As a special occasion marking my dad’s last weekend in Jakarta we decided to give the Jakarta Brunch Scene another try. We had previously done Brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel and had left as satisfied customers. This time we shopped around for a different venue and headed to the Ritz Carlton in Pacific Place for Brunch.

The restaurant is located on the 6^th floor of the hotel. The view is quite pleasant and the service is impeccable. I had made a reservation and just by looking at our party they recognized us by name and led us to our table. A baby chair we had requested for was already set and plastic utensils where also set on the table waiting for Evan to play eat with.

My first impression was that the venue was not very big and this made for a nice a cozy feeling. The live jazz music created a pleasant atmosphere. The food looked amazing and everything was served fresh. You could see that there was a fast turnaround and that everything had been recently cooked or prepared.

The food was as good as it looked, even better. We ate sushi, Chinese specialties, amazing fusion cuisine and delicious desserts. The level was definitely higher than anything I’ve seen at the traditional Sunday brunches around Jakarta. The flavors just exploded in your mouth and it was evident that the chef had chosen the best seasonal products to determine the menu. I still daydream about some of the amazing things we ate.

The problem, I thought, was how to feed the babies.I was concerned when I couldn’t see an egg station and started mortifying about what to feed Evan since everything looked very elaborate and gourmet. The waiter came to check on us and see if we needed anything so I ordered Evan some sausages and served him some rice from the Indonesian station. The sausages were presented so beautifully that Evan devoured them within minutes. I was even able to sneak in steak with a delectable thyme sauce and beet salad into Evan’s plate and had a satisfied customer.

When the boys started getting restless and I started to get restless for dessert the very kind waitresses offered to take the boys to the playroom located at the end of the restaurant. Evan and Joshua happily ventured into this fun room with beanbags, playstation and tons of toys. The girls even fed Evan his chocolate covered fruit while I finished up my meal and finally had an adult conversation with my dad and husband that didn’t involve baby’s schedules.

To tell you the truth, I’m starting to like reserving a little bit of our time and tummies for this meal. Brunch, Breakfast+Lunch, how perfect is this combination of having a lazy morning and an even lazier afternoon not having to worry about cooking twice?

The Brunch at the Ritz Carlton in Pacific Place costs Rp. 288,000 ++ including free flow of fresh fruit juices and delicious iced teas and Rp. 438,000++ including free flow of wines and cocktails. Definitely worth splurging once in a while and with the quality of the meal you will leave a very satisfied (and full) customer. Remember to show your diplomatic kitas for a discount on the VAT.