When The Coach Restaurant opened in Jakarta last year, it didn’t just bring a new dining destination to town—it introduced a full-blown New York state of mind. Posh, glamorous, but never uptight, the restaurant’s yellow cab centerpiece and mood-lit interiors hint at its origins: this is a steakhouse with a story, as told by the city that never sleeps.
On a recent visit, I felt that unmistakable energy—something between cinematic and casual, like stepping into a movie scene. And from what I’ve seen, the vibe was familiar: generous plates, glimmering cocktails, and an atmosphere made for conversation.
Executive Chef Gabriel Jamias stands behind the concept with clear intent. “We are proud to call ourselves an American steakhouse,” he says. Jamias has cooked in some of the world’s most well-known kitchens—from Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen to Wolfgang Puck’s CUT—and now draws from that experience to build something distinct in Jakarta: a New York-style steakhouse grounded in bold, quality-driven cooking.
At the center of the menu is a lineup of dry-aged USDA Prime cuts, matured in-house for 28 to 35 days. Signature offerings include the hefty T-bone, Porterhouse, and Cowboy steak—each served with a charred crust developed over local Binchotan charcoal and lychee wood. “We don’t chase grill marks here. What we want is flavor,” Jamias explains.
Seasoning is another point of pride. The in-house rub blends Balinese sea salt with local aromatics like onion, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. “It’s not just salt and pepper. It’s depth,” he adds. Even the sauces lean on tradition with a twist: béarnaise, mushroom truffle, barbecue, and Heinz 57—all made in-house. Requests for classics like peppercorn or red wine sauce? They’re happy to do it.
The menu doesn’t try to be clever—it’s honest. Shrimp cocktails, steak tartare made from trimmings, and sliders built from thin-sliced striploin echo the classics. “We’re not trying to reinvent anything. We just do it right,” says Jamias. The team even makes the buns for their burgers in-house, combining potato roll softness with brioche richness, paired with duck-fat waffle fries and Heinz ketchup. Even the burger is built on simplicity: meat, cheese, house-baked bun, and ketchup. “No vegetables, no truffles. Just flavor.”
Jamias describes his vision of a great steakhouse as straightforward, generous, and driven by flavor. “A true American steakhouse leans into quality and portions. Big cuts, bold seasoning, and good service,” he says. “But we don’t want the experience to feel stiff. We’re not fine dining—we’re fun dining.” There’s no pressure to order in a certain way, no expectation to dine with cutlery if you’d rather eat your burger with your hands—just how Jamias himself prefers. “I eat my burger with my hands. That’s the American way,” he laughs.
Still, the attention to detail is meticulous. From Coach-branded napkin holders to the signature leather accents in the décor, the brand’s DNA seeps into the space subtly, without overwhelming the food. “It’s been designed by the Creative Director and team from Coach,” Jamias notes.
Beyond beef, the menu is peppered with East Coast favorites—oysters, shrimp cocktail, a seafood tower. Even the baramundi nods to local roots, seasoned with a chimichurri-style sambal hijau. “I call it chillichuri,” he boasted. “It’s a mix of parsley, olive oil, and local green chilies.”
The menu is designed with sharing in mind, and that might be what sets the experience apart. I found the generous cuts ideal for groups. It’s the kind of place where a martini signals the start of a night out, and where the mood is always one step closer to a dinner party than a formal meal. “We don’t want stiff white tablecloths,” Jamias says. “We want music. We want interaction.”
Looking ahead, Jamias teases future collaborations, including four-hands dinners, fashion runways, and bartender guest shifts—transforming the restaurant into a space for more than just steak. “It’s about the energy,” he says. “Bringing New York to Jakarta, but with an Indonesian heartbeat.” It’s a restaurant that carries glamor without feeling pretentious, a place built around food that’s made for sharing, and a night out meant to be fun.
The Coach Restaurant
Grand Indonesia West Mall
Jl. Teluk Betung No.45A Ground Floor, Kebon Melati, Tanah Abang, Jakarta, Indonesia 10230
