The Shopdeca.com team then went on to shoot The Curators Project with fellow power woman and fashion blogger Clara Devi at Otel Lobby, Kuningan. While we were there, we also met with renowned chef Maya Aldy, a true power woman herself.
Maya is a top chef and co-owner of Otel Lobby, an eatery where guests can indulge in great food, top class cocktails, and sink into the extravagance of its hotel-like ambience. The eatery is inspired by a hotel in London that Maya visited in the past. The idea that you could order cocktails and chill out at a hotel lobby while using it as a meeting point was totally foreign to Jakarta, and Maya decided to bring it over to this city.
Maya gave us the inside scoop the inspirations behind the concept of Otel Lobby, its best dishes and cocktails, and of course, the challenges of being a power woman in the food and beverage industry.
When did you realize you wanted to be a chef?
M: For as long as I remember. It was started when I was 5 in my grandmother’s kitchen. The older I get, the more I cook, the more I see happy people eating my food, the more I feel like the kitchen is my happy place.
What inspires you?
M: Friends eating together, traveling to places, meeting new people, my grandma and the market.
What achievements are you most proud of?
M: In my profession, the proudest moment is when you know you can actually share and pass on the knowledge that you have.
In this case, when your staff that used to be your line cook got offered as a sous-chef at other restaurants.
Also, I’m pretty proud to say that I cooked for few presidents. I cooked for President Clinton, President Senior Bush and President SBY.
What are the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur?
M: The general challenge would be the same like any entrepreneur in any gender. But being an Asian women who lives in an Asian Country, you will sometime get that funny look when you enter an industry that is dominated by men, like the kitchen industry.
When you come in and say “I can cook” or “I want to be your chef”, you’re going to get that doubtful look on whether or not you can do it.
Regardless what challenges that you might come across in any industry, if you’re a born entrepreneur you can always say to yourself that you know you’re good at what you’re doing. Keep believing in yourself and things will fall into places.
Tell us how OTEL Lobby comes about.
M: The talks started at 2009, my best friend and I who are also my partner in OTEL Lobby, we often talk about having a nice concept of eatery in Jakarta where people can always come in and feel comfortable with whatever state that they’re in. They can wear sandals or any clothes they want to wear to have a nice dinner and cocktails.
One summer in 2010, we went to London and stayed in a nice hotel. We were thinking that it would be great if we can have this kind of hotel in Jakarta where you can just chill out at the Lobby, order a cocktail, or use it as a meeting point before you go out for a dinner. Then the talk sort of continues and we decided to go with the OTEL Lobby.
We started the construction on 2010 and then we opened our door at the end of 2010. We’ve been opened for as close as three years.
Tell us more about the design of OTEL Lobby.
M: I like monochromatic and earthy colours. You can see a hint of teal colour in the restaurant that represents the colour of the sea. I’m also pretty obsessive about strong lines and the flow of the design.
When we designed OTEL Lobby, we designed it as to when guests sit everywhere, they can still see a lot of corners in the restaurants.
I can say that the design is a little bit rustic mixed with exciting designs from a lot of designers. We just pick up all these ideas and inspirations when we go traveling.
Favourite food and drinks from OTEL Lobby?
M: If I’m in a mood of serious eating at OTEL Lobby, I will start in a bar and I would order a cocktail of my favourite. I’m a classic cocktail kind of person. Two of my favourite drinks are Negroni and the Old-Fashioned.
We have this dish that falls in to the category of Appetizer, we called it the Duck Buns. It’s actually a small sandwich filled with crispy duck that have been cooked for a long multiple time; marinated, steamed, and fried that duck. It went through a lot of process, so it’s special to me. I would order that while waiting for a table.
Soon as I’m seated, I would start with a salad. Depends on the mood, but I’m crazy about our slow-cooked salmon paired with a glass of white wine.
I will finish my dinner with a coconut sorbet. We like to create our own ice cream and sorbet. If it’s not too late I’m going to order a cup of coffee and cookies.
What are the three things you can’t live without?
M: At home, I will have everything that I need. But if I’m traveling I won’t go without my running shoes, facial cream by Chanel and yoga pants.
What are your favourite items from Shopdeca?
M: MISCHA handbags and home furnishing design by Toi Moi.
Maya is wearing her Mischa Jet Set Tote
Shop our TOIMOI Collection here.
Future plans for OTEL Lobby?
M: We’ve been having OTEL Lobby for 3 years. We decided that it’s time to branch out. We’re looking somewhere around that other part of South Jakarta. We are thinking to open it just a small place to cater the earlybird or people who likes to have their breakfast all day. So that might be our next project, hopefully we can open our door to customer by the end of first semester next year.
What defines a Power Woman?
M: There are a lot of power women amongst us. But I think what define a power woman is a woman who has a will of their own, woman who is fearless, have a lot of belief in things they’re doing and decisions in life.
