Keraton Damai

Since 1992, Keraton Damai (Palace of Peace) has been located on Groot Hertoginnelaan in The Hague and is widely regarded as one of the city's best Indonesian restaurants. Reservations are therefore an absolute must. Traditional East Javanese cuisine shines in the long, narrow dining hall, which is decorated with unmistakably Indonesian touches. Standout features include the intricately carved wooden walls and the abundance of wayang puppets. The menu features starters, main courses, bami goreng and nasi goreng specialties, and last but not least, several rice tables that are extremely popular. These can be ordered for groups of two or more. Soon after ordering, hot serving dishes arrive at the table, brimming with delicious plates such as ayam opor, gadogado, rendang, sambal goreng telor, and four different types of satay. It is recommended to try the goat meat skewer first, as it is best enjoyed warm, alongside many other offerings. We pair the meal with jasmine tea. A particularly thoughtful touch is that tap water requests are always honored and refilled free of charge without needing to ask. For coffee, we order a slice of spekkoek. Highly recommended! The value for money is excellent, and praise goes to the staff, who work quietly yet efficiently to ensure every table is perfectly attended.

In 1992, Keraton Damai (translation: Palace of Peace), owned by the Haris family, opened its doors on the stately Groot Hertoginnelaan in The Hague. To this day, guests can enjoy Indonesian cuisine here, with East Javanese cooking traditions taking center stage. While there is an extensive menu, the various rice tables are highly popular. The dining room feels welcoming in its cozy, living-room-like setting, adorned with unmistakable Oriental details such as handmade traditional wooden walls and colorful wayang puppets. Vibrant orchids bloom everywhere you look, contributing to a relaxed atmosphere. Son Frans Haris has been running the place for several years now, proving himself a charming host whose attentive eye misses nothing. The friendly staff quickly bring a jug of cool tap water along with the menu and wine list, which features many fine wines from Alsace. We order the Keraton Damai rice table and can choose our base from white rice, nasi, bami, or lontong. Served on warm chafing dishes are platters containing no fewer than four types of satay—chicken, lamb, pork, and prawn—alongside spicy daging rendang, crispy coconut vegetables, sambal goreng tempeh, and many other delicacies. We pair it with fragrant jasmine tea, a refreshing change. Rightfully a reliable fixture in this guide for years, not least thanks to its exemplary price-to-quality ratio.

Nestled in the upscale embassy district of The Hague, Keraton Damai has been serving traditional Javanese cuisine since 1992. With only thirty seats and a refined culinary offering, it’s easy to see why advance reservations are essential. Owner Jostingdyah Jodjana presides over the recently renovated kitchen, while her son, Frans Haris, is the quintessential host. The traditionally decorated dining room, adorned with wayang puppets and Javanese wooden wall panels, offers a pleasant atmosphere. Although the menu offers plenty of options, most guests opt for the rijsttafel, which features a wide array of small dishes. A bottle of chilled tap water arrives at the table straight away—a thoughtful touch. To start, we’re served homemade pangsit dumplings, generously stuffed with shrimp and chicken mince, perfectly infused with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. A beautifully complementary glass of Farina Pinot Grigio accompanies the meal. Next, a succession of generously portioned dishes arrives on hot rechauds: gadogado, fresh atjar, no fewer than four types of satay (chicken, lamb, pork, and prawn), tender rendang, vegetables in coconut milk, braised chicken thighs, sambal goreng eggs, and many other delicacies. The crispy tofu in sweet soy sauce and bitter melon stands out for its intense flavor. Opting for nasi kuning instead of plain white rice, we enjoy the yellow rice traditionally prepared in Indonesia for celebrations and weddings. This fragrant, delicately spiced rice boasts rich notes of coconut, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass. A solid establishment.

A long-standing favorite among connoisseurs of Indonesian cuisine. For years, Jostingdyah Jodjana has wielded the culinary scepter over her all-female kitchen team, while her son, Frans Haris, takes care of the front of house as host and sommelier. When making a reservation by phone, we are told we can arrive sooner or later. There is, after all, a shift change. It is still quiet when we – opting for the first seating – step into the welcoming interior, where wooden tables are arranged along walls clad in Javanese wood carvings, set with table runners and linen napkins. As an aperitif, we share a small bottle of prosecco accompanied by a bowl of krupuk. We have to request the wine list a couple of times and from it choose a fine bottle of 2018 Hugel Pinot Gris, which complements the complex flavors of Indonesian cuisine perfectly. While à la carte dining is possible, we opt for the rijsttafel, and we are thoroughly pleased. Alongside no fewer than four types of satay—including goat (please enjoy this one first, as it is best served warm), chicken, pork, and shrimp—come bowls overflowing with fragrant delicacies. We savor gado-gado, sambal goreng telor, tempeh, sayur lodeh, rendang, and much more. It is also a plus that a fully vegetarian rijsttafel is available. Come prepared with a healthy appetite, as the portions are generous. And the bill? It is surprisingly modest by Dutch standards. Selamat makan!

