We’ve been to Indonesia before, but never had the chance to check out Jakarta. The metropolis is a hive of activity, which is no surprise, as it’s one of the most populous cities in the world and Southeast Asia’s largest. But rather than its attractions or chaotic nature, the generosity within the hearts of the residents is what makes the city so distinctive and gives Indonesia’s capital city its charm.
We were recently invited on a press trip to Jakarta to check out the headquarters of well-known Indonesian beauty brand, Wardah, which has gained popularity in Malaysia. We got to know the brand, experience the products in a more meaningful way, met the Indonesian team, and saw the best-sellers in action at the brand’s production factory. But aside from getting to know Wardah better, we also had other sorts of fun on our trip, and we’ve got all the deets below.
Day 1
We boarded an early flight. We reached Jakarta at around 10am (11am KL time). Since our host booked the airport service, our immigration process was super smooth. We didn’t have to queue and scan our faces – everything was taken care, and that really put us at ease. From the airport, we headed straight for lunch.
When in Indonesia, of course, it’s a must to eat the Indonesian way. We headed for Talaga Sampireun Talaga Menteng Jakarta, which features a new dining concept and is an ideal spot to unwind from the busting city. With a number of floating huts that continue the theme of lakeside al fresco dining, you can enjoy your meal while taking in some of the natural surroundings. The menu has a very traditional touch and the best part is that they have a wide range of coffees.
Some of the dishes we tried were Udang Windu, Cumi, Gurame Terbang, Jamur Enoki Goreng and many more. To finish off the meal, we ordered Es Kopi Gula Aren. Basically, gula aren is palm sugar and in most part of Indonesia, this is a popular thing on the coffee menu. It looks thick and extremely sweet – but it really wasn’t. There was a perfect balance in sweetness and the taste of the coffee. The ambience at this restaurant was just beautiful. So much greenery, lakes and beautiful spots for your OOTD pics!
Once we were done with lunch, we headed straight to Paragon, which is an Indonesian beauty company with the goal of creating greater good for society through innovation. The 13 brands under Paragon include names that are well-known in Malaysia: Wardah and Emina.
Since it was just the first day, we had a brief tour around the office area and got to meet a few lovely people there too. The office areas were really amazing. Paragon has an open office concept, which means there are no cubicles. This is to promote engagement among the employees. Not only that, the company really takes care of the well-being of their employees by providing facilities such as dorms, nursing rooms, sports facilities, swimming pool and many more.
The best part is that the office area itself isn’t comprised of tall and closed-off buildings. It’s more about open spaces and greenery. We think this is a clever idea, as it helps employees to unwind, but still focus on work. Not only that, being a cosmetics company, Paragon offers special rates at its store just for its employees.
We had a quick briefing on what Paragon is all about while enjoying another round of coffee with Pisang Molen. We’ve never seen this kind of banana fritter in KL, but it was really huge and good. It’s just like our pisang goreng, but it’s way thicker and they have fillings like chocolate or cheese. After a fruitful session, we checked in to our hotel, which was InterContinental Jakarta, and quickly freshened up for dinner.
The hotel we stayed in was connected to a mall called Pondok Indah. For dinner, we visited Urban Wagyu Steakhouse and yes, we had steak. This restaurant specializes in delicious wagyu at an affordable price. From Striploin to Porterhouse, Ribeye to Tomahawk and Wagyu Marbled Beef, Urban Wagyu Steakhouse serves high grades of meat that’ll satisfy your taste buds.
For starters, we had Sticky BBQ Wings, savoury chicken wings cooked with sweet and sour barbecue sauce; and Cheesy Wagyu Quesadilla, tortilla skin served with minced wagyu, red bell pepper and melted mozzarella. For mains, we each got a steak of our own preference and with side options of mashed potato or fries.
Dinner was really good. This place has a bar concept, but rest assured that it is halal-certified. The ambience was great and cozy. You also get to enjoy a view of the city while tucking into your meal. Right after dinner, we called it a day and headed back to our rooms to get our beauty sleep. Wardah decided to surprise us with a basket full of products and snacks in our room that we absolutely loved. Now that’s a good way to welcome a guest, isn’t it?
Day 2
The most important day of our three-day trip, and probably the most exhausting one too, began. We started the day as early as 6am. After breakfast, we jumped right into a van for our factory tour. The Paragon factory is located in Tangerang, which is about an hour away from Jakarta. The journey there was remarkable.
When we first heard about Jakarta, we pictured skyscrapers, malls and everything urban. But while you travel through the city, you’ll notice it’s a mix of urban and rural elements existing together. Traveling to Tangerang, the view quickly shifted to a rural one. There were populous villages near the factory area, too.
Paragon’s factory is where all the magic happens. From research to production to packaging, we got a chance to have a closer look at how products come to be. We started off with a brief on how the brands were founded, the manufacturing process, and what we could expect to see on the tour. The Paragon factory emphasized on safety, so we geared up with helmets and boots before beginning our tour.
One unique thing about Paragon is that all the ingredients used in the products are halal-certified, making them Muslim-friendly. Not just that, we really admire how the company caters to the skin of Indonesian consumers. Many beauty companies create products they want to sell, and hope that consumers will take to them. But Paragon creates quality products that actually satisfy the needs of the diverse Indonesian populace. We applaud them for that.
