Jakarta restaurant August named Asia's One to Watch 2023

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has announced the American Express One to Watch Award and it goes to August, a joint venture of chef Hans Christian and restaurateur Budi Cahyadi in Jakarta, Indonesia.

At the 50-seat restaurant, located in the Sequis Tower building in Jakarta’s central Sudirman district, Christian and Cahyadi draw on their international experiences, combining them with local influences for a cuisine full of bold flavours and unique combinations.

Chef Christian, a native of West Java, but raised in Jakarta, has created a 14-course tasting menu that includes inspirational dishes like James and Jen’s Fresh Egg, using eggs from Bogor in West Java that are cooked at 65°C and served with bacon marmalade, sautéed horenzo and a gingery chicken bone sauce.

The One to Watch award recognises interesting restaurants on the rise that are destined for great things and was announced as a prelude to the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, which will be announced in Singapore on 28 March. August joins other award recipients Shinobu Namae who received the Icon Award and Filipino chef Johanne Siy of Lolla, who was named Asia’s Best Female Chef.

Shinobu Namae is Executive Chef at three-Michelin star L’Effervescence, in Tokyo and is an advocate for a deeper connection with nature and farmers, and is recognised for his work as a notable food researcher and academic.

Filipino chef Johanne Siy of Lolla in Singapore was already awarded the title of Asia's Best Female Chef for 2023, some weeks ago. Siy is the first Filipina to claim the prize and is recognised for her cuisine, which sits at the intersection of all her experiences, harmonising European technique, local ingredients and Asian tradition. It is an international cuisine based on local produce that exemplifies the vibrant and confident fine-dining scene in Singapore. 

Head Chef at Lolla since 2020, Siy creates Asian-inspired modern European cuisine with strong Filipino influences like crab 'relleno', aligue sauce and kaffir lime. Her CV includes stints under Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin and Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud, as well as a four-year tenure at Restaurant André in Singapore. Her broad and diverse culinary knowledge was also enriched by experiences with Nordic cuisine at Noma and Relae in Copenhagen, as well as Fäviken in Sweden.