All in the Family

Sisters Agatha Suci and Aurelia Carisa enjoy the latest offerings from Monty’s new lunch menu. Kevin Sjahrial writes

right off the tongue when it comes to discussions regarding places to dine and convene. Home to some of Jakarta’s finest dining and drinking establishments, the stretch has seen numerous changes throughout the years—with the exception of Monty’s. The modern European restaurant and club has diners returning regularly for its scrumptious menu and delicious drinks.

Chef Christer Foldnes is one of the founders of Monty’s along with the Klabo Group. His style of simple, clean cooking has become a trademark of Monty’s that has customers coming back for more. With more than 15 years of culinary experience, Chef Foldnes knows that adaptability and keeping up with culinary trends are key to a successful restaurant. One such trend that he identified is the ketogenic diet that is taking Europe and the US by storm.

With the new menu, Chef Foldnes is looking to make Monty’s the pioneer of the new trend in Indonesia. Our guests for the afternoon, sisters Agatha Suci and Aurelia Carisa, will get to be some of the first diners to taste the new lunch menu. Starting off the meal was a Steak Sirloin Salad. Fresh greens and avocado with light dressing were accompanied by slices of beautifully seasoned sirloin steak, done at exactly medium. With his own twist on a salad, Chef Foldnes added coriander leaves, chili slices for a refreshing kick, while the fried garlic slices and sesame seeds add even more flavour.

Fried Chicken Benedict was the next dish of the day. While the name of the dish evoked images of a popular breakfast dish, what appeared on the table was pleasantly different. In accordance with the low-carb, adequate protein, and high-fat formula of the ketogenic diet, the English muffin had been replaced by generous cuts of moist, crunchy and so very aromatic fried chicken. The poached egg yolks flowed like liquid silk, mingling with the Chipotle Hollandaise sauce for an added kick.

We caught up with the sisters as they sipped on their drinks and waited for the next dish. Both sisters are mothers to young children with whom they spend most of their time outside of work. Agatha has recently released a new single and is working on new music for the coming year. Aurelia is a full-time make-up artist, with her most regular client being her older sister, Agatha.