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Kuta
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants Indonesian Asian Fusion, Indonesian [Edit]
65 Rivington St(between Eldridge St & Allen St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
(212) 777-5882
- Nearest Transit:
-
Delancey St (F)
2 Av (F)
Bowery (J)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 4 pm - 12 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
117 reviews for Kuta
Review Highlights
"I definitely recommend the fried ice cream."
(in 28 reviews)
"They also offer a dinner prix-fixe for $25."
(in 32 reviews)
"The "Sumatra" Beef Rendang was delicious."
(in 10 reviews)
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117 reviews in English
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Review from octavia r.
Long Island City, NY
Updated - 1/8/2012
its closed!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/24/2010
Yay! I'm a fan of only Kuta's Satays - order the Chicken Madura and Chicken Tandoori. Thumbs up to… Read more »
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Review from Nas L.
New York, NY
1/9/2012
It's CLOSED!
We walked down there this past Friday night to try to use up our Tippr coupon and they were no opened at all. -
Review from Althea A.
2/7/2012
They're closed! So don't try to go!
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Review from Y L.
Manhattan, NY
7/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Their food is tasty--some dishes more so than others.
But it's not their food I'm worried about...............
For a party of two, I couldn't believe I had such a hard time getting a reservation. First attempt, they didn't seem too eager to give us a reservation--I wondered if it was the mention of the Groupon.
Then they said to come and try after 10pm for a table (what a late dinner!). When we arrived, they turned us away.
When we finally ate there, the food took quite a while to produce.
Another occasion when a coworker ordered us delivery from them, it took a while to arrive. We ended up phoning them to make sure they're on their way.
I can't tell if it's the Groupon effect or they just don't have the resources in general. -
Review from Philip D.
New York, NY
3/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came on Thursday night for a hangout with a friend, I really liked the atmosphere, it doesn't seat too many but this was perfect! Good low lighting, great service, the staff opened the door for us when we arrived and left and was very attentive to us without being overbearing. We shared 2 peanut satays which were amazing, and had the duck which was a little fatty but still delicious.
The Indonesian beer was great and I really liked all the recommendations the waiter suggested, he seemed to be really interested in us having a good experience, I would say that that's not just him, but the vibe of the place.
The dessert was unique, fried banana with sesame seeds and chocolate, it wasn't amazing, but unique and that's why he recommended we should try because you can get fried ice-cream anywhere (good thoughts sir!)
A must try!
I did not have a chance to see the bathrooms, I will have to go back (this is key in all places I review). -
Review from Margaret T.
New York, NY
6/9/2011
"Do you think this place will last through the year?"
I was asked this question 3 times by my dining companion. That should be an indication of what the experience was like.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with the place, the entire experience was just totally bland. This includes the food, the decor, the service, and even the water tasted extra bland.
We ordered both the prix fixe (with noodles for $20 and with entree for $24) and shared all the dishes:
- The salad was limp and contained a big bush of frisee (the awkward lettuce) and too much balsamic (? I thought it was raspberry dressing of some sort).
- Beef Satay was pretty good but the sauce that came with it was totally pointless and did very little other than make my meat wet (that's what he said).
- Crabcake (singular) with spicy mayo was pretty good but it's hard to do fried things poorly. Especially if it's crab and served with mayo. All the fat kid food groups right there.
- Duck Curry had crispy skinned duck (yay!) sitting in very coconutty-not-so-spicy (meh.) curry served with Chinese broccoli, my favorite vegetable, but chopped all to hell (boo!).
- Mi Goreng Jakarta was ordered with chicken but was served to us with beef. Flavorwise, not bad.
- "Dessert" was an option of chocolate or vanilla ice cream or mango or raspberry sorbet. No FRIED ice cream that others have mentioned (big bummer). Also, ice cream was very icy and less creamy. Tragic.
So after finishing our ice cream, we waited about 30 minutes for the check to come. It was just long enough for the people seated outside that we were staring at to start feeling creeped out. We didn't want the cops to be called so we walked up to the counter to pay.
Of course the credit card machine was having trouble so we were "recommended" to pay in cash.
Done (after another 5 minute wait). I have better things to do with my Tuesday evenings.
So, will this place last? Doubt it.Listed in: (At Least) 10 Things I Hate…, Sluuuurrp!
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Review from Cynthia D.
MIDDLE VLG, NY
1/18/2011
Food was so-so and without a groupon coupon I don't think I would come back again. My friend and I ordered the lamb tandoori and chicken satay. The chicken had great flavor but the lamb tandoori was cold when it was served to us. The Thai iced tea was great and the ginger tea I ordered was nice and hot and served in a tea pot but tasted like candied ginger. Not exactly something I want to drink.
My friend ordered the kuta burger which came with fries and I ordered the duck udon in curry. Both came with a salad. The burger was great-it came with grilled pineapple and the beef perfectly cooked. The salad dressing was way too strong, it tasted like a sugary raspberry which was way too sweet for my palette and my friend's. The duck udon curry was so so. The noodles were still stuck together like they were frozen and not stirred and the vegetables tasted icy. It was pretty disappointing but the duck came out crispy and fatty, the way duck is supposed to be. I took half of the duck curry home and honestly, it tasted so much better as leftovers when I jazzed it up a bit.