A fantastic Indo-Dutch address on the edge of The Hague’s Statenkwartier, with a devoted following that savors the East Javanese cuisine prepared by a team of female chefs led by Jostingdyah Jodjana. They rely on the wine selections of her son, host and sommelier Frans Haris. The authentic dishes, generally mild with the occasional spicy kick, are served against a backdrop of dark Javanese teak wood carvings. There are only thirty seats, which are booked nearly every day, so reservations are highly recommended. You can dine à la carte, but the most popular option is the rice table, including a fully vegetarian version. The accompanying wine selection is excellent. We choose a beautiful white Graves (Château Saint-Robert) to accompany the Rijsttafel Keraton Damai. A culinary delight. Four kinds of satay (chicken, pork, goat, shrimp) as an extra alongside various delicacies from the colonial kitchen. Sajor lodeh (vegetables in coconut milk), rempeyek (peanut crackers), and seroendeng (shredded coconut) served with white (and optionally yellow) rice, along with beef dishes (rendang) with matching sauces, chicken preparations (ayam opor), egg (sambal goreng telor), papaya leaves stewed in coconut milk (oseng-oseng), bean sprouts with peanut sauce and emping (gado-gado), asparagus shoots with sugar snaps (tumis), braised eggplant (terong blado), crispy fried tempe strips in sweet soy sauce (sambal goreng tempe), and sweet-and-sour vegetables. Finished off with lychee-like fruits to cleanse the palate. A truly delicious establishment.

Connoisseurs of Javanese cuisine can find Keraton Damai in their sleep. This seemingly unremarkable restaurant, featuring an unmistakably Indonesian facade, has been located at Groot Hertoginnelaan in The Hague since 1992. Let’s say it upfront: booking in advance is an absolute must here, as it is always packed. It is particularly popular with Indonesian families, which tells you everything: this is where excellent, authentic food is prepared. The long, narrow dining room is simply yet atmospherically furnished, with occasional Eastern touches. Rijstafels are hugely popular and remain the most frequently ordered option. The sheer variety of fragrant dishes is overwhelming, but so delicious that every serving bowl is completely emptied. Owner and head chef Jostiningdyah Jodjana is assisted by her family, while attentive host Frans Haris has curated, alongside the standard wine list, a selection of wines from a slightly higher tier, specifically chosen to complement the complex flavor profile of Javanese cuisine. An excellent spot, also available for takeout.

Since 1992, Keraton Damai has been situated on Groot Hertoginnelaan in the court city, where Javanese cuisine truly shines. Locals from Den Bosch and visitors alike who are fond of Indonesian food know exactly how to find their way here. And the fact that numerous Indonesian families frequently dine here speaks volumes about the quality of the offerings. Well, let’s keep it brief: it’s excellent. From start to finish, we feast on deliciously spiced dishes in this atmospheric, narrow house adorned with occasional Eastern touches. Owner and head chef Jostin Jodjana excels at putting together elaborate rice tables, and we don’t hesitate for a second to order one. A wide array of dishes is served, and we sample various kinds of satay, with the suggestion to try the goat skewers first since they taste best when served warm. The meat is tender. The small bowls of ayam opor, gado-gado, rendang, sambal goreng telor, tempeh, and sayur lodeh are quickly cleared away. We accompany the meal with a 2010 Gewürztraminer Comte d’Eguisheim by Léon Beyer, which effortlessly stands up to all the complex flavors. The attentive and friendly host Frans Haris curates a special wine list featuring distinctive wines in the slightly higher price tier, carefully selected to complement the kitchen’s flavor palette. Simply wonderful! And that’s also true of the bill. Such exceptional value for such a modest sum: we’ll gladly return tomorrow for more.

Good Indonesian food and the city of The Hague have been intertwined for decades. The same goes for this charming establishment. Loosely translated, the restaurant is called 'Palace of Peace', where authentic (East) Javanese dishes are served. You can now enjoy Sunday lunches here, and many guests have already discovered it. The place is packed. Beautiful wooden walls and snow-white tablecloths show that great attention is paid to detail. The crispy pangsit is generously filled with shrimp and minced chicken, carrying a lovely aroma of lemongrass. In the glass, a refreshing Bintang beer. Owner Jostin Jodjana is also the head chef. The Kecip rice table from the traditional dishes menu looks highly tempting, and we are certainly not disappointed. We sample ayam opor (stewed chicken in spiced sauce), dendeng blado (spicy beef), gado-gado (mixed vegetables with peanut sauce), orak arik (scrambled vegetables with egg), green bean sambal, and much more delicacies. The Javanese rendang cooked in coconut milk boasts a wonderful texture and outstanding flavor. The goat and pork satays are equally succulent, served with their respective delicious, thick sweet soy sauce and fiery peanut sauce. A tip for wine enthusiasts: alongside the attractively priced wine list, host Frans Haris keeps an exceptional selection of (Alsatian) wines in his wine rack.