Most of women are power woman, regardless what place they’re in, what position or business that they have.
If you could have lunch with any power woman in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
M: Right now if I have to pick, it’s going to be Julia Child. I really want to cook together with her. She was a quirky one. I can imagine us having wine together in the afternoon.
Anything else you want to share to Shopdeca community?
M: I’m really grateful to be chosen as one of the Power Women by Shopdeca and Mischa. All I can say to all the women out there is to believe in what you do and in yourself and let everything else do it’s magic.
Unik, kesan itulah yang pertama kali akan anda rasakan begitu menginjakkan kaki di tempat ini. Sesuai dengan namanya yang diambil dari kata hotel lobby, maka yang menarik adalah Otel Lobby berhasil memindahkan suasana sebuah lobi hotel lengkap dengan segala detail seperti tumpukan beberapa buah koper, sofa nyaman dan juga meja resepsionis pada saat anda memasuki tempat ini.
Meskipun baru saja berdiri pada bulan Oktober 2011, namun Otel Lobby sudah cukup mencuri hati beberapa komunitas foodie di Jakarta.
Nuansa kayu dan penggunaan warna seperti hitam dan abu-abu, membuat Otel Lobby terkesan hangat dan klasik.
Salah satu bagian menarik adalah adanya beberapa sofa bundar berbentuk setengah lingkaran yang menghiasi beberapa bagian dari tempat ini sehingga anda dapat menikmati makanan anda bersama grup teman atau pasangan dalam suasana yang intim.
Jika anda menginginkan suasana yang lebih santai saat menikmati makan pagi atau segelas kopi atau teh di sore hari maka area outdoor dapat anda jadikan pilihan.
Sebagai menu pembuka, maka Wagyu Cheese Spring Roll akan membuat anda ingin terus mengunyah tanpa henti. Perpaduan rasa gurih dan renyah dari spring roll ini akan disajikan dengan home made sauce yang fresh karena khusus dibuat oleh Otel Lobby.
Jika anda menginginkan sesuatu yang berbeda dan tidak biasa, maka Roasted Beet Salad yang disajikan dengan keju ricotta dan taburan kacang dapat anda jadikan alternatif pilihan.
Untuk makanan utama, maka Bistro Burger dengan porsi yang cukup besar dengan daging yang juicy merupakan salah satu menu yang wajib anda coba dari Otel Lobby.
Untuk anda penyuka ikan, maka jangan lewatkan Roasted Barramundi yang disajikan dengan lemon potato dan spinach.
OTL- Fried Chicken Bucket menjadi salah satu menu andalan selanjutnya dari Otel Lobby. Potongan ayam goreng yang renyah ini disajikan dengan Parmagiano-Jalapeno Biscuit dan juga Coleslaw.
Daging ayam yang di marinate dengan sempurna sebelum digoreng ini terasa sangat juicy karena bumbu meresap sampai ke gigitan terakhir anda.
Sebagai makanan penutup, maka Orange Vanilla Pannacota ataupun Chocolate and Cherry Pudding with chocolate sauce merupakan pilihan yang tepat untuk menutup serangkaian pesanan anda.
Untuk anda penyuka cocktail, maka Otel Lobby memiliki serangkaian pilihan cocktail dan mocktail yang khusus dibuat salah satunya oleh Ben Browning seorang mixologist yang beberapa kali memenangkan penghargaan dan sudah diakui untuk skala Internasional.
( Burning Mandarin )
( Espress-Yo-Love )
Salah satu konsep yang sangat menarik dan diterapkan oleh Otel Lobby adalah “Locavore yaitu makanan yang dibuat dari bahan-bahan lokal” dimana hampir seluruh bahan baku seperti saus tomat, sambal sampai dengan roti hingga kentang goreng yang digunakan, dibuat sendiri oleh Otel Lobby dengan bahan-bahan yang didapatkan hampir sebagian besar didapatkan dari petani lokal. Sebuah filosofi “ From farm to the kitchen” yang diusung oleh Otel Lobby sangat menarik tentunya, selain untuk mendapatkan kualitas yang selalu terjaga karena hanya menggunakan bahan-bahan yang segar, hal ini sekaligus dapat mensejahterakan para petani lokal.
Otel Lobby merupakan salah satu tempat yang dapat anda jadikan alternatif pilihan untuk menghabiskan malam Natal atau Tahun Baru anda, pastikan anda melakukan reservasi terlebih dahulu sebelum anda berkunjung ke tempat ini. Selamat mencoba!!
Otel Lobby
http://www.otellobby.com/
The Annex Building of Bakrie Tower
Epicentrum-Kuningan Jakarta Selatan
Reservasi :
021-299 41324
021- 5610 0361
The Annex Buildi
