A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to take a break from the routine and go on a weekend staycation at the Shangri-La Hotel here in Jakarta. Despite the fact that we didn’t hop on a plane and pack for a lifetime, the boys were very excited as we were dropped off at the hotel and started our 2 day long adventure.

We stayed in a gorgeous suite and Evan was very excited to “have his own room”. I was excited not to share a king bed with him since he is an avid kicker at night. A big plus was the extra TV in Evan’s room. Yay for a break from Disney Junior. The amenities at the hotel were amazing and I loved the attention they put into detail. Gorgeous fresh flowers, delicious tea, a fresh fruit basket, it all made it feel like a retreat in the midst of the concrete jungle.

The boys loved the pool area and had a blast playing in the gorgeously manicured gardens. This place will forever bring us memories since it was here that Evan swam by himself for the first time. A huge plus was the children activities that the hotel hosts for guests and visitors every weekend. You can read more about those on this previous post.

We had heard from several friends that the food at the Shang was awesome but we had only experienced it once before when we visited Satoo for brunch when we first arrived in Jakarta. This time we decided to try a couple new places and we were not disappointed.

Dinner at Nishimura

Our first stop was dinner at the Japanese restaurant Nishimura. The beautifully decorated restaurant made me a bit hesitant to bring the wild things along but a few steps into the restaurant the staff was extremely friendly and all smiles. We tried a sampler menu that included all kinds of delectable delights.

Dinner started with a delicious appetizer of pickled mushrooms and fish jelly followed by a sensational platter of fresh sashimi. I still daydream of the fish I had that day. The salmon, tuna and yellow-tail was incredibly fresh and flavorful. Evan dared take a few bites as well and actually ate a few pieces.

Tempura and sushi rolls were next and we enjoyed each of them thoroughly. The tempura was perfectly balanced and had a delightful crispiness to it. The soft shell crab sushi rolls were as delectable as we expected them to be.

The boys had a blast helping prepare the seafood hotpot. All the seafood and veggies were fresh and tasty. Evan decided he was going take over prep duties and loved putting the ingredients in the hot pot.

Our last savory dish was a tenderloin prepared tepanyaki style. The beef was sooo tasty. It was served with fried rice and although we were super full already we delighted in the flavors.

The super friendly staff was very attentive and they visited our table often. The boys even got some origami cranes from them and enjoyed the whole experience.

Our last dish was a delicious jelly and fruit dessert. The combination of textures was fun and tasty. The boys fought over them.

Brunch at Rosso

As many of you know we are brunch junkies. We go out to brunch in Jakarta often and we have tried oh so many different ones. This time we decided to try a new place and concept and we had brunch at the Italian restaurant Rosso. At Rosso you get to choose a main course alongside the wonderful appetizers and courses served throughout the restaurant.

The quality of the appetizers was astounding. Everything was fresh and Evan kept asking for more charcuterie. This boy needs to move to Europe, soon!

Alongside the amazing prepared dishes you can order pasta that is freshly prepared to your taste and fresh pizza comes out of the oven every few minutes. The salads were amazing and the flavors were just to die for.

After a delicious main course consisting of tenderloin and tuna we were ready for dessert. The dessert table was amazing and we didn’t even know where to start. As a special treat the kitchen prepares a dessert pizza towards the end of the brunch. The boys really enjoyed it, and so did we.

We had a fantastic time experiencing a short staycation at the Shangri-La. I would recommend anyone with kids give it a try and pretend to be in a faraway place just a few kilometers from home. We loved staying there and we certainly were charmed the Shangri-La Way.

 

Shangri-La Jakarta

Jalan Jenderal Sudirman No.Kav 1

Jakarta