Republik 45

If you’re looking for a modern take on Indonesian food from all over the archipelago, Republik 45 is a great place to start.
If you’ve driven by Jl Kerobokan recently, you’ve probably noticed a swanky new spot with a very prominent living wall on the side of the road. This is Republik 45 and if you give it a try, you’ll find that it’s full of pleasant surprises.
Conceptualized as an upper end Indonesian restaurant with modern refinements, Republik 45’s name stands for independence and an ethos of moving forward since 1945 (Indonesian independence).
Peering into the restaurant, you’ll notice warm colors that resonate from copper lantern tops atop every table. There’s a mellow easy vibe throughout the restaurant with wooden accents dominating the interior.
But perhaps the pièce de résistance of the restaurant is the amazingly grand living wall that completely covers one side of the restaurant. Purported to be the largest living wall in Indonesia and one of the largest in Asia, it contains over 30,000 units with a plant in each. The wall is creatively patterned with different species of flora and is watered by a hydroponic system keeping it in immaculate condition. If anything in the design of the restaurant best represents Indonesia’s tropical beauty, it is undoubtedly the living wall.
The gastronomic properties at Republik are undoubtedly Indonesian with slight twists of modernity while remaining true to tradition. All the chefs are from the archipelago with Head Chef Ketut Udiana having a knack for innovative additions to a culturally rich menu.
The restaurant sources its ingredients from markets daily which mean that only the freshest pieces are handpicked. Additionally, Republik acts as its own butchery which guarantees that their cuts of meat are uniform and of the highest standards.
We started things off with a Pangsit Bebek (55k) which was essentially a crispy pastry filled with minced duck, vegetables, and local spices. The exterior was crunchy and if you’re familiar with pangsit, you’ll notice that it’s traditionally a greasy affair. Republik mitigated this by stripping back on oils and greases and bake when possible. It was a very good start.
We then moved onto the Tempe Mangga Salad (85k) which was a mix of young mango, sweet soybean cake (tempe), fresh asparagus, and shredded chicken served in light peanut and lime dressing. The salad’s flavors were very well balanced with no taste quite dominating the palette leaving us wanting more.
For mains, we tried the Krapu Rica Rica (165k), pan seared coral trout served with light tomato and herb roulade. Coral trout being one of the most abundant reef predators in Indonesia, we thought this was totally within Republik’s very Indonesian theme. The sauce was slightly spicy which worked nicely with the flaky white flesh of the coral trout.
We then had their Buntut Bakar Sambal Kemangi (145k), grilled ox tail in honey tomato and chilli chutney. The oxtail had that fall-off-the-bone quality famous in Indonesia. The sweet honey and spicy chili made for a great combination.
To round things off and satisfy our sweat tooth, we had the Kue Nanas Bakar (55k) which was young pineapple, grilled with palm sugar, served on a light sponge cake with vanilla ice cream. The pineapple came out with a consistency of a warm gelatinous cake which blended flawlessly with the vanilla ice cream. It was a good end to an excellent meal.
Republik 45 is an excellent place for a date, but seems to hit its stride for families or groups of friends. The sheer variety of different items is conducive and almost designed for sharing family style. So whether you’re familiar to Indonesian cuisine and want to indulge in an old favorite or are new to the dishes of the archipelago, Republik 45 is a solid choice.




Republik 45
Jl. Raya Kerobokan 86A, Kerobokan
T. 081 916 741 844
www.republik45.com