For dessert we had the fried coconut vanilla ice cream which was amazing. So, I'm glad I came because I was always curious about this place but I wouldn't come back again unless I had a coupon. -
Review from Barbara P.
Long Island City, NY
3/1/2011
I came here for dinner with a friend. It's a really small place that sits about 25 - 30 people, elbow to elbow. If you like satay, their satay selection is extensive.
I had their Indonesian Nasi Goreng and Thai iced tea. Their nasi goreng isn't very authentic, but it was very delicious. Their Thai iced tea was very yummy, but a little too sweet and I love my sweet stuff. My friend had a drink and 2 satay dishes.
I think this is a cute place and definitely very cozy and romantic, but I wouldn't make this my daily eat out place. The food is a little expensive and doesn't seem to be very authentic, but it's definitely very well made and delicious.
Conclusion: You should definitely have dinner here and celebrate something. -
Review from Elina P.
New York, NY
2/10/2011
What a cute place! This place is small and cozy and the food here is excellent.
I came here on a cold winter day and was happy to find that it was extremely warm and cozy inside. Since it was a weekday, the place was rather empty, but I'm sure it gets packed on the weekends. I ordered spicy edamame for my appetizer and cashew chicken for my entree. Everything was seasoned to perfection and I emptied my entire plate. Then for desert my friend and I split a chocolate cake and got a pot of tea. Again - it too hit the spot.
If you're in the mood for eclectic Asian food, this place is def. worth a try! -
Review from Alison C.
11/12/2010
I was looking for unique eateries on the Lower East Side for a dinner with one of my friends. Though I had a mixed experience at an Indonesian restaurant in the past, I thought I would give it another try. I came across Kutra, which infused that cuisine with influences from Thailand and Malaysia. I also saw that they served alcohol and offered a $25 prix-fixe dinner, so how could I go wrong with that!
My friend and I arrived at the tiny restaurant and scored one of the two high-top tables near the window. We each ordered a fruity cocktail and reviewed our options for the multiple courses ahead of us. We were first asked to choose two satay skewers, which would be served with a cucumber relish. My friend's Korean Kalbi short ribs were a bit chewy, but their glaze of Asian pear, soy sauce, and sesame oil was full of sharp flavor. The Chicken Tandoori sticks were much more tender. Each chunk of meat had been seasoned with nutmeg and paprika, and an accompanying yogurt dipping sauce acted as a the perfect cooling agent.
We were then tasked with deciding on an additional starter. While my dining companion munched on the surprisingly flavorful Crab Cake, I gnawed on a mediocre salad of tofu, jicama, apple, peanut, and sesame mixed with a chili lime vinaigrette. However, I then moved on to some fabulous Pad See Ew with Chicken. The tender meat and moist noodles were texturally contrasted by Chinese broccoli. The sweet soy sauce marinade was a delight. My friend's Spicy Seafood Laksa was a spicy, sweet blend of shrimp, squid, and mixed vegetables, tossed with pineapple and an aromatic coconut curry.
Our meal culminated with something sweet. My Chocolate Explosion
cake was as decadent as it sounded. Three layers of rich chocolate mousse were drizzled with a tart raspberry sauce. A giant dome of fried ice cream had a crisp crust that easily broke apart to release oozing, creamy vanilla ice cream.
On a whole, Kutra offered a fabulous dining deal in an intimate space. The relaxed atmosphere and affordable prices elevated the star-rating of what might otherwise be considered a mediocre restaurant. -
Review from Serena T.
11/23/2010 6 photos
Earlier in the summer I visited Kuta - a "fancy" Indonesian restaurant on the Lower East Side. While Indonesian food is distinct in its own right, there is some overlap with Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine. I had a Singaporean with me that night, and he was prepared for the real deal. How did Kuta live up?
We first started with the the Curry Puff, stuffed with chicken, onions, carrots, potato and peanut sauce in a flaky pastry. Curry puffs sell on the street in Singapore for about $1 - here we had two curry puffs for $7. Would Kuta's spin on this humble snack warrant the 3.5x price difference? (Granted, we don't have to hop on a plane to Singapore to get this puff.)
Alright, I'll be honest - $7 for this dish is not outrageous by NYC standards (though it is outrageous for most places outside NYC). However, just knowing that these puffs were priced at such a premium was a little disheartening. Eventually, this fact didn't stop me from eating them. Yeah, I got over it.
We also had the Indonesian Madura Satay. Kuta had quite an extensive satay menu, so I had high hopes for this appy. Satay, or "meat on sticks" as I so maturely call it, is usually not my fave - the meat is sometimes over-cooked and tough. However, Kuta knew their stuff for this one - the chicken was juicy, tender and flavorful. I'd recommend.
Our final starter was the "Jimbaran" Crab Cake, with lump crabmeat, red & green bell pepper, onion and spicy aioli. The cake was nicely seasoned without being overly salty, with large chunks of crab meat. The aioli provided a creamy tang to the seafood.
The first entree was the "Indonesian" Nasi Goreng of chicken fried rice, fried egg, sweet soy sauce, and beef madura satay (first picture). The quotes around "Indonesian" confused me - after all, this is a traditional Indonesian dish. Anyway. Nasi Goreng is a type of fried rice - this one was not bad, although it relied a little more on the soy sauce than the Nasi Goreng I've sampled previously.
