Afternoons at Raffles Jakarta are taking on a new rhythm this season, shaped by a collaboration that brings together two pastry voices from different corners of the archipelago. The hotel has joined hands with Room4Dessert Bali, the dessert destination founded by Chef Will Goldfarb, alongside its own Executive Pastry Chef Putra Anom, to create an afternoon tea that feels both rooted and reimagined.
Room4Dessert began far from Bali, in New York City in 2005, where Goldfarb’s work was influenced by the pace and intensity of the culinary scene. His move to Ubud marked a shift toward a slower, more thoughtful approach, where desserts became not only indulgent but expressive, connected to land and tradition. That philosophy now meets the setting of Raffles Jakarta, where the collaboration highlights shared values of heritage, craft, and hospitality.
The menu reflects this meeting point. Ingredients are chosen with care, sourced from across Indonesia—vanilla from Sulawesi, Kusamba sea salt from Bali, and fruits that carry stories of place and cultivation. For Goldfarb, food is not only about taste but about healing and reconnection, a principle that guides the creations presented here. Chef Putra Anom interprets these desserts through the lens of Indonesian painter Hendra Gunawan, translating their spirit into colors, textures, and forms that suit the city’s pace while keeping their island soul intact.
Among the highlights is Red, a composition that brings together ingredients of the same hue—watermelon, rosella, and other red tones—layered to explore harmony in flavor and color. Pandanbert, one of Room4Dessert’s signatures, draws from Balinese offerings and is reshaped into a refined, delicate form. Whiskey Torture Turgenev places grilled pineapple at its center, weaving together literary references and the atmosphere of The Writers Bar at Raffles. Closing the experience is a Caramel Chocolate Crème Brûlée, a nod to Goldfarb’s New York roots, balancing comfort with quiet elegance.
The collaboration is not about recreating one place in another, but about dialogue—between Bali and Jakarta, between tradition and reinterpretation, between the island’s slower rhythm and the city’s constant movement. Guests are invited to take part in that dialogue, to pause in the midst of Jakarta’s pace, and to experience desserts that carry both memory and imagination.
Raffles Jakarta
Ciputra World
Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio No.Kav 3 – 5, Kuningan, Karet Kuningan, Kecamatan Setiabudi, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12940
