4.5 stars on Google? I tested this Jakarta BBQ buffet so you don't have to.
qponx
2026-01-24
Tempted by a 4.5-star rating and a low price? This review exposes the horrifying reality of a popular Jakarta BBQ buffet. Far from a great deal, it's a dining disaster featuring frozen meat, terrible service, and appalling hygiene—including hair, metal shavings, and even maggots found in the food. This cautionary tale is a must-read for anyone who trusts online ratings, serving as a stark warning to avoid this nightmarish all-you-can-eat experience at all costs.
Friends, who gets it! I stumbled upon this Japanese BBQ buffet with a 4.5-star rating on Google[1] and an average cost of just over 100k per person[2], and I thought, I'd be a fool not to take advantage of this deal. The result… Anjay, this wasn't taking advantage of a deal, it was a life lesson. A real-world lesson on"pictures are for reference only" and"reviews can be faked." 🤦♀️
An Immersive Disaster Experience
Something felt off the moment I walked in. The lighting was dim, the place was small and cramped, and the air was stuffy with a mix of indescribable smells. The tables were sticky, the grill paper tore at the slightest touch, and even the hot pot had some suspicious mold around the rim...[3] I honestly wanted to walk out right then and there.
Fine, since I'm already here, might as well try to make the best of it and start eating. Turns out, the trays in the buffet area were basically all empty[4]. Want to get more meat? The staff couldn't be bothered[5]. After waiting twenty minutes, they'd slowly bring you one plate, and it was freaking frozen solid[6]. The meat quality was beyond words. The beautiful marbled meat from the promotional pictures turned into"blocks of fat" that were mostly white, or"lean slices" as tough as shoe leather on my plate. The soup base? No different from plain boiled water[7].
Halfway through the meal, my friend suddenly went quiet and told me to look at her food... there was a very obvious strand of hair in the salad. Okay, I could still tolerate that. But the most shocking part was when a guy at the next table found a metal shaving in his food and shouted that he also saw... a maggot...[8] The moment I heard that, I put down my chopsticks. I just couldn't eat anymore. Mantap, this meal was just full of surprises.
The only highlight? Non-existent
If I had to name something edible, it would probably be the bowl of Nasi Mentai[9]. But seriously, spending over 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah[10] just for a bowl of mentai rice? Why didn't I just order delivery? Meanwhile, the manager was loudly scolding the staff nearby[11]. The whole restaurant's atmosphere was so awkward it was cringeworthy, and I just wanted to pay the bill and run.
A Guide to Avoiding This Disaster (Save this quick!)
- Don't trust the ratings: The Google rating is highly inflated. The recent flood of one-star reviews reflects the reality. Don't be fooled!
- Don't be tempted by the cheap price: For this price[12], you get low-quality food, terrible service, and extremely poor hygiene. Totally not worth it.
- Don't have any illusions: The meat isn't fresh[13], the food isn't restocked quickly[14], and the staff play favorites[15]—these are all real issues. Don't think"maybe I was just unlucky"; after reading the reviews, everyone's experience is pretty much the same.
- In conclusion: Run! Don't come! There are so many good AYCE places in Jakarta. This one, promise me, you'll just blacklist it, okay?
- Google 4.5-star, 100k-ish per person Japanese BBQ buffet [1][2]. Seemed a steal, but a harsh "pics for reference only" lesson.
- Mid-meal, next table's guy found metal shavings, then yelled about maggots [3]! What a "surprise"!
- Salad had hair, grill sticky, meat frozen solid [4], staff ignored us [5]—redefines "bad."
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