic mashed potatoes in a thick red curry sauce;
Baked Pink Barramundi with Black Olive Tape and Sundried Cherry Tomatoes; Pork Belly on Roasted White Beans and Sage;
Wagyu Beef Burger with Brie, Emmental, Onion Rings, Roasted Eggplant, Arugula, Sundried Tomato & Sauce and Special Social House Fries. Executive Chef Tina Westcott (right) with some of the Social House II servers. Photo by MABEL SUEN
Is food important at Social House II, the controversial body paint and pasta bar that opened in Delmar Loop this March after much acclaim? Let’s face it, coming here for food is like reading Playboy for the articles. The guys who run the place only want one thing served at their tables, and it has nothing to do with burgers and fries.
However, that’s not how Social House officials see it. “We’re a sports bar and restaurant,” a manager said when pressed about the concept. “Girls are easy to use.”
Or so I thought before stopping for dinner. Before I even kid myself that Social House II is a worthwhile place to eat, let’s be clear: this is not haters’ food. It’s wings and skin and nachos. But surprisingly, the wings and skins and nachos are well made. Add in a bright, modern vibe and enough TVs to stock the best buys, and it’s definitely a great sports bar.
University City’s civic leaders will certainly not be happy to hear this. Ever since the owner of Soulard’s Social House announced his intention to open a Delmar Loop spinoff, owner John Racanelli has battled city administration, facing everything from banning orders to the temporary revocation of his liquor license. Racanelli enlisted the help of his trusted attorney, Albert Watkins, to lead the charge in the fight to bring women of color (which the university council was responsible for) a “family” loop. At least for now they succeeded.
Part of the reason for this is that, legally speaking, Racanelli insists the venue is not a new venture, but rather a revamp of his previous concept, the Market Pub, which closed its doors last January after six years. He is right that the bones of the building remain intact. An elevated steel and glass atrium, from the restaurant’s days as the former Loop Market, brings natural light into the space, and the large three-sided wooden bar takes up about half of the real estate. The sports bar trim is gone, replaced with minimal trim and faux leather trim, and the windows have been blacked out to block
the glimpses of body paint on the street. Still, countless televisions give the crowd an unobstructed view from every direction during the game, maintaining its sports bar feel.
You’re not watching TV unless you’re watching them awkwardly enough to look like a pervert. (The middle-aged lawyers who make up the restaurant’s weekday lunch service have no trouble making their intentions embarrassingly clear.) The waiters’ uniforms leave little to the imagination. The bottoms are more erratic than what you’ll find on Ipanema Beach, and the tops aren’t there.
But that visual shouldn’t get in the way of enjoying some respectable bar and grill. I was surprised to learn that Social House II is hiring CEO Tina Westcott. He has been cooking at restaurants around the country since he was fifteen, including most recently at Soulard Social House, although this is his first executive chef job. Their menu has a lot in common with Soulard’s, with a few specialties at each location.
This menu isn’t far from the sports bar playbook, but why? When you’re at a batter’s bar watching the game, all you want are good chicken wings. Here they are meaty, spicy and dressed in a slightly spicy ‘social sauce’, which is a cross between spicy mustard and mustard.
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