Rosso Italian Restaurant Shangri-La Jakarta

We had the opportunity to participate in the Eat Jakarta food festival (or whatever you call it) and decided to book one of the most widely acclaimed Italian Restaurant in Jakarta - Rosso. 

Located in Shangrila Hotel, one of the most prestigious hotel in town, the place is decorated elegantly with red colours, as the name suggests. It was not too crowded, although advance booking is recommended. The seating arrangement can be suited for all occasion - we obviously picked the corner spot as we were - of course - on a dinner date. 

As we are aware that the 3-course meal would probably not enough for us anyway, we decided to order the Marinara Pizza to make sure we stay full after the meal. 

The complimentary breadsticks are served with unique sauces, the first one being a mixture of basil and olives, and the second one is (I think) a mixture of tomato and something (we can't figure it out till the end)

The complimentary hors d'ouvre is a Fried Prawn with Foamed Potato. We can't really describe the taste, however the foamed potato (or maybe potato soup instead) is very light and delicious.

Our appetizer is the Tomato Cream and Buffalo Ricotta Gnocchi in Basil Flavor. The gnocchi is very.very different compared with what we can usually found in other places. The texture is soft and the ricotta cheese filling is also very generous. The tomato cream is tangy and refreshing, and we do suggest eating both the sauce and the gnocchi in one spoon to feel the perfection in your mouth. Definitely rich of flavour (as well as vitamin C) and simply unforgettable. 

The main course is the Braised beef cheeks, Caramelized Shallots and Chickpeas. Of course, Italian cuisine is not just all about pasta, pizza, and tomato. 

The dish offers solid and rich flavour and a tender meat to please your tongue. Pretty much a combination of heavenly flavours altogether. The sauce provided is a very nice companion to the meat. 

A true Italian cuisine would always strive to highlight the freshness of each of the ingredients.. The Marinara Pizza is definitely one of the best pizza that I have tried from numerous high-end Italian restaurants. With a simple topping of tomato and oregano, the pizza does wonders to the tastebuds. It is very fresh, natural, original, and accentuates the original flavour of each of the ingredients.

Finally. the dessert, which is Mango Cream, Italian Meringue and Mix Berry Compote. This is so, so good. The mango is just..awesome. With such a delicate texture, it is amazing to see that the mango cream does not split, which signifies a highly skilled technique being used. Furthermore, the sorbet in the middle combined  with the mango cream gives a very refreshing dessert. Truly an artistic creation. 

And we got complimentary chocolates! Now this is one experience that you simply cannot forget. 

We spent around 1.2 Mio including 2 drinks (lemon tea and lychee ice tea). We had a great time enjoying the experience, and without realizing, 2 hours passed since we enter the restaurant.  

Located at  Lobby Level, Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta. 

+62 21 29399562