Tag Archives: International

Food Court Review: Urban Kitchen (Plaza Indonesia)

Photo by: anakjajan.wordpress.com

Urban Kitchen kini hadir di jantung kota Jakarta dan kali ini bertempat di Plaza Indonesia. Menempati lokasi luas di lantai 5 yang sebelumnya dihuni Food Kulture, di sini Urban Kitchen kini mengadaptasi sistem food court terbuka atau tanpa menggunakan kartu masuk yang biasanya digunakan sebagai akumulasi kredit pembelian untuk dibayar kemudian di kasir yang tersentralisasi. Hal ini meniru kesuksesan sebelumnya di Urban Kitchen Central Park. Yang menggembirakan adalah kali ini Urban Kitchen menggandeng tenants yang lebih dikenal masyarakat pada umumnya serta menyuguhkan harga makanan yang lebih affordable.

Meski menggunakan layout yang sama dengan pendahulunya, kini Urban Kitchen mengangkat tema Jakarta tempo doeloe untuk interiornya. Tema ini dibagi menjadi tiga ruangan besar. Yang pertama adalah tema ngopi sore, ciri khasnya adalah ruangan tersebut dihiasi seolah-olah berada di teras depan rumah beserta sangkar-sangkar burung yang tergantung. Kali ini pemandangannya justru cukup mengesankan, yaitu arah Jalan Thamrin dengan gedung-gedung bertingkatnya.

Pada ruangan kedua berisikan berbagai tempelan berbagai iklan, stiker serta foto-foto jadul yang terkenal pada masanya. Pada masa awal hingga pertengahan abad 20, muncul berbagai kemasan khas iklan yang dirancang dengan gambar-gambar klasik serta kata-kata yang catchy. Pada ruangan inilah Urban Kitchen mencoba menghadirkan kembali suasana nostalgia tersebut.

Terakhir, Urban Kitchen memunculkan suasana pelabuhan dan perkapalan dengan berbagai aksen dan hiasan tali tambang, desain dinding batu bata, serta karung-karung berisi kopi. Mengapa kopi? Selain merupakan salah satu komoditas kebanggaan Indonesia, pada segmen inilah Urban Kitchen secara khusus menggandeng Anomali untuk sebagai ponggawa coffee lounge-nya.

Dalam pemunculannya yang masih terbilang singkat, ternyata konsep baru yang dihadirkan Urban Kitchen mampu untuk menarik banyak pengunjung khususnya dari kalangan eksekutif muda, pegawai kantoran serta tentunya pengunjung mall itu sendiri. Eksklusivitas masih terasa di sini namun dengan berbagai suguhan dari tenants yang familiar dan berbagai jajanan pasar, membuat Urban Kitchen menjadi alternatif menarik dan murah di tengah-tengah kemewahan Plaza Indonesia.

Selain hanya sekedar untuk makan-makan, Urban Kitchen juga berusaha menghadirkan sesuatu yang berbeda seperti bazaar dan live music. Promosinyapun terbilang aktif dan menggunakan media social network seperti Facebook dan Twitter. Jadi buat siapa saja yang ingin berpartisipasi pada acara di Urban Kitchen seperti bazaar hingga menggunakan tempatnya sebagai media gathering dan press conference. All is customizable!

So, just anticipate berbagai kegiatan menarik yang seru di Urban Kitchen. Sementara ini kita nikmati saja dulu program afternoon high tea atau kudapan ringan yang tentunya bercirikan khas masakan masing-masing tenant-nya serta menjelang Ramadhan, Urban Kitchen juga mempersiapkan tajil gratis untuk pengunjungnya. Sisanya, tentu segudang pilihan makanan lezat untuk dicoba!

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URBAN KITCHEN PLAZA INDONESIA

Address: Plaza Indonesia Lv. 5, Jakarta

RSVP: 021 – 7278 1571

Website: http://urbankitchen.co.id

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UrbanKitchenJKT

Twitter: @UrbanKitchenJkt

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-Featured in HANG OUT JAKARTA August 2011 edition-

Photo by anakjajan.wordpress.com

Restaurant Review: Collage

Grup Accor asal Perancis dengan jaringan hotel-hotelnya yang ternama di seluruh dunia kini menghadirkan salah satu upscale brands-nya dengan nama Pullman. Hadir di Jakarta baru-baru ini, Pullman tidak segan-segan membawa kemewahan itu dengan kehadiran Collage sebagai restoran internasionalnya.