The second entree was the Seafood Laksa, with shrimp, squid, mixed vegetables and pineapple in a spicy coconut curry. I LOVE laksa. Whenever it's on the menu, I order it - there's something about the sweet creamy coconut and the warm spice of the curry that is so satisfying. Kuta's version was pretty good, but the portion was a little small - I'm used to my giant hulking bowls of laksa.
For dessert, we ordered the Coconut Crusted Fried Ice Cream, with raspberry sauce and pineapple. Decidedly not authentic, it was nonetheless excellent. I mean come on, ice cream + fried? Count me in.
Kuta was fine. The food was not bad; the restaurant is trendy in that "Lower East Side trendy restaurant" way - the consequence of which is smaller portions for higher prices. I'd recommend Kuta for the scene, knowing that you will not get the most authentic Indonesian fare. If you do decide to stop by, make reservations - the restaurant is small.
Not the most authentic, but not bad. -
Review from B Y.
New York, NY
3/21/2011
Purchased a Groupon for this restaurant a little while ago, and crossed my fingers that this could be a fun place I can add to the rotation list. But alas, that is not to be.
None of the dishes at Kuta were bad, but nothing was very good either. There were tons of choices for the satays, and the ones we tried were passable (although the chicken tandoori had a buffalo-wing-like sauce on top). The prix fixe dishes were on the small side too, so ordering from the regular menu would probably have been the smarter option.
Unfortunately, probably not going to return to try again. -
Review from Jennifer B.
New York, NY
9/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I took advantage of a Dealist offer: $20 for an app, salad, entree, dessert and drink. We ordered two satays to start. Both the chicken and beef were perfectly cooked. Our entree dishes were great as well (I got the Saigon Beef and my friend got the Pad Thai). The portions were small, but thank God. I know I have a lot of stomach real estate, but not enough to house 4 courses. Kinda weak that the only dessert offered on the pre fix was a scoop of ice cream. For $2-$3 more my friend upgraded to the Chocolate mousse and I got the coconut fried ice cream. Because really, after 3 courses I really needed the fried ice cream.
Cute find on the LES. I would definitely come back. -
Review from Diana K.
New York, NY
1/4/2011
Cute place, intimate setting. I've been here about 3 times now (thanks to KGBdeals).
My take: You're better off ordering from the regular menu (instead of pri-fixe). They allot bigger portions for their regular entrees and you can just share a satay appetizer... trust me, you'll be full by the end of the meal and you'll be saving yourself a few $ too. -
Review from Amy C.
1/23/2011
Came here with a group of girlfriends on a Tuesday night so we had the whole place to ourselves until a couple came in halfway through our meal. The service was great and the ambiance was very warm and cozy--perfect for a chilly January evening.
I ordered the 3-course prix-fix menu: curry puffs, pad see ew with beef, and fried ice cream. The curry puffs and pad see ew were just okay; I preferred my friend's salmon. I definitely recommend the fried ice cream. -
Review from Mohammad R.
New York, NY
They have got to promise to fix the AC before I get back here.
The food was a hit or miss. It is easy to say that they called their food Indonesian Fusion since they can't really cook real Indonesian food. It seem home cooking food prepared with packet spices easily tasted better.
I use two dishes to check on Indonesian restaurant. Their Rendang and the basic Satay. Sorry to say Kuta blew it on both.
The service was a bit disorganized and they refused a single diner when half of the resto was empty (table for two is preferable). -
Review from Yan T.
12/30/2010
Loved Kuta's Indonesian/fusion thing. My trip to this LES outpost was spurred (as many of my meals these days) by a Scoutmob coupon for 50% off. The staff honored it and even offered to honor it in combination with the $25 prix fixe, which my friend and I declined. Instead, we opted to start with a bottle of unfiltered Negiri sake (interesting cloudy white body and a sweetish finish).
For food, we kicked things off with spicy chicken and lamb satays (they are all good, you can't go wrong). My entree was the Sumatra Beef Rendang (braised spicy beef, coconut Milk, tricolor potatoes, jasmine rice). It was tender and served in a spicy red broth, just right. For dessert, I had the sweet coconut sticky rice wrapped in [I believe} lotus leaf.
The room is small but tasteful with brick wall and dark, semi-romantic tones: not too original, but fits right in on the LES. I hope they get a lot of business; the kitchen definitely knows what it's doing. -
Review from Jaclyn L.
KUTA = Kinda Underestimated This Area
Honestly, I didn't know there was such a neighborhood that had Chinese, hipsters, slight gangsters in training, and Latinos all within a three block radius of this place living in perfect harmony. It's amazing what happens on the other side of Chinatown huh?
My Groupon led me and a good guy friend here and we couldn't have been more pleased with the place, but there was something that my guy pal did point out that did bother me - they had arranged tables so closely packed in the place that one table was right up against the door of an emergency exit.
If the roof, the roof was on fire, I sure as hell hoped there'd be water because that mother fcuker would BURN us and the whole place into ash. Really alarming; hope they fix it.
We had the lycheetini and the bali lemonade for the $5 special during Happy Hour from 5-7 PM and didn't care for the bali lemonade as much as I did the -tini; eat the lychee hiding at the bottom of the glass! Had the chicken tandoori satay and the Malaysian Chicken satay with my drunken man noodle and his kung-pow like chicken.
