Hooters has come to Jakarta! Really, this is one of the boldest moves in the restaurant industry in Indonesia, which is home to the biggest Islamic population in the world. The American restaurant chain serves food (chicken wings!) and drinks in a sports bar setting, with a slight twist – your meals are served by Hooters Girls – ladies in skimpy-tight outfits which leave little to the imagination. Their mascot is an owl (“hooter”) and the double-O’s may represent something else entirely…
How does it feel to dine with such unusual concept here in Jakarta? Let’s take a look!
This first Indonesian Hooters restaurant is open in Kemang, South Jakarta, a region with many foreigners and foreign establishments. It is also known as one of the upscale areas in Jakarta. As I walked to the entrance, a bulky but friendly gatekeeper welcomed me. Quickly he found a table for me, right in the middle of the restaurant. It turns out they just opened last Friday, March 24. The place was packed both inside and outside. Outside there were many office workers waiting to get in, but it would take a long wait before they could get big tables for themselves and their co-workers.
Hooters is one cozy sports bar with so many small screens surrounding you and one giant screen at the back. If you like sports, this may be one good alternative to enjoy one match or two with your friends. The waitresses however, can easily distract you from watching any screen. Some of them are very hot they can make some men sweating in nervousness haha. While Hooters is obviously aimed at adult men, surprisingly I saw one little kid brought here by her parents. I wonder what she would be thinking then…
In any case, Hooters is famous for their (real) chicken wings, which are available in 4 distinct variations: Original Hooters Breaded Wings, Hooters Naked Wings, Boneless Wings, and Bacon-Wrapped Wings. The first 3 cost:
IDR 85,000 for 6 pcs,
IDR 145,000 for 12 pcs,
IDR 220,000 for 18 pcs.
While the Bacon-Wrapped Wings will set you back IDR 95,000 for 6 pcs and IDR 155,000 for 12 pcs. No 18 pcs option, unfortunately. I imagined chicken wings and bacon may be too salty and being a first-timer here, I chose the Original Hooters Breaded Wings. You are given multiple options for sauce: from hottest to mildest, 911, 3 Mile, Hot, Daytona Beach, Thai Sweet Chili, BBQ, Mild, Parmesan Garlic, Lemon Pepper Rub.
The wings are lightly-breaded. Once you start it’s difficult to stop. Very nice. I strongly recommend these sauces: Hot (even if you don’t like spicy food, this tastes quite nice), Lemon Pepper (very strong lemon & pepper taste, but not spicy), and Daytona Beach (a little spicy). Back in the USA, 3 Mile was one of my favorites. However, yesterday I didn’t have the chance to try it here so I don’t know yet.
Beverages: Pepsi, IDR 60,000. Iced Lemon Tea. IDR 35,000.
Service Charge 10%, then Government Tax 10%.
Hooters Jakarta
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 5, Bangka, Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta 12730, Indonesia
Opens everyday from 11 AM – 2 AM.
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