Shrimp Scampi Aglio Olio @ The Goods Diner, Jakarta

There’s an emerging food scene in Jakarta that replicates the American casual dining experience. In the US, burgers and fries may be a humdrum variety, but bring that to Southeast Asia and suddenly you get an annoying transatlantic icon worshipped by carefree diners and young couples.  

It’s strange to go out in the city and see Burger King outlet rubbing shoulder to shoulder with the chain Padang eatery Sederhana. I often find imported culture unsightly and unfitting for the local scene, but on the other hand, I can’t help but welcome the reification of American “casual” dining. For once, I get to enjoy my brunch with Motown music in my hometown. 

The Goods Diner, located at Fairgrounds in Sudirman SCBD, is a recent addition to this scene. Their claim to fame is their coffee-rubbed burger, which is a normal beef patty topped with bacon bits and barbecue sauce.

For someone who has had Shake Shack, Umami and In-n-Out burger, I was quite impressed by their Brie Mushroom burger. The pungent Brie cheese gave the presumably boring burger a kick equivalent to the effect of truffle oil or foie gras. At the same time, the umami-twisted Brie was almost a necessary compensation for the low quality of the beef patty. Any seasoned beefeater could immediately tell that the patty didn’t come from the best beef concoction, and that a lot of the flavoring was derived from pepper and hickory seasoning. But, I’d argue that the overall taste was still balanced and that the burger was good for the price.

When I came back for the second time, I was disappointed by their foie gras burger. The foie gras was bland and the condiment was overcaramelized. Since those two things didn’t work out, the burger tasted commonplace and nearly killed my buzz.

The shrimp scampi aglio olio was much better done. It’s one of the few aglio olios in town that stays true to the namesake (garlic and oil) and doesn’t try to hard to be appetizing. Garlic. Oil. Chili. Shrimp. Just wonderful.

Despite its shortcomings, The Goods Diner is not bad. I definitely recommend the aglio olio and the spicy crab tagliatelle if you visit The Goods Diner. The pastas are more on the well-done side, so if you’re an al-dente person, tell the chef to undercook the pasta. And while you’re there, enjoy plenty of sunshine and good music.

The Goods Diner
Fairgrounds (former Bengkel Night Park)
SCBD, Lot 14, Jakarta
+62215152969