WHERE'S THE SPICE?! UGHHHH!!! I've been having this problem and should have suspected that since white people served us that this should have been expected. ::sigh:: Only Sea can apparently do this correctly.
Take the Groupon next time though to make this worth it, because I can't see coming here when you can go get something much more flavorful. -
Review from Juan M.
Manhattan, NY
3/8/2011
I've been here twice, and both times the food was good. The first time was on a first date, the second time was entertaining a friend from San Francisco. I made reservations both time, but both times when I arrived, the place was empty. I think that's because I got there early (7 PM), because within 30-40 minutes many people had arrived, and by the time I finished my meal, the place was full.
It's a really nice restaurant for a first date. Cozy with ambiance, you'll spend about $40-$50 for both of you, not including alcohol. Most of their dishes are very tasty, but I spent 6 months living in southeast Asia, and was disappointed that the food wasn't more authentic. Their "spicy" food wasn't very spicy; I had to add quite a bit chili sauce to get it to my liking (I like food that is supposed to be spicy at about a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1-10). I'm not sure the lack of authenticity is a valid complaint, though, given that it is categorized as "Asian fusion".
Both the first date and the friend from SF *loved* this place, though. So I'd say definitely bring a date or a friend from out of town here for a bit of exotic food, but I wouldn't make it a habit. -
Review from Tina D.
San Jose, CA
6/1/2010
Had an awesome dining experience at Kuta a couple of weeks ago. Place is small and intimate with open window side seating's along with some outside ones.
We ordered all the different satay skewers and all were really scrumptious and tasty. My favorite is the shrimp since it was a bit on the spicy side. We also order the items below and enjoyed them all....
- Pad Thai
-Pad Si Ew
-Spicy Kuta Burger (one of my favs, it has grilled pineapple in the mix and it blends in very well with the beef)
-Malaysian Curry
-Lychee Martini
-Coffee Martini
I must say, their prices are pretty decent and the portions are good to share family style. Overall a great dining experience! will definitely come back to try the other entrees the next time I am in NYC :)
Thanks Kuta House! -
Review from Linh N.
6/7/2010 8 photos
I absolutely love this place, the dishes of food comes out one right after the other and it surprises me every time. The food just gets better and better, gosh I was in heaven.
Korean Kalbi - moist and juicy with great flavors that enhances the meat so well. it was also tender, gosh i didn't want it to end.
Indonesian Chicken Madura - chicken was nicely covered in peanut sauce that was not too overwhelming, it was also very soft and easy to eat.
Crispy Lumpia Shanghai - a simple crispy roll with an extraordinary taste, the sauce wraps up the whole experience of what a crispy roll taste.
Curry Puff - i really don't recall what's in it, but all the flavors pulled together and made it so good, the extra little sauce on the bottom of the curry puff made a huge difference... made it that much better
Grilled Atlantic Salmon - the salmon was grilled perfectly, didn't taste dry at all. kudos to the chef for picking such a nice piece of salmon that had bits of fat that made the salmon that much more tastier.
Kuta Steak - lovely colored and cooked well to the point of tenderness. was medium-well with 2 dipping sauce for you to enjoy with, the "lime cilantro chili dipping sauce" was perfect with the steak.
Coconut Crusted Fried Ice Cream - the ice cream was still hard until the crust, i was surprised! so many places would do this wrong and by the time i break the crust, the ice cream would already be oozing out. but, not this place! lovely...
my experience here was phenomenal, my bf and i love this place. decor gave the feeling of actually being in Indonesia, it's great to eat here during summer evenings (since they have outdoor seating). the service was fantastic and the food was over the charts. -
Review from Justin L.
Brooklyn, NY
1/14/2011
Good
Portions
And service
With entrees from
Ten to twenty bucks. Intimate, tasty. -
Review from Tim M.
Astoria, NY
6/20/2010
I am an Indo-American originally from LA, whose Indonesian and Malaysian population is quite large, making it a haven for great Indonesian/Malaysian food. Since I've moved to NYC I've been looking for a go-to Indo/Malaysian restaurant. Kuta quite possibly could fit the bill. A few of my friends and I came here for a good-bye dinner and we definitely left with full and happy tummies.
We all opted to try out their pre-fixe dinner, which by the way, might be the best dinner deal in NYC. It is a 4 course dinner which includes a choice of satay, appetizer, entree, and dessert. Personally, I ordered the satay kambing (lamb), Sudanese Rujak, Manado spicy duck curry, and Coconut fried ice cream to finish.
All these dishes were quite nice and tasty, but the Sudanese Rujak was by far the superstar of my meal. My Rujak, which means mixture in Indonesian, consisted of julienne daikon radish, cucumber, carrot, apple, pineapple and marinated and roasted tofu tossed in a chili and lime vinaigrette. The slaw of vegetables were super fresh and was its flavors were nicely accented by the vinaigrette. But what got me reeling over this dish was the outstanding flavor of the tofu. It was juicy and tender and prepared magnificently, to the point where my friends and I were debating whether or not it was really tofu.
Via my dinner companions I was also able to try just about all the remaining items on the menu. Each and every dish was to my liking except for one: the Beef Rendang.
