It’s only been a couple of months since American smokehouse Meatsmith opened on the burgeoning hip eateries hub that is South Jakarta’s Gunawarman Street, and already it has launched a quick-service sister brand, Meatsmith Xpress.
Also Read — Review: New smokehouse Meatsmith sure knows how to craft great steak
Unlike Meatsmith, which prides itself as a smokehouse that holds no punches, Xpress offers quicker and more affordable meals like burgers and BBQ platters.
Occupying the same building as Meatsmith, you can order Xpress meals from its counter at the ground floor, and you can enjoy your meal at the semi-outdoor area or for take away. Alternatively, you can just order your burgers or BBQ platters from the comfort of your home via your trusted food delivery apps.
While Xpress has been in operation for some time, we were recently invited to their launching party, during which we tried a number of their dishes, including burgers and a chili dog.
Our meal began with the Brisket Spring Rolls, which we tried on our first visit to Meatsmith proper. We were then served the Southern Fried Chicken Burger (IDR88,000, a la carte), consisting of Southern Fried Chicken patty, iceberg lettuce, aioli, and pickled cucumber. The sandwich was thoroughly enjoyable, as the fried chicken was crispy and juicy while the aioli did enough to balance the flavors.
Additionally, I thought the buns were bouncy too, probably because Xpress used brioche to retain the shape and firmness to hold up the relatively compact fillings.
Moving on to the Chili Dog, which has not been added to Xpress’ menu at the time of writing. The fillings were a little on the salty side at first bite, though I got used to the taste until the last bite.
Next up was the Single Cheeseburger (IDR88,000, a la carte), which contained a beef patty, cheddar cheese, burger sauce, and pickled cucumber. It was also a tad salty, though the beef wasn’t dry. It also hit me that the pickles here tasted sweeter than any I’ve had before, which I thought gave a nice touch of freshness to complement the meat. You can also add IDR55,000 to make your burgers a combo with fries and a drink.
To finish off our meal, we had the tangy Lemon Curd Cheesecake (IDR48,000), which I have also tried before at Meatsmith.
Other dishes offered by Xpress include the Fish Po Boy Sandwich (IDR130,000), 200G Beef Brisket (IDR225,000, a la carte), 400G Beef Short Rib (IDR450,000), as well as sets including Nashville Fried Chicken with a doughnut and drink (IDR95,000).
There are also platters for two to four people with the highest priced being the BBQ Pack (IDR875,000), which includes the beef brisket and short rib, Beef Cheddar Jalapeño Sausage, Jerk Chicken Chop, cornbread, and pickles. All prices listed above are subject to charges and taxes, and they’re usually a couple thousand rupiah higher on food delivery apps.
For your information, Meatsmith and Meatsmith Xpress are owned and operated by the people behind Singapore’s famed Michelin-starred bar and grill, Burnt Ends. They were brought to Indonesia by Ateria Group, the same F&B company that operates trendy brands such as SaladStop! and % Arabica.
FIND IT
Meatsmith Xpress Jakarta
Jl. Gunawarman No. 17, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Opening hours: 11am-10pm, daily
RSVP and order through Whatsapp: +62 811-9730-2000
Online order via this link
US$1=IDR14,338
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