ER
THE BREEZE and the view of the skyscrapers in Jakarta accompany the atmosphere of the new Red Label restaurant, which is located at Sky Level of Casa Living Senayan, Bendungan Hilir, Jakarta.
Behind the kitchen, there is Andrew Ryan (19) who is busy cooking burgers and steaks which he designed himself. Andrew, who just graduated from the University of New South Wales, Australia, in 2021 actually plans to set up a restaurant on the continent where he is studying.
The pandemic is coming, restrictions are in place, restaurants are closed, including iconic places in Australia. The plan to open a cafe in Sydney turned into a restaurant establishment in Jakarta. This young businessman who studied media, public relations and advertising in Australia has been fond of cooking since childhood.
“I don’t have any culinary basics, but since I was little, I have liked to cook at home. At 12 years old I can already cook like salmon, I really like watching cooking videos,” said Andrew, who started college when he was 16 years old, met at his restaurant at the end of December 2021.
The restaurant is located on the roof of a building, not too high, but flanked by views of the skyscrapers in the distance. The gurgling water in the small pool in the middle of the restaurant makes the atmosphere feel beautiful, coupled with potted plants in the corners.
Andrew’s hobby of cooking made his parents not worried when his son had to be independent abroad, away from his parents. Andrew also often entertained his college friends at his apartment in Sydney.
After graduating from college in 2021, he immediately focused on opening a Red Label Burger and Steak restaurant. The name “Red Label” is taken from the red label embedded in the packaging of its homemade food, proof that every food has been ensured to meet quality standards. What’s more, red is a color that piques people’s appetites. He also designed this logo himself.
Truffles
Of the many burger dishes in the capital, truffle mushrooms that give off a pungent smell and taste are the mainstay of the Red Label menu. Foods that use truffles are indeed starting to mushroom, but not many are specifically focused on serving foods with these mushrooms. Not only using the oil, truffles are also included in the dish, although not too much so that the price per portion remains affordable.
“Five years ago, truffles weren’t viral, thanks to social media, people know truffles. Many of my Z generation friends like truffles. I want to make truffles mainstream,” said Andrew.
This restaurant uses a lot of black truffles which usually come from France. Apart from materials that have to be imported, he endeavors to procure other materials from local suppliers.
Red Label sells six burger variants, namely cheese burger, signature truffle burger, the swiss mushroom, smokey double, crispy chicken and caramelised wonder. BETWEEN tasted two burger menus that became the mainstay, namely the signature truffle burger and the swiss mushroom.
The signature truffle burger consists of Australian meat as a meat patty, white cheddar, black truffle, champignon mushrooms, caramelized onions and truffle sauce. The swiss mushrooms consist of similar ingredients, only the truffle sauce and black truffles are replaced with smokeymayo.
When tasted, the meat was tender, as was the bread. The aroma and taste of truffles are also quite pronounced, but not too thick. The taste of truffles is even more popping in the mouth in the truffle fries menu.
Want more protein? Red Label currently has two steak menus, each containing 200 grams of Australian beef, namely sirloin and rib eye. Slices of steak are served and neatly arranged on a wooden plate, topped with a thick, garlic-flavored salsa verde sauce. The meat is quite juicy, and tastes savorier thanks to the sauce on top.
Apart from taste, Andrew pays close attention to the visual aspect of the food served so that it is beautiful when photographed and uploaded to social media, a habit that cannot be separated from today’s young generation. In the future, he will continue to update the menu with varied flavors, not only Western-style flavors, but also typical Indonesian food flavors such as sambal matah. [antaranews]