We got to see how they mix the products’ ingredients and test them out at multiple levels before approving the final product for usage. We were also impressed by the technologies used – in fact, much of the work is automated. Even the packaging part is carried out mostly by machines. Taking a closer look into the factory side kinda got us to appreciate things a little more.
As consumers, we often just grab whatever beauty product we want from the shelves – without realising the process it takes for the products to end up sitting pretty on the shelves of pharmacies and convenience stores.
After a good tour around the factory, we had lunch on-site. It was catered by Oma Elly – and it was epic. From a live pasta station, freshly baked-pizza and amazing gelato – everything about Oma Elly was just scrumptious. The brand’s portfolio is that each dish is deeply-rooted in Italian flavours and heirloom recipes that celebrate the brand’s figurehead, Oma herself.
For lunch, we had assorted, on-the-spot, freshl- baked pizzas, Fettucine Ciao Italia (home-rolled fettucine with grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms) and Spaghetti Rosso Bianco. The best part is that the pasta was entirely homemade and you could tell by the taste and texture. Of course, we always have room dessert! One thing Oma Elly specializes in, besides all the Italian dishes, is gelato. We had three different gelati, which were Burnt Cheesecake (Zabione base gelato, layered with individual slices of cheesecake, topped with torched caramel), Bacio Gelato (valrhona cocoa and Caribe chocolate with roasted hazelnut) and Pistachio. They were so good that we didn’t stop at just one round!
Right after lunch came the really fun part. You may know how to pick lipstick shades, but do you know how these colours came to be? Well, that’s exactly what we learned. During our next session, we had one of the Paragonians show us how lipstick shades are made – and mind you, it was a he!
We were given a formula and all we had to do was pick our base and add in other pigmentation to get the desired colour. It’s more of mixing paint, but of course, there is more to the process. We went for something bold, and what emerged was amazing. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring the samples home. After all the mixing and tryouts, we left the factory and headed to Senayan City Mall.
Here, we checked out the Wardah Color Station, where you get to analyze your lip colour and create your own lip cream. You may think all lipstick colours suit you, but on closer inspection, you’ll realize that you have a personal shade that fits you best. The friendly staff there helps customers determine what shade suits them best, they get to bring home a personalized lipstick made just for them. The mixing method is the same as what we did back at the factory.
We had ample free time before dinner, so we took the opportunity to walk around, and also have a coffee fix. One coffee spot we tried in the mall was Harlan + Holder Coffee. A must-try here is their Butterscotch Latte – a lightly caramel-sweetened latte with hints of sea salt, rounded off with cookie crumble. It was definitely sweet, even when we requested for less sugar, but it was a good pick-me-up after a long day going out and about.
It was only 6.30pm, but it looked and felt like 8pm, because it gets dark earlier in central Indonesia. We got in the van and headed to Segitiga Pondok Indah. In the centre of the well-known gastronomic complex, we checked out a brand-new restaurant called Pungbu Korean BBQ. Pungbu, a popular Korean barbecue vendor, has made its name by evoking the atmosphere and flavours of true Korean food found on the busy streets of Busan, South Korea. With its low-rise roof, wooden doors, and natural stone wall – an embodiment of the ancient Hanok architecture – Pungbu’s exterior resembles a traditional Korean home. The genuine Korean ambiance is completed by wooden dining tables, chairs, and partitions, as well as wooden beams and walls.
The menu stars some of the all-time favourite Korean comfort dishes, such as Budae Jjigae, Spicy Sundubu Jjigae, Kimbap and more. It was our first time having a full course Korean meal. It was overwhelming, especially when you’re not familiar with the flavours – but it was good. There was spicy, sweet and savoury flavours all over the table. It was also a warm and hearty meal. After a long day out, you just want to cap the day with a simple, soupy meal.
Day 3
Another early day – but also a day that arrived super fast. We kicked things off with a good breakfast at the InterContinental Hotel. Breakfast was splendid and there was just so much to eat. There was the egg station, cheese station, sandwich station, traditional juices, fresh juices, Japanese cuisine, local cuisine, Western cuisine and so much more.
Since we had to check out early and took our time packing up our stuff, we settled for pastries for breakfast. The pastries were super good and there was a wide variety of it. The breakfast area was also quite spacious and vibrant, giving you a good vibe early in the morning.
After breakfast, we headed to Thamrin City, another mall, and this time, we were there to shop till we dropped. This mall is full of affordable batiks, local snacks and souvenirs. It’s a whole market inside and you’ll definitely get dizzy, because there’s just so much to choose from. Our team scattered and we grabbed whatever we could.
Once we were done shopping, we headed to Batavia PIK for lunch. If you know Bamboo Hills in KL, this place is somewhat similar in concept. It’s still developing, but there are quite a number of restaurants, cafes and convenience stores there.
For our last meal in Jakarta, we dined at Dewate by Monsieur Spoon. This place is where you go to for Indonesian fine foods. Some of Dewata by Monsieur Spoon’s flagship menu items are Bebek Garing Dewata, Ayam Betutu, Gulai Sengkel Kambing, Spaghetti Ayam Bumbu Bali and many more. Besides mains, Dewate also serves pastries and excellent coffee.
We had a great time in Jakarta and our host did a really amazing job providing for us and attending to our needs. We also had a great time exploring beauty brands and how they are made – it was indeed an eye-opening experience we’ll never forget.
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