Pengalaman memasuki Pullman bisa jadi adalah suatu hal yang tidak lazim. Pada umumnya ketika memasuki sebuah hotel bintang lima, biasanya kita merasakan kesan mewah yang terkadang intimidatif. Lain halnya dengan Pullman yang sengaja didesain dengan suasana kreatif dan casual namun juga masih menghadirkan suasana classy di dalamnya.

Dengan perpaduan gaya antara kontemporer, pop art dan berbagai display hiasan yang tidak lazim untuk hotelnya, tentu Collage sendiripun tidak kalah funky dan dilengkapi dengan open kitchens yang mengetengahkan berbagai sajian kuliner internasional serta sedikit sentuhan ala Jepang, Peranakan, India, dan tentunya Indonesia.

Pimpinan orkestra kuliner dari Collage adalah warga negara Perancis dengan nama Chef Eric Baudru yang berdarah Korea Selatan. Chef Eric meluangkan waktu untuk menjelaskan mengenai masakan-masakannya untuk Collage yang memang banyak dipengaruhi hidangan ala Mediterania yang segar dan banyak menggunakan sea food di dalamnya. Tentu saja demikian, karena kota asalnya adalah Avignon terletak tidak jauh dari Marseilles yang berbatasan langsung dengan Laut Tengah.

Sebagai pembuka, Collage mempersembahkan sushi dan sashimi segar yang bisa dipesan sesuai keinginan. Selain itu tentu berbagai micro food seperti foie gras brulee dan kawan-kawan serta raw oysters mungkin saja justru terlalu tajam dan berat sebagai pembuka karena rasanya yang khas. Alternatively, berbagai macam keju, salmon gravalax, pastrami dan cold cuts bisa menjadi pilihan menu pembuka anda.

Melangkah ke bagian berikutnya tentu akan membuat anda sedikit bingung karena pilihan yang tersedia begitu banyak. Anda bisa melangkah ke bagian Asia Timur yang terdiri atas bebek char siu, dim sum, hingga India dengan roti naan, nasi biryani, dan berbagai pendamping dagingnya dengan assorted chutneys.

Tapi yang menjadi juara dari semuanya adalah justru menu tradisional Indonesia dengan nama nasi bakar yang berisi daging sapi dan beraroma wangi khas rempah-rempah Indonesia. Tentunya yang tidak boleh terlewat juga adalah carving tables dengan grilled shortribs-nya yang telah melewati fase slow cooking selama 72 jam dan berhasil menjadikannya lezat sekaligus lembut dan juicy.

Ternyata bukanlah sebuah pengalaman isapan jempol belaka dengan apa yang akan anda rasakan bersama Pullman Hotel. Selain menikmati sisi artistik hotel ini, suasana belanja lengkap di mall-mall sekitarnya serta pemandangan kota yang menakjubkan, pengalaman di Collage menjadi satu hal yang juga tidak boleh dilewatkan.

Collage

Halal-friendly

Address: Podomoro City,  Jl. Letjen S. Parman Kav. 28, Jakarta

RSVP:

Atmosphere: Funky modern pop art museum turned into hotel.

Ambiance: Conversational.

Service: A five star hotel. You expect more?

Pricing: TBA

Opening Hours: TBA

Twitter: @Pullman_Jkt_CP

Facebook: pullmanjakartacp

-Featured in HANG OUT JAKARTA January 2012 edition (unedited)-

Restaurant Review: Cinnamon

What’s more extravagant than having a dinner affair in a five-star hotel at the most prestigious address in Jakarta? The inconspicuous restaurant with a catchy name of Cinnamon tempts Aquila Asia to unveil what’s behind the exclusivity of Mandarin Oriental Jakarta.

The hotel itself is one of the classic alternatives among other five-star competitors that exclusively surround the Bundaran HI, known as the landmark that defines Jakarta. Mandarin Oriental Jakarta itself had undergone almost two years of interior refurbishment and appeared again stylishly in 2009. Apart from the vintage exterior look, the insides look stunningly modern and extravagant.

Lively yet intimate, the international cuisine restaurant Cinnamon flaunts a casual theme but also romantic scene for dining. Not to mention also about the good suitability for both lunch and dinner in business attire. The use of natural materials such as raw woods with marble flooring, limestone walls, and sisal carpeting brings the rustic side of Cinnamon, especially with the ‘jungle’ scenery that camouflaged the restaurant. But with a wonderful composition of calm colours of cream and gold fused with warm lighting both artificial and natural brings also a multitude of modern touch of nowadays interior style.

