After more than a decade of cooking in Italian restaurants across Jakarta, Arie Wibowo decided to do things himself, and in the simplest way possible. At Topaz, he makes handmade pasta in a garage and serves it in the front yard.
Arie runs the pasta joint with his wife, Annisa Jusuf, who joins him in making fresh batches of pasta every day inside their relatives’ garage, tucked away in Cilandak along an inclining road. Outside, the garage opens onto a modest dining area furnished with simple tables, decorative picnic mats, string lights and greenery. About a year since the idea first took shape, the yard has become a casual place for people to gather with their loved ones over plates of pasta, without much fuss.
“Maybe because it feels like a home, people also feel welcome here,” shared Annisa. “Some people come with their whole family and feel like they’re having a family gathering. A lot of people come just to sit and hang out with their friends for a while and linger for a bit. Some even come just for dessert. They’ll stop by after work, take a little break, and unwind from the stress of work before dealing with the stress of traffic again.”
For Arie and Annisa, having their own pasta joint also means having the freedom to serve pasta their way. Topaz offers seven varieties, spanning thin and wide handmade ribbons alongside familiar dry pastas such as fusilli and spaghetti. Diners can mix and match their pasta with the sauces on the menu. Pappardelle, for instance, works particularly well with Pesto, its broad ribbons providing enough surface area to hold onto the almond, basil, garlic and parmesan sauce. Tagliolini, on the other hand, pairs naturally with Creamy Pepperoncino, its delicate strands picking up the punchy flavours of garlic and chilli flakes.
For those looking for a familiar classic, Spaghetti Carbonara is an easy choice. Arie and Annisa don’t claim to have reinvented the dish. Instead, they simply make it the way they believe carbonara is best. Unlike some modern variations, no milk is added for thickness. The sauce comes together with egg and parmesan, loosened with pasta water. The result is a lighter coating that doesn’t overwhelm each bite, leaving room for the pan-seared beef toppings to add a crisp contrast.
By the time plates of pasta give way to desserts like the Klapertaart, the sense of comfort here becomes most apparent. Because for a place that appears simple at first glance, there is plenty happening at Topaz. There is the movement in the garage kitchen, the different pasta and sauce combinations, and the warm glow of string lights as night falls, all happening around a few simple tables in the front yard. Perhaps that is where this “toko pasta” finds its charm. Italian pasta may be at the centre of the table, but the way people gather around it still feels distinctly local. It doesn’t take much to make an evening out of it with just a plate of pasta and good company around the table.
