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August

Jakarta

• The Best Restaurant in Indonesia 2025

Bold, contemporary Indonesian flavours paired with timeless technique

Rising star: Opened in late 2021, August was the winner of the American Express One To Watch Award 2023 and made its debut on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024. Chef Hans Christian and seasoned hotelier and F&B professional Budi Cahyadi joined forces to create this labour of love that offers local Indonesian flavours showcasing the chef’s culinary journey, which includes references to his childhood memories and snacks.

Why August? Christian and Cahyadi, who share the same vision of what they want in a restaurant, named August after the month they in which they were both born.

On the Pass

Hans Christian and Budi Cahyadi

Pastry Chef

Ardika Dwitama

What’s the vibe? The 50-seat dining destination, located in the teeming metropolis of Jakarta, is warm and chic and (despite its size) still feels cosy. With a large kitchen dominating the restaurant, diners can enjoy their meal with a full view of the action. For solo diners or couples who want a more involved experience, the Chef’s Counter offers guests front-row seats overlooking August’s pastry section. The excellent bar also serves an array of non-alcoholic drinks to pair with the menu including a delicious fermented black tea stout.

On the menu: Enjoy Indonesian dishes reinvented by Chef Christian using French techniques. A delicate mini milk-bread using spent grain with generously filled seaweed butter kicks off proceedings. Other courses include grilled octopus with a three-layered laksa sauce, topped with Thai basil, or kalamansi-marinated tomato and cubes of cured ruby snapper on a bed of black tea jelly and cultured cream. Other fan favourites, such as his interpretation of the popular peanut butter sandwich, renamed the Foie PB&J, are available as add-ons for the tasting menu.

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