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Jakarta has no shortage of steakhouses. What it has lacked, until now, is a steakhouse built around the specific philosophy of Itameshi — the Japanese-Italian fusion tradition that brings the precision and product obsession of Japanese cooking to the warmth and generosity of Italian dining.nibble.id
Isabella Steakhouse, opened in March 2026 under the vision of Chef-Owner Henry Brata, occupies a concept space that is harder to execute than it sounds. Italian and Japanese cuisines share certain values — respect for ingredients, commitment to technique, and a belief that simplicity executed with precision is more compelling than complexity executed carelessly. But they diverge significantly in flavor profile, service culture, and the role of the meal in social life. Getting them to work together requires a chef who genuinely understands both traditions rather than simply combining their aesthetic markers.
The Secondary Cuts Philosophy
The most intellectually interesting decision that Chef Henry Brata has made at Isabella Steakhouse is to focus on secondary cuts of beef rather than the premium prime cuts that anchor most high-end steakhouses. Flat iron and bavetta — shoulder and flank cuts respectively — are significantly less expensive than ribeye or tenderloin, but they are not inferior. They are different, with more pronounced flavor and more interesting texture that actually benefits from the charcoal arang kayu rambutan grilling that is central to Isabella’s cooking method.
This choice is both financially democratic — it allows the restaurant to serve genuinely excellent beef at prices that are relatively accessible for the quality level — and philosophically coherent with the Itameshi tradition. Japanese cuisine has a long history of applying extraordinary skill to humble ingredients; Italian cuisine celebrates the cucina povera tradition of doing exceptional things with inexpensive cuts. A steakhouse that honors secondary cuts is therefore more authentically Itameshi than one that simply puts a Japanese chef in front of an Italian menu.
The Charcoal and the Theater
The open kitchen at Isabella Steakhouse is not a marketing decision. It is a functional necessity. The charcoal made from rambutan wood that is used for grilling creates smoke and heat patterns that require monitoring and adjustment throughout the cooking process, and doing this well requires a chef who can see and smell what is happening in real time. The aroma — the distinctive sweetness of rambutan charcoal combining with the searing beef fat — is part of the dining experience itself.
Guests seated in view of the kitchen can watch the flat iron steaks being placed on the grill, observe the crust developing, see the chef check the internal temperature and make decisions about timing. This transparency is rare in fine dining, where the kitchen is typically hidden to maintain an illusion of effortless perfection. At Isabella, the effort is visible and the perfection is earned rather than performed.
The Italian Soul of the Menu
Beyond the steaks, the Italian dimension of the Itameshi concept is expressed through dishes like beef pizzette, beef stracotto (a long-braised beef that would be at home in an osteria in Bologna), cheese tortellini, and the lighter Mediterranean touches of salmon carpaccio and salmon alla Toscana. These dishes give non-beef-eaters a genuine reason to visit, and they provide the steaks with a culinary context that makes the meal feel complete rather than simply protein-focused.
The presence of pasta and pizza alongside prime beef in an upscale setting speaks to the Italian comfort with mixing registers in a single meal — the same tradition that produces the Italian Sunday lunch where antipasti, primo, secondo, and dolce are all consumed without anyone feeling that the sequence is excessive.
Conclusion
Isabella Steakhouse is doing something genuinely original in Jakarta’s crowded steakhouse market. By committing to the Itameshi philosophy rather than simply borrowing its aesthetics, by focusing on secondary cuts cooked with exceptional skill rather than expensive cuts that require less technical ability to produce well, and by creating a dining atmosphere that is warm rather than formal, it has carved out a position that no other restaurant in the city currently occupies. Whether you are a serious beef enthusiast or simply someone who wants an interesting dining experience, Isabella is worth your attention.