Oxtail Soup

The one thing that welcomes everyone first is the display of colourful cakes and hampers from The Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop. What comes next is the feeling of the urgency to really test what Cinnamon has to offer and for that opportunity what’s better than being seated just beside the window to see the soothing greeneries just outside.

So Cinnamon may bring international theme but it is clear that they emphasize the Asian culture. For instance the highlight dishes are the majestic set of Hainanese Chicken Rice or the scrumptious Sampler of many Asian delights such as chicken tikka with mint and cucumber, crab cake with papaya pickles, sautéed prawn skewers and grilled beef salad. Both of them prove to be an excellent choice for a brief business lunch.

For that reason as well, Cinnamon doesn’t rely too much on having a wide variety for their food stations. Aside from some of their notable competitors that present the opposite, Cinnamon appears content with such degree of simplicity. When asked, Mr. Gono Soegiono the restaurant manager explains that, ‘Business lunch takes time only for about 30 to 45 minutes therefore we only serve what the guests need and as the compensation for that, rest assured that what we serve is of the best quality’.

Hainan Chicken Rice

This does makes sense although more options wouldn’t hurt especially judging from the reputation and the history of Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, yet most of all, the expectations. The course starts mainly from the openers such as salads or the Japanese style appetizers like sushi and sashimi. Let us never also miss the cheese station to boost up the morale. From there, some inviting options are there especially for the carving table of roast beef and pasta station that offers homemade tagliatelle, penne, linguini, and rigatoni.

What amuses me is actually the sandwich station which is quite rare in Jakarta hotels for as far as I know. Deriving from the goals to deal with the appetite of brief diners, Mandarin Oriental Jakarta has devised this small station with plenty of options. You can actually pick the already made ones with tuna and cheese for example, but also you can choose from variety of ciabatta, white, and whole wheat bread then decide the fillings. Make it plain or panini according to your liking and have it delivered directly to your table.

To end it all, simply choose the tempting variety of desserts yet the must-pick from all of those is definitely the one and only, the indisputable for the past 15 years, and that would be the American Chocolate Cake. Velvety and luscious, though came in small size! It’s best to spare more room for this one and load them all to your table before they simply vanish into thin air. Complete the excitements with crepes paired with homemade ice cream and sorbet or make it a worthy companion if the cakes ran out.

After two years of its existence, Cinnamon may still feel like a myth despite the imposing presence of the hotel. It’s a hidden jewel to be exact despite its small and modest selections of food. It’s beautiful nonetheless and now I feel like romantic dinner already but now I know one of those worthy for my next pick.

CINNAMON

Jl. MH Thamrin, PO BOX 3392, Jakarta 10310

Website: http://mandarinoriental.com/jakarta

Facebook: http://facebook.com/MandarinOrientalJakarta

Twitter: @MO_JAKARTA

RSVP: 021 – 2993 8888

Halal Meter: Halal-friendly. For dishes using pork are well indicated as well as those that contain alcohols.

Vegetarian Friendly: Yes and plenty of options for that.

Reservation: Recommended especially for lunch.

Opening Hours:

-          Breakfast:                   6 am – 10 am (Mon-Sat), 6 am – 10.30 am (Sun)

-          Lunch:                          11.30 am – 2.30 pm (Mon-Sat)

-          Brunch:                        11 am – 3 pm (Sun)

-          Afternoon Tea:         2.30 pm – 6 pm (Mon-Sun)

-          Dinner:                         6 pm – 10.30 pm (Mon-Sun)

Price:

-          Breakfast Buffet IDR 170,000++

-          Lunch & Dinner:

  1. Lunch Buffet IDR 175,000++
  2. Dinner Buffet IDR 195,000++
  3. Sunday Brunch IDR 195,000++
-As seen in Aquila Asia Sep-Oct 2011 Edition (unedited)-
-Photos courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Jakarta and Aquila Asia Magazine-

Restaurant Review: Three to Five

If you’re thinking that tea time culture is exclusively for true, noble yet decadent Englishmen or something that the so-called socialites do in five-star hotels or abroad, then you’re completely wrong. These days everything seems accessible and for everybody! By the way, you should read the history first.

