On Saturday 8th July, the Jakarta Whisky Research Society had it first joint event with our friends from Jakarta Supper Club at Pakubuwono Residence. It was a convivial night of good people, great food and whisky.

The Menu

Held in an intimate loft apartment setting, guests quickly settled in the living room and many new friends were made that night.

The event started with a welcome note from Kabir Suharan, a Diageo whisky expert and our very own Kevin Susindra. The canape was fried chicken skin complimented by the silky richness of Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve followed by Salmon Nduja paired with Clynelish 14 – a perfect succession to get guests to understand how Gold Label is built with Clynelish as its core component – an interesting fact well explained by Kabir to the guests.

Moving on, everyone were then seated on the dining table, and the main event starts. First on the list was my personal favourite – succulent twice cooked lamb ribs, which were slow cooked and deep fried, served with sticky vinegar sauce. The lamb was soft enough that one bite was enough to pull it clean off the bone, but had the interesting structure and texture due to the deep frying.

Twice cooked lamb ribs

The pairing with the Cragganmore 12 did an extraordinary job cutting through the richness and oiliness of the lamb, balancing the palate and bringing a sweet floral afterglow.

Next up was the beautifully plated Char Siu pork belly with pickled cucumber, kimchi and sevred in a bed of risotto, mimicking the flavours of Hainan chicken rice. This dish was paired with the Caol Ila 12. A pairing that signalled the small leap towards bolder styles whiskies.

Char siu pork belly

The Caol Ila worked very well with Asian flavours, the notes of freshly cut flowers, grass and maritime flavours complimented the subtle oriental flavours well, and the sharpness of the kimchi paved the way to enhance the beautiful sweetness of the Caol Ila.

The main course of the night was a Wagyu rib eye steak that was served with ankimo or monkfish liver, a delicacy known as the foie gras of the sea, deep fried gorgonzola fritters on a bed of potato purée.

Wagyu steak with monkfish liver, fried gorgonzola dumplings and potato purée

The Lagavulin’s beautiful complex flavours of sherry, iodine, lapsang souchong tea, and beautifully rich texture is all wrapped in a big smoky package. The somewhat pungent aromas somehow pair really well with intense flavours, such as blue cheese, and richly textured foods such as the monkfish liver.

Lady grey panna cotta with citrus jelly and lemon shortbread

The last pairing of the night is arguably the best of the night. The lady grey panna cotta with citrus jelly and lemon shortbread was paired with the Dalwhinnie 15, which has been frozen, giving it a rich and viscuous texture to compliment the dessert. This pairing evokes a sense of spring time, with the combination of citrus freshness and spring florals, paired with the heather and vanilla custard tones of the Dalwhinnie 15.

The core concept of the event is to guide participants through a journey, priming the palate with the gentler Highland and sweeter Speyside style whiskies and up their way to the bolder, peated Islay whiskies. Finally closing the act with a complex, elegant after dinner dram that is the Mortlach 18.

The beautifully rich Mortlach 18 was the perfect way to end dinner. Notes of toffee, dried fruits and leather gave it a big and hearty nose, while notes of tropical fruits and tobacco left our palates with a clean, earthy sensation.

On behalf of the Society and Jakarta Supper Club, we are all extremely grateful for the attention given by the patrons and humbled by the amazing response, open minded-ness and attitude of the crowd towards the drinks and the foods. Here is to many more great foods, great drinks and great conversations.

Jakarta Supper Club is a ticket based private dining concept made by Gloria Susindra and friends, in an effort to cultivate and express boundless creativity in cuisine, and to share it with individuals with passion for food. Each dinner has its own concept, and is limited to only 15-20 people, to ensure an intimate and engaging afternoon.