Beef Rendang is easily my most cherished and all time favorite Indonesian dish. I've had dozens of variations of it and had loved all of them except Kuta's version. The renditions of rendang that I've come to know and love were always stewy-beefy-yummy-coconutty goodness. The rendang at kuta's was watery and lackluster; as if there was no soul or love that was put into it. It had an overwhelming anise-y flavor that is very foreign to traditional rendang too. This dish is the only beef I have w/ this joint (no pun intended). I am truly hoping that this was just a flawed batch of rendang, because everything else was pretty fabulous. It would be blasphemous for any decent Indo/Malay restaurant to own a sub par rendang dish.
I would have given this place 4.5 star if not for the rendang. Otherwise, it only earns a 3.5. I expect to return tho, hoping that the rendang is improved somehow from this time so I may give credit where it is due. -
Review from Cassy S.
Brooklyn, NY
4/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
I have a confession...I ate a beef satay that fell on the floor. Now don't go judging me just yet. There is good reason behind this action.
After being on my To Try list for the longest, I finally got to try Kuta last week. The location worked perfectly since my friends and I were attending a lesbian party at Katra (again, don't judge me) which is a few blocks away.
I already knew what to expect as far as decor, space (tiny) and type of food (asian fusion). What I didn't expect was the amount of options they had on the menu. It took us a few minutes to settle on what to order. We went with 3 types of satay to start - Indonesian sate kambing, Indonesian madura and jimbaran tiger shrimp. Each order comes with 2 skewers perfect for sharing. I first tried the lamb and loved it. It was perfectly cooked and the marinate really came through. I then tackled the tiger shrimp (i eat all parts) which was also tasty but could've been less cooked. Then when I picked up the beef satay, I don't know what happened, how or why, but it fell off my hand and went smack down the floor. OH MAN... what a waste. Well less than 5 seconds later the same skewer appeared on my plate like magic! Heehee...
Cassie: Dont do it
Cassy: I think I'm going to
Without much hesitation, I , Cassy with a y, took a bite of the beef satay...
Cassy: It has an interesting texture.
Cassie: Hmmm?
Cassy: It's a little grainy
I just had to do it. Had I not I would've wondered the entire night how it tasted. I just really had to do it.
The rest of the meal was also good. I had the oxtail soup as my entree. It was in a clear broth of vegetables and a strong clove flavor. It was a little lighter than expected (bad because I was drinking that night) but I enjoyed every bit of it. My friend had the spicy drunken noodle which was okay.
All in all it was a good meal for the price. I'd recommend going there for happy hour or early dinner to take advantage of the early bird discount. They also have a $25 4 course prix fixe that includes satay+entree+dessert + something else
Okay you can judge me now...Listed in: Awesome Dining Deals
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Review from Carol S.
7/2/2010
I had a very pleasant experience here! Arriving at 7pm on a Thursday, we were given the "best seat" of the house. We were a party of 4 and we sat inside right by the open window, so we go the benefits of the outdoors too.
Service was EXCELLENT. We were thoroughly given the explanation of each dish and they were patient in answering our questions about the pre-fixe menu. One great thing about the pre-fixe is that not everyone at the table can get it, so half of us decided to try the pre-fixe and the other half ordered a la carte.
They start you off with the Satay: and the chicken scewers was AMAZING! I got the tandoori chicken, which had a spice & kick that wasn't too crazy. YUMMY.
Next we got crab cake (only comes with ONE piece for the pre-fixe) and that was good as well. Lots of onions I believe, which isn't bad.
Our entrees consisted of pad-see ew and my husband got the Kuta burger. My pad-see ew was pretty good, very sweet as usual and the portion size was just right. My husband's Kuta burger was SPICY (the description does say that though). But it was very sloppy and the sauce was a little overkill. The sauce drenched the bun, making it a very wet burger. However, the meat was delicious and HUGE so you definitely get your money's worth! Came with fries, which are inbetween shoestring & steak cut.
For dessert, the pre-fixe only comes either with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate -- nothing incredible there. Their fried ice cream was pretty delicious, even though the batter is caked in coconut and I'm not a huge coconut flake fan. It was fried just right and the raspberry sauce drizzle was a nice touch. There was also a slice of pineapple in there somewhere, so it was not your average fried ice cream!
Overall, it was a great 2 hour dinner. People were lining up outside so that was a good sign. But at the same time I didn't feel rushed.
Good deal! I think we missed their 5-7pm special rate menu, but still wasn't too bad. About $55 each couple. -
Review from uyen d.
Palm Beach, FL
6/25/2010 3 photos
Thank you Groupon. If it wasn't for you, i don't think i would have ever tried this place.
We sat by the door and it was a little hot since people were coming in and out quite a bit. The place is so small, it seats about 30 guests at most. The prefix menu is a good deal. I had the kalbi, the wings, and the beef rendang. Everything was good. -
Review from Jacqueline Y.
