Docked at Cove at Batavia in Pantai Indah Kapuk, Talassa started with a simple question of “what can we do with the boat?” In came GIOI to present a different dining experience that makes the best of what’s available: a traditional phinisi schooner—acquired in collaboration with Agung Sedayu Group and Jakarta Phinisi—and a waterfront view, two things that are not your everyday sight in the city.
Since its opening in late March, Talassa has unsurprisingly become the star of the cove where dining on a boat, while not novel, begets its own appeal. It quickly becomes an experience that not many can walk away from, with RSVPs already filling up fast to get a taste of the on-deck joy.
The phinisi, which is also a type of sailing boat iconic to Indonesia’s maritime tradition, boasts two sleekly-designed private rooms and two sun deck areas aptly decorated with nautical-striped furnishings. A bar is built on the lower deck for drinks—a varied list of tropical cocktails and mocktails to wine selections—while a small kitchen is prepped to serve the on-deck set menus, which include the popular Seafood Tower of grilled scallops, fresh oysters, otoro tartare, along with garlic and chilled prawns.
Those, as well as the rest of the menu served at Talassa Station (the onshore restaurant just a brisk walk from the moored boat), are crafted and curated in collaboration with Oma Elly. Having teamed up with them on previous pop-up occasions, the team at GIOI found no hassle in uniting Oma Elly’s Italian taste notes with their own. The result is an inspired menu of seafood essentials with fusion flairs, such as the lobster & mentaiko, a plate of spaghetti with mentaiko sauce and grilled lobster, and otoro & avocado, a sharing plate of fresh otoro with orange and ginger dressing and avocado gelato.
The menu also plans to change up every few months, with Talassa ‘travelling’ to different coastal regions of the world and taking diners on a culinary expedition. “We plan to take a four-month trip to Spain, exploring the taste profiles of the region. Then we’ll go to Italy, and then maybe Japan next. We’ll even provide passports for this in the future. It’s little things like these that would make a different experience for our guests,” said Anthony Sadeli, founder of GIOI.
It’s easy for a concept like this to fall into hype, but Talassa made sure to equip its dining experience with exciting switches so guests would gladly come back. It’s a fresh break from the usual restaurant concept nonetheless, and those looking for a by-the-sea excursion can go on board with what Talassa has to offer.