At both Crio Menteng and Criollo Plaza Indonesia, a seasonal menu is inviting diners to explore how spice can shape the way we taste and feel. Called “Flavors on Fire”, this two-month collaboration between Crio Group and Tabasco Sauce focuses on the role of heat in modern cooking—not just as a flavor, but as a mood.
The menu features five creations that use Tabasco Sauce in different ways. Each dish is designed to show how a small amount of heat can shift the balance of a plate, adding contrast, warmth, or brightness depending on the context.
One of the main courses is Burnt Striploin with Tabasco Sauce, a grilled Angus striploin served with creamy leek, crispy potato chips, and a buttery sauce infused with Tabasco. The meat is smoky and tender, while the sauce adds a gentle spark that lingers. Another dish, Blaze Beef with Tabasco Sauce, made with chuck-eye roll, is slow-cooked for 48 hours and topped with mushroom gravy. The heat here is soft and steady, blending into the richness of the beef.
For seafood, there’s Orange Cod with Tabasco Sauce, a smoked black cod paired with burnt broccoli, citrus-vanilla sauce, and Andaliman furikake. The Tabasco adds a sharp note that lifts the sweetness and smoke. The dessert is a Cinnamon Bonbon Tabasco Sauce with a smooth filling and a mild peppery finish. It’s not spicy in the usual sense, but the warmth is there—quiet and unexpected. The cocktail, called Kind of Martini, combines gin, vermouth, tomato, and barbecue syrup. It’s savory and fresh, with a slow-building heat that complements the drink’s herbal character.
Chef William Cecario Pakpahan, who leads the kitchen at Crio, says the collaboration is about using heat as a creative tool. “We think of spice as something that can change the rhythm of a dish,” he says. “It’s not just about intensity—it’s about movement.”
Available until the end of November, the “Flavors on Fire” menu offers a calm, thoughtful look at how spice can be used to shape flavor and feeling. It’s a quiet experiment in contrast, warmth, and the small shifts that make a dish memorable.
Criollo
Plaza Indonesia Extension L4, Gondangdia, Menteng, Central Jakarta City, Jakarta 10350