New York, NY
9/17/2010
its a small quaint space with dim lighting, meaning its a good place for a date, or a couple of friends catching up. It offers $25 dinner special including: an order of satay, appetizer/side, entree & desert.
we started off with the heavenly kuta satay (flank steak) -it was a bit too saucy & it included a side of cucumber vinaigrette - average
side: eggplant with blackbean and basil - it was pretty good
I got the salmon which was great cooked medium - crispy skin yum. the vegetables that came with it were undercooked and not as tasty. we also got an entree of the curry duck which was pretty average for curry duck. As for desert we ordered the banana/apple compote, which is sorta like baked banana/apple wrapped in crepe with drizzled chocolate sauce. it was pretty good but i'd ask for the chocolate sauce on the side next time. -
Review from Tiffany L.
New York, NY
9/15/2010
Came here with our groupon. If groupon prices were standard, this place would be a 4 star... but for $50 it's not quite worth it. so i'm giving it a 3 star. fiance and i got
- the chicken wing appetizers (average. seems like they just pour a sweet thai chili sauce all over the wings)
- heavenly kuta satay (very good! but small)
- SPICY DRUNKEN NOODLE (best item of the night! delicious)
- sumatra beef rendang (WAY overhyped. this was just average)
- deep fried ice cream (ooh, a MUST! just $2 more to up the ice cream that comes with the pre fixe to the deep fried, coconut variety. yumm)
probably wouldn't come again, but it was worth 1 trip out. also, there was NO wait on a saturday night, which was surprising. i was under the impression that the wait was horrible here. -
Review from Roberto A.
Brooklyn, NY
8/5/2010
When my girlfriend and I arrived, we, or rather I, was greeted by one of the partners. He began telling us, me, I mean, that he used to eat so much at Kuta that he decided to buy into me. My girlfriend asked him what the bright red drink was that he was drinking. He told me that it was a freshly made watermelon concoction that another of the owners created. He was sloshed on his watermelon slushies.
We told him that we were going to be a party of four. He told me that pretty much every seat was taken, but that they would set up a table for me. He shook my hand, ignored my girlfriend, and, presumably, went to get another drink.
Our table was set up, our friends arrived, and we began ordering. They have a great prix fixe menu that offers four courses for a good price. The food is tasty and just the right amount so as not to feel stuffed.
At the end of our meal, the owner we met earlier came over, put his hand on my shoulder and began massaging my shoulder. So guys, you should go here if you want a good meal and a deep tissue massage afterward. No happy endings, thank god. -
Review from Totoro R.
New York, NY
5/4/2011
I was not impressed or satisfied with my meal here. Atmosphere was nice, service was fine. The food just didn't hit the spot for me. Had the pad thai, very popular, basic Thai dish. The noodles lacked depth of sorts - was too wet (saucy) and the flavor was off. It was too salty. I was not happy spending $13 on a less than mediocre pad Thai dish.
-
Review from Rahul G.
New York, NY
9/14/2009 ROTD 1/25/2010
In my friend and family circle, I'm fondly regarded as the restaurant scout. As a good restaurant scout would, I found this little indonesian gem almost 15 months ago. So if you guys were yelping back then and found it a life-time before me, I don't want to hear it. That's right, stuff it.
Between the four of us on Sunday night, we ordered up a storm:
1) Chicken tandoori: Tender and SPICEY. Make sure you dip in the sweet sauce that accompanies it.
2) Balinese Shrimp Skewers: Fresh, with a good tangy flavor.
3) Jimbaran Grilled Sea Bass: Semi boneless (they removed the main spine) and grilled to perfection. The jimbaran paste is like dried fish sauce mixed with Sriracha.
4) Vegetable coconut curry - Refreshingly mild (yet flavorful) and a perfect complement to our other orders.
5) Spicey edamame: Genius! They took the google approach. Take something good and make it excellent!
6) Beef skewers: Tad heavy but well cooked and juicy.
7) Watermelon Martini - I didn't taste this chick drink. Never.
8) Agave soju with lemonade and sparkling orange. STRONG but went down very easy.
I'm always amazed at how New Yorkers can turn any small space into a bustling restaurant, and this is a great example! Its perfect for a small birthday celebration, for a first date, for entertaining visitors, or just hangin' out. Hell, I think Kuta would even be a good place for a break-up (read: the food might save you and the fact that you can get up and bolt very quickly.) -
Review from Kimberly C.
New York, NY
10/18/2010
I was really looking forward to getting Indonesian food at Kuta, but the experience was all over the place for me. Cute spot, really nice staff, and it was pretty busy for a Thursday night.
Went with a friend and we both got the $25 prix fixe dinner deal (house salad, satay/appetizer, entree, dessert). Only problem was, pretty much everything on the menu had an add-on price on top of the $25. You don't get much choice with the salad (mixed greens with wayyy too much raspberry dressing) and the dessert included in the prix fixe is just vanilla or chocolate ice cream (every dessert on the menu had an add-on price).
For my satay/appetizer course, I got the Korean Kalbi satay which was DELICIOUS. A little heavy on the sauce, but that's how I like it. My friend got the Spicy Tiger Shrimp, which was also great, but they're not kidding about the "spicy". This made me extremely nervous about the Spicy Duck Curry I ordered for my entree, but when it came out, I was so indifferent about it I wished it had almost been too spicy to handle. The curry was just a basic penang curry, not spicy at all, and the duck was dry but also fatty (didn't think this combination was possible, but apparently I was wrong).
Kuta then threw another curveball with the desserts. Deciding it would be a waste just to get regular ice cream, we went for the Coconut fried ice cream and Krakatoa (banana and apple compote). Both were delish, although I wish the krakatoa would have come with some ice cream.
