After honing his skills for 11 years in the United States, chocolatier Richie Pratadaja returned to Jakarta and opened his very first restaurant, Crio. Located in Menteng, behind the unassuming facade of the restaurant hides a treasure. In Spanish, Crio means ‘to create, and creating mesmerizing delights is what Richie does best.
“It’s quite difficult for me to describe Crio, but if I have to describe it in one word, It’s exciting. Because we never stop creating, and we never stop improving. We want to create create create and be better every day,” Richie stated.
The moment I arrived, the large pane window took my attention away. Richie was preparing some of his famous Bon Bon for the day. This restaurant’s combination of ambiance and natural light, with velvety seats and marbled tables, presents a warm and elegant feel. And in all honesty, the restaurant’s ambiance serves as the perfect mirror of what Richie has to offer, sophisticated yet comforting at the same time. “When I created this company, I wanted it to be a one-stop experience, where people can enjoy our savory food, desserts, and cocktail bars.”
With the concept being a Tapas style Restaurant, Richie wanted Crio to be a place where people can spend quality time indulging in good food, drinks, and a good companion.
There are numerous ways to define tapas. When foreigners attempt to comprehend the significance of tapas, the tendency for each region of Spain to experience them in their unique way might be confusing. In a nutshell, tapas can be defined as tiny plates to share. However, the social significance of tapas goes much deeper than that; it has to do with the joy of tasting food, happiness, and companionship. And that is what Richie wanted to show through his creations.
“In my opinion, instead of just ordering one main course each and one appetizer, then you can order a few appetizer sizes you can share and become a full meal,” he explained.
“The whole concept of Crio is a one-stop experience. People who come here can enjoy savory food, sweets, and beverages. It’s a place where people can dine and have a good time simultaneously.”
When it comes to experience, for me, Crio was like a journey. Richie has honed his skills working with renowned chefs and chocolatiers and has gone to a few competitions, so you know he is a man of his word. Several delicacies and confectionaries are displayed with lively colors, from Bonbon, Chocolate Bars, and mini cakes.
“In total, we have 26 flavors. For the Bonbon, I do it fresh every other day because when I do Bonbon, I can do around 100 – 200 pieces per flavor.”
These sweet and small confections originated from the French language and simply meant “candy.” But there is not one simple thing in the bonbons Richie offered. We’ve tried around four different Bonbons, and it left us almost speechless. To say it is a simple sweet is an understatement because behind those little treats are packed with lots of flavor combinations and mesmerizing layers in tiny delights. The ingredients aren’t just your typical chocolate with nuts, fruits, or something you can easily find everywhere.
The bonbons were something I’ve never tasted before, using out-of-the-box ingredients like cayenne pepper or even Kluwek, and served in different textures. Like the limited edition flavor, Ivy is a combination of rosella gel, yuzu ganache, and black sesame kluwek, a combination you would never expect. Every bit of the tiny treats is an unexpected journey awes us in admiration.
“For me, chocolate has to be fun. The flavor has to be pronounced. Let’s say you want to do passion fruit; then it has to taste like passion fruit; you have to be true to itself, and the flavor has to be there. I also do fun chocolate, like coconut-infused lemon grass with peanut and cayenne pepper. There’s always something fun in every flavor, and at the end of the day, it has to have a pleasant taste.” Riche spoke about how creativity is vital to him. Being back in his hometown, his journey of making Crio alive also embraces his childhood memories and discovers different kinds of ingredients he usually used back in the US.
Aside from the bonbons, we also tried two different chocolate bars; the Hazelnut offers a robust and thick hazelnut flavor with a slight bit of saltiness that compliments the chocolate. In contrast, the Rum Raisins are a bit acidic and sweet surprise; the chocolate bar is covered with caramelized white chocolate rum ganache that kicks up your palette.
Last is the row of mini cakes I have been eyeing for a while. Every week, Richie will put new cake flavors, and at that time, I got to try the famous Mr. Earl and a new flavor, Citrus Caramelia.
And just like the bonbons, these cakes are crafted with unique ingredients. The Citrus Caramelia was fragrant, with a blend full of texture and a delightfully sweet taste. Not to mention the mesmerizing layered inside the cake, caramelized white chocolate mousse combines with honey citrus caramel, blood orange kedondong gel, brown sugar sponge, and caramelized puffed rice. Each of the ingredients complements each other well.
I’ve always loved Earl Grey, and Mr. Earl just took my love further. Smooth, silky, and delicate, this cake is a mix between Earl Grey Tea Bavaroise, orange caramel cremeux, dark sponge, and dark chocolate sable. At the first bite, the earl grey flavor will mesmerize your palette, followed by a tangy yet fresh taste from the orange caramel cremeux.
Suppose you recall the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the scene where the children discovered that everything near the chocolate fountain was edible, and how their eyes lit up with excitement. In that case, that’s how I imagine myself learning Crio’s chocolate.
Just like life is unexpected, to me, Crio serves as a journey where every little thing comes as a delightful surprise.
Crio
Jl. Teuku Cik Ditiro No.43, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
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