Thailand is filled with beautiful sights and tasty cuisines, and one particular restaurant in Jakarta tries to bring them all for your pleasure with a resounding name: Jittlada, which means a large royal palace. Jittlada restaurant strives in making each of its meal fit for a king.

• The Vibe
  One particular note about The Jittlada restaurant is that it is inarguably huge. It is definitely one of the largest, non-fast food restaurants in Jakarta . The Restaurant occupies a two story building in the Manggarai Street , which is not exactly a common location to open a dining spot. The problem of traffic is heightened recently due to the building of a bus-way route. However, parking is no problem, since The Jittlada has a decent parking lot and you could always use the carpark in the neighbouring building.

  The interior is spacious and maintains the cultural beauty and respectable air in its decorations. When eating downstairs, the experience may strike you akin to attending an invitation from the royal family, and in a minute a gong will sound to announce the king's arrival. Super high ceilings and an altar-like wall decorated with distinctive Thai artifacts conjure strong statements of the restaurant's sophistication. Meanwhile, the warm lighting and the trickling waters on the wall, just behind a couple of large wooden carvings depicting traditional Thai boats, create a relaxing mood.

  The lounge and bar area is upstairs with three ornately decorated private dining rooms for those who shun the masses and prefer more privacy. Apparently, only one private dining room is currently operating, but the other two would soon be fully furnished to operate.

• The Food
  Start your meal with the light and sweet Kai Ho Bai Tay, which is marinated chicken wrapped in toey leaf. The two-bite sizes of chicken carries a slightly smoky aroma and flavor, and the accompanying sauce made out of sweet soy sauce and sesame seeds gives this meal a delightful stickiness.

  Those who are in favor for a one main course dish should try the restaurant's Pad Thai. The fried rice noodles with bean curd and prawn is served with pickled chili vinegar garlic. Beware, however, that this is one hot dish. The blend of spicy and sour flavor could be found in most Thai dishes and the Jittlada's Pad Thai is no exception. When combined with the accompanying vinegar, the result could be quite explosive. The noodles are thick in texture and hence, the meal can be quite fulfilling.

  Looking for something fresh? Then try the Yam Pla Duk Foo - Thailand 's fruit salad. Of course don't expect that usual fruit salad served in cocktail parties. The Yam Pla Duk Foo is green mango salad topped with crispy shreds of catfish meat and parsley leaves which give out the usual zing, while the catfish adds a little savory flavor to the sweet and slightly sour mango. The combination might sound a little odd on paper, but it is actually quite addictive once you try it.

  For dessert, treat yourself to a meal consisting of the king of all fruits: the Durian. The Kheo Niam Duren is Durian served over Thai sticky rice - A gluttonous and indulging finishing meal indeed.

The SD Food Advisor's take on The Jittlada
Wonderful interiors and huge space makes the Jittlade a great venue for office gatherings or small celebrations. The food is quite traditional and follows most of Thai cuisine's rule-of-the-thumb, therefore those who are already familiar with Thai Food should not feel lost. The menu offers a lot of options and the staffs are friendly.