The bill came and I was actually shocked at the total, even with my Groupon discount of $40. So many ups and downs with this place, le sigh... -
Review from Annie H.
6/21/2010
Hmmm, I'm a little mixed about this place.
I had gotten a deal off Groupon and decided to go with it since the reviews on Yelp were decent enough. I called ahead 2 days in advance for a Saturday night reservation. They don't open until 5pm so it was a bit of a struggle to get someone on the phone during the workday.
The restaurant is quite small and it's no wonder that reservations are required. We were able to secure a seat outside; there were 5 tables of 2 and 1 table of 4 you could pick from. Inside was quite dark and I noticed that there was seating set up for a large group which is probably why they had to keep turning away customers that walked up with no reservations.
The staff is nice, yes. But they were disorganized. We were asked 3 times after we sat down if we had a reservation, twice if we had ordered after we already had our first course cleared away. A couple of times our waitress delivered the wrong food to the wrong table, including one of our dishes.
We decided to go with the prix fixe since it is selecting items off the regular menu and not a special menu, which I definitely liked. I hate the prix fixe places that offer you mediocre food.
We ordered the following:
Korean Kalbi satay -- good taste, meat quality was on the eh side
Indonesian Madura satay -- good! chicken was tender and sauce was just the right amount
Lumpia Shanghai -- this was the frozen kind... I guess I should've expected it but I THOUGHT it would've been handmade. Passable.
Potstickers -- filled with beef, which was a surprise. Also came in 3, which was a weird number?
Kuta Steak w/ garlic fries -- the steak was drenched in the same kalbi sauce as the satay! This got kind of ehh after the first 5 bites... get something else if you don't want a kalbi tasting steak. The garlic fries were a disappointment since they didn't have any garlic flavor.
Phad Si Ew w/ chicken -- a bit too sweet... but aside from that it was alright.
At the end of the meal when the check was brought out and our Groupon rate was not reflected, they were easy-going about it and deducted the amount right away.
I may consider coming back here again just for the prix fixe menu since their a la carte prices are on the high side for what they offer, and the quality of their food. -
Review from Valerie V.
Brooklyn, NY
I had the pleasure of experiencing Kuta last night through Groupon and my boyfriend who took me there on a date. When we walked in, the space was empty and I was surprised by the size. Kuta is a very tiny L shaped restaurant whose kitchen takes up a large block of the space. There are also some seats outside and the doors that form the front wall of the restaurant open so you feel like you're outdoors even when you're inside.
When we arrived to Kuta at 6:30pm the restaurant was empty. By the time we left, around 7:30pm, it was bustling with customers but not packed. We had our choice of seats and took our time examining the menu after the hostess brought us a carafe of water. That was one of my favorite things by the way. The carafe.
After some deliberation over pre-fixe or al a carte, we settled on al a carte and chose our dishes. Pot Stickers (naturally, I can never pass up an Asian dumpling), Saigon Beef for me and Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) for Danny. His favorite dish. After about 5-10 minutes, the pot stickers came out to our table. I read in another review that there were only three. I think that may have been a part of the pre-fixe special because ours had 5 as you can see from the picture I posted. They were delicious. The meat was tender and deliciously flavored and the wrapper had just the right amount of thickness and seared to a perfect golden crisp. The sauce had a light sweet flavor and made for a good start to our meal. Shortly after we finished, our main dishes came out.
The Saigon Beef was delectable and highly recommended. Served with vermicelli noodles and a medley of julienne veggies the beef was tender, the sauce was light and added just the right amount of flavor and the julienne vegetables added a hint of cool flavor to the dish that brought all the flavors together. I was in heaven and cleaned my plate. The Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) was also very good. Garnished with pork grinds (awesome!) that were drizzled with a dark semi sweet sauce gave the start to the dish an interesting kick. The fried egg was interesting too. Perfectly fried to a golden crisp the yolk inside was still runny and upon popping ran all over the rice as it should. Our dishes looked so good our table neighbors asked us what we ordered to help them make a decision.
Lastly, for dessert, we got the Chocolate explosion. To be honest, I'd give that dessert two stars purely because I've had better chocolate cake and the raspberry sauce was a bit to tart for our tastes. I would suggest trying another dessert there.
Now, I want to take a moment to address a few issues that I saw were consistent in other reviews. First the best time to go to Kuta is , during the week. After reading some reviews I found some people felt it was crowded and the servers weren't very attentive and or the food too forever. I can see that happening but I think it all has to do with the time you go and how much staff they have. The space is very small so they can only serve so many customers and have so many servers before the place is popping over capacity. That brings me to our server. He was very attentive and made sure to check on us to see that the food was good and to our liking. The other customers seemed pleased as well and he seemed organized enough to keep track of his tables.
Finally, if you're here with a Groupon realize that the check will not reflect your coupon. What they had us do was simply pay the difference + tip and leave it on the table or they would charge the difference to a card. Absolutely no hassle with this what so ever.
Overall I definitely recommend Kuta and what's even more awesome, if you don't have a Groupon but you mention Yelp, you get a 20% discount off your bill. Sweet! -
Review from Danny A.
