Dailah takes on Indonesian contemporary dining

Written by Elma Adisya | Read in Indonesian

Some of us probably spent a larger part of our childhood growing up with our grandmothers. Grandmothers who always warmly welcome the visit of their grandchildren and then ask, "Have you eaten?" with their distinctive concerned tone. Grandmothers with their super complete meal that makes us miss them every time we return from their house.

“A warm grandmother’s house” was TFR’s impression when we entered Dailah Sajian Nusantara restaurant in South Jakarta. Despite its modern architecture, the restaurant’s ambience makes us feel like we are visiting our warm and comfortable grandmother's house. Opened last August, Dailah restaurant serves the other side of Nusantara food, the bold and different side, with a contemporary dining concept.

Dailah and the daring concept of contemporary dining

Named after the grandmother of its co-founder, the restaurant, which started its journey in 2019 in Bandung, has a mission to introduce new faces of Nusantara cuisine. In an interview with TFR, Dailah Sajian Nusantara Public Relations Supervisor Ana said the determination of this contemporary concept involved a lengthy process.

Each menu item crafted by Lucky, chef and co-founder of Dailah, has its own story because it was born out of his trips to many parts of Indonesia.

"On every trip, Lucky learned how to cook local cuisines from the locals. He then brought home many insights regarding those local cuisines and finally developed Dailah's menu," Ana explained.

Through the contemporary dining concept, Dailah seeks to present the various sides of Nusantara cuisine through cooking technique, plating, spices, as well as dining experience.

However, adopting a concept that is fairly foreign to the public poses its own challenges, especially regarding plating and the cooking process, as customers are expecting an authentic menu.

"We also got a lot of rejection from customers. One time there was a customer complaining, ‘The cooking should be like this (traditionally), the plating should be like this.’ But then again, what we do is indeed different and quite unique. As long as we stay true to our principles, there will be people who will appreciate us," she added.

Bandung, but make it Jakarta-esque

As the first branch outside Bandung, Dailah Jakarta presents unique characteristics different from the main branch. One of which is in terms of menu, where Bebek Sambal Hitam is the signature of the Jakarta branch.

"Bebek Madura is the ultimate signature of Dailah Jakarta; we serve it like duck confit but with sauce inspired by the black sauce of Madura," said Ana.

Dailah sees the Jakarta branch as a new platform to expand its menu, making it more varied and creative by adapting to the palate of Jakartans with their diverse backgrounds.

However, it still maintains the identity of Dailah Bandung in several aspects, such as the location selection in Dharmawangsa, South Jakarta.

For Dailah, Jakarta, especially South Jakarta, is a bigger pool than Bandung, and Dailah needs it to keep innovating, considering how varied Nusantara cuisine can be.

Another reason why it chose South Jakarta, particularly Dharmawangsa, is because it has a similar vibe with Bandung, as the area is not heavily commercialised and considerably green.

Cultured, in Dailah style

In addition to introducing Indonesian culture through food, Dailah also has another mission, namely to introduce Indonesian culture through art and various activities and collaborations.

"For example, during the grand opening, the entertainment was a contemporary traditional dance with accompaniment by Tarawangsawelas. Those kinds of things are what Dailah wants to show."

Dailah also has a unique "ritual" for customers who are celebrating their birthdays, in which the restaurant staff will go to the customer's and dance a Betawi dance while singing “Selamat Ulang Tahun” with the tunes of the "Ondel-Ondel" song.

For textile, Dailah collaborates with Pithecanthropus Bali, where the latter uses hand screen printing to reproduce antique, almost extinct fabrics.

Collaboration is key!

Besides becoming a spearhead in introducing Nusantara culture in a new way through cuisine and art, Dailah Sajian Nusantara also wants to collaborate with F&B players and the general public to the fullest extent.

"These collaborations are our new way to introduce Indonesian culture. For example, in Bandung we once collaborated with local MSME such as warung Ubi Ibu, a food truck caterer, and Seroja Bakery. Most recently, we collaborated with Tiasa to serve plant-based Indonesian dishes," she explained.

Dailah hopes that these extensive collaborations could give birth to innovations in Indonesian cuisine and become its mouthpiece to introduce the various sides of Indonesian culture.

"Other restaurants might turn their social media into a menu book. However, we want to make our Instagram a media for all to obtain information about Indonesian culture."