A new dining destination has arrived in Jakarta offering top-notch one-stop dining experiences with a selection of fine chocolate creations, tapas, and locally inspired cocktails.
Richie Pratadaja, a seasoned Indonesian chocolatier, has a new dining destination in the elite Menteng neighborhood offering top-notch one-stop dining experiences.
After honing his skills for 11 years in the United States, including working as a baker at the famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and then later as sous chocolatier at FIKA NYC, the Jakarta-born chef came back to his homeland and has opened CRIO on Jalan Teuku Cik Di Tiro No.43.
Derived from the Portuguese word crio which means “to create,” Chef Richie went on to create mesmerizing chocolate delights, which is what he does best. Under his expertise, CRIO focuses on creating a one-stop experience where people can enjoy savory food, desserts, and bespoke cocktails.
CRIO can accommodate 125 guests in the main dining area, bar section, and two private rooms. The semi-VIP Room can hold up to 18 people, while the VIP room with a 65-inch interactive whiteboard could easily fit up to 20 individuals. Those rooms are designed to accommodate meetings or intimate gatherings. Should guests want to hold a big event, CRIO is also open for group bookings.
A Chocolate Master
As a professional chocolatier, Richie respects originality, creativity, and quality, the three significant aspects patrons can see in his creations at CRIO. His expertise in making chocolate delicacies is a product of his years of experience working with renowned chefs and chocolatiers, as well as participating in a few competitions.
At CRIO, Richie invites gourmands to enjoy various chocolate creations that range from chocolate bars to chocolate dragées to bonbons. To make his creations stand out, Richie incorporates local ingredients, including the ones that people think could not go well with chocolate: kluwak.
Bonbons are the jewel at CRIO. At his chocolate studio, where he created all his chocolates, customers can see through the glasses how the handcrafted chocolate bonbons are made to perfection with beautifully hand-painted designs, thin chocolate shells, and different layers of flavors. Richie has been researching to create unique flavors of the French-style small chocolate confections, and the result: Richie has come up with several signature flavors, such as Hazelnut Bar - roasted hazelnut paste, vanilla bean, crunchy wafers; Kalamansi Pie - kalamansi ganache, speculoos cookie and Ivy - rosella gel, yuzu ganache, black sesame kluwak.
Designed as a haven for dessert lovers, CRIO also offers a wide array of lavish desserts.
A Modern Savory Menu
CRIO also provides delightful savory dishes adopting a tapas-style format with various tapas dishes influenced by local and international flavors on the menu.
Some of the signature dishes are Balinese Octopus - char-grilled octopus, compressed watermelon, bell pepper chimichurri, mint gel; Hidden Tuna - tuna miso tartare, parmesan chips, apple gel, lime foam; Cauliflower - baked cauliflower, cashew and chocolate dressing, garlic aioli; Truffle Sashimi - seasonal sashimi-grade fish, truffle paste, homemade truffle soy; and Beef Tartare - wagyu tenderloin, mushroom capers paste, mushroom chips, truffle oil, lemon gel.
Aside from its tapas-style dishes, CRIO also offers main courses composed of mouthwatering dishes such as: Crispy Skin Salmon - pan-seared salmon, asparagus puree, orange sauce, lentil du Puy, glazed vegetables; CCC43 - sous vide chicken breast 58C, potato fondant, crispy chicken skin, glazed vegetables, cashew and chocolate sauce; Lobster Mac & Cheese - homemade cheese sauce, lobster chunks, beef/pork bacon, truffle, pistachio crumble; and Indonesian inspired modern dish, Soto Menteng - braised beef cheek, burnt cabbage, rice noodles, potato chips, signature broth. All of the savory dishes are created by Richie, together with Chef de Cuisine William Cecario. William is French trained chef and previously worked at Teatro Gastroteque, Bali and several high-profile hotels on the island including Aryaduta and Conrad.
A Bar To Unwind
The elegant restaurant is also completed with a lavish bar serving locally inspired cocktails and a high-quality spirits selection helmed by Angling Darma as Head Mixologist. Before joining CRIO, Angling did his time in Bali, including working at Room4Dessert in Ubud and Home by Chef Wayan in Pererenan. He is known for using herbs and spices from across the Indonesian archipelago in his works.
Through his creative mind, Angling has created out-of-the-world signature cocktail selections for CRIO, such as Dangerous Beauty and Island in the Sun. The first cocktail is inspired by the classic negroni but concocted using homemade jasmine and elderflower vermouth, gin, and bitter Bianco to create a clear presentation. Meanwhile, the latter draws its inspiration from Bali and is crafted using clarified coconut milk with passion fruit, pineapple, and spiced rum. The Bar also provides cocktail and bonbons pairings for an immersive drinking experience, with jazz and blues live band performances available every weekend to entertain patrons.
Crio
Jl. Teuku Cik Ditiro No.43, Menteng
WhatsApp +62 812 1001 5969
Instagram @crio_jkt
Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday: 7 am to 10 pm
Friday – Saturday: 7 am till closed
Sunday: 7 am to 10 pm