Forest Hills, NY
11/22/2010
Good food - not pricey - but quite a small place and can see it to be extremely busy at peak hrs. It's the sort of place I'd go to after a piss up.
Very fast service - well done! -
Review from Roxane W.
8/25/2010
Came here around 8:30 on a Tuesday night w/ a groupon, and the restaurant was practically empty. Dim lighting, everything wooden. It could be really sleek, but there's something missing.
The food, in itself, I would give 4 stars. The appetizers were all very good. Spring rolls were above par, and two satays we had were delicious, (beef madura and lamb tandoori) although one came out first, and the other came out with our meal (why?)
Shared a drunken noodle and the spicy duck udon. Well, no - that would have been what we would have shared, had the waitress not replaced the duck udon with duck curry. Granted, both meals were still really good, but how do you mess up our order when there's practically nobody in the restaurant?
Overall, service was meh and decor was so so. But I would come back, even without the groupon; the food is reasonably priced and tasted really good. (also would like to try the $25 prix fixe- seems like a pretty sweet deal). It doesn't help that there are homeless coming to the open window and asking for spare change.. Probably not somewhere I'd go on a first date.. in case of any squeamish people who think this neighborhood is "too sketch" for them. First dates are for WOWing. But 2nd or 3rd date? Sure. -
Review from Jane K.
4/29/2009 1 photo
I'm a fusion fan if it's done well and while the food here is actually pretty good there are some drawbacks that prevent me from going up to 4 stars.
- We waited 15 minutes for them to bring us water
- We had to flag them down twice for drinks after waiting with empty cocktail glasses
- They didn't have the cocktail I wanted (a lycheetini) despite it being 9pm on a Saturday evening
- Both me and my friend who shared entrees got sick during the night, not sure if it was related but I definitely didn't drink enough to warrant that type of reaction (considering I had wine instead of that lycheetini)
Other than that the food tasted good, pad thai was pretty typical and the beef with vermicelli noodles was slightly chewy but still good enough to finish most of it. I also loved the open glass walls that allowed for air circulation on the gorgeous evening. I probably won't return but it's worth a try if you're in the mood for some asian without a wait! -
Review from Chantelle K.
New York, NY
1/5/2009
My friend, Kathleen, decided on this restaurant for her birthday dinner (even though my friends thought I had "suggested" it given its proximity to my pad. I hadn't.). It's a tiny space with just a few tables so makes it perfect for a tete a tete, or if you call ahead, a big group like we were. While we opted to order a la carte (we were all still suffering the effects of New Years), they do have a Prix Fixe menu that was $26 for a starter, satay, main and dessert. And as you'll be able to tell from the entire menu-devoted specifically to satays, they are a must and range from delectably flavored spicy shrimp and tandoori chicken, to Korean short ribs and rosemary lamb. Additionally from 4-7 they do 1/2 priced drinks and appetizers. Not bad!
All in all, a nice little find in the LES that's perfect for a cheap bite before you head out on the town, or if you are feeling particularly peakish, I have a feeling that Prix Fixe menu should do the trick! Though it's important to note that they don't have a hard liquor license, so if you're trying to buy your friend a shot, you'll have to settle for soju instead. -
Review from Sheri s.
4/29/2010
My friends and I went here for dinner at 7pm on a Thursday night. First of all I was so excited to see what this place looked like after we saw their website and read the reviews, but those pics and reviews did not live up to my expectations at all!
The place is the size of a shoe box, literally. We made reservations just in case but when we arrived there was no one else there but the three of us. OMG I was like, please make their food be good...womp womp, the satay and the dessert were the highlights because the appetizers and the entree were mediocre. We ordered 2 $25 Prix Fixe - Four Course Dinner for the three of us:
Appetizer:
Jimbaran" Crab Cake ( too dry)
Spicy Kuta Wings ( decent)
Entree:
Spicy Duck Udon ( this duck meat was so tasteless)
Spicy "Drunken" Noodle ( this was okay)
Dessert: ( They tasted good, but for the price I could have bought a bucket of ice cream to last me a week)
Krakatoa
Crusted Coconut Fried Ice Cream
I think this place is overrated. -
Review from Jase E.
New York, NY
1/3/2008
With the same name as a town in southern Bali, Indonesia (thanks Wikipedia!), Kuta serves up a modern take on traditional Indonesian cuisine, incorporating some Malaysian and Indian influences.
Self-advertised as a "Satay House & Wine Bar " and "An Eclectic Asian Eatery", the restaurant is small, dark, and cozy... only that there is no "bar" to sit at; only a few low tables and fewer tables at bar height.
Indonesian cuisine is similar to Malaysian (ex: Nyonya), so I wasn't expecting anything too off base. Fortunately, Kuta offers up a modern twist. The first page of their menu is dedicated to satay appetizers, around 10 choices - the chicken and fish cakes were most memorable. I enjoyed them with a Kuta Sangria.
The entres were served up American style - protein with a side of starch and vegetable. This is different than most Asian-style service that is either a full plate of the order (no sides) or the main dish over a bed of rice.
I had the Spicy Duck Curry and it was absolutely fabulous! Bone-less duck over red curry with a side of seasonal vegetables. The Steak Rendang was also delicious.
I ended the meal with the banana chocolate gelato - a must-try!
They also offer a dinner prix-fixe for $25.