Tea came from Asian countries mostly and why the hell only the English get to have the excitements from it. We have tea ceremonies notably coming from China and Japan! But here in Indonesia, though we love tea so much and has nothing in particular about tea time or even ceremonial kind of thing but why do they steal all the spotlight? So it’s time to seize the glory and Three To Five Afternoon Tea Cafe in Bandung is there at your disposal.

Let’s just start with the bad news first though. Pretty understandable now that the previous venture owned by coffee shop franchise Daily Bread finally had to shut down the operation and that might also happen for Three To Five as well. The location might be golden but the layout is terrible. The building is definitely not in shape for a ‘decent’ cafe and with huge parking lot in front of it makes it even more ‘unseen’. I see progresses made by Three To Five by putting some catchy lamps to attract more customers but still, it’s not suffice yet or perhaps I’m just being impatient.

So the concept is tea time cafe which actually lacking neither in presentation nor atmosphere. I was actually hoping that there are more rooms like the only one they had in the corner, the tea room with classic design of  old-time couch, fireplace (though unreal), and the vintage wallpaper. The rest of the room feels actually empty and too spacious. I cannot feel the real English style mansion with plenty of trinkets and stuffs around or even ladies laughing while sipping their tea like vampires.

It was actually quite uplifting for me to find out that Three To Five and the legendary Rasa restaurant are connected. Therefore you can see plenty of Rasa’s products there from my hugely favorite ice cream, cookies, and up to the cakes. The proprietor, Mr. Kenneth, also claimed that some of the dishes are similar with those from Rasa but he also experimented with other dishes to make it clear that the place is more Western yet different from its counterpart.

Fried Potato Skin

So for a starter, a plate full of fried skin potatoes poured with cheese and tomato salsa sauce. The potato skins were undoubtedly delicious especially when hot but the problem lies at the necessity to finish up the appetizer A.S.A.P. Why? Sure it’s getting cold but even since the beginning, I was hoping that they could at least add a hot sauce of let’s say, tomato bolognaise combined with the salsa and cheese. Or just minus the salsa and give us the beans then make it into a magical chili con carne! Surely this dish is already beautiful and plenty of creativity and be done even from those skins.

Still at this point where people supposed to have their English tea time, I still see not so many people around the place. This is something urgent that Three To Five must educate to many Indonesians particularly those who live in Bandung that they’re bringing a new custom here and promotions must be done intensively! Last month they might be still preparing the cake dishes for the tea time but now that everything’s done, I’m hoping to see more about it.

Three To Five Tenderloin

But let’s refrain the excitements first and head for one of their main dishes which notably consist of steaks. This one is called Three To Five Tenderloin and without being asked the meat temperature first, they served it well-done. Quite nice though I actually preferred medium well-done grade as always. The sides are very extensive such as a thin smoked beef which I deemed unnecessary since the meat already quite rich, then came hash brown potatoes, spinach, basil sauce. So it’s a bit sour and savory at the same time but with mozzarella washed all over the meat and the spinach, I think that they stole the spotlight instead of the meat quite unfortunately.

Steak can be pretty tricky these days. Sometimes I prefer a very traditional steak, grilled straight, and poured by the traditional sauces of BBQ, mushroom, and black pepper. It’s a well-known recipe by most Indonesian, they even started to notice about the importance of temperature just recently. But beyond that, steak is not that simple anymore and Three To Five decided to enter the area for the sake of how ‘Westernized’ its genre is.

Thus after exchanging gestures with the owner and observing the slow progress to the road of fame, finally our tea set arrived. Well, I gotta tell you that there are some things that might prove to be a hindrance for you. First, you gotta pick the right time for this, especially unlike me who challenged these beautiful trophy straight after lunch. Secondly, most of these cakes are sweet therefore you gotta prepare yourself again. Third, I found the collection of the tea still inadequate. I was hoping for a more traditional kind of English tea such as the English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, and others but here you’ll ‘only’ find infused and flavored tea such as peppermint, chamomile, mango, strawberry and other fruit teas.

Tea Time Cakes

Objections have been landed and let’s just go straight to the sides then. I have no objection whether Three To Five wants to use the traditional cakes or not but it’s still an interesting and colorful array of cakes! There are homemade French macaroons, cupcakes, eclairs, brownies, chiffon cakes, marzipan, scones, and the rest would be the savouries such as sandwiches and Rasa’s specialties bitter ballen and sausage broodjes.

After all, Three To Five needs to shout out about its existence even louder or doomed to the same fate like its predecessor. I fear for that since it’s quite rare to see tea cafe like this in Bandung and it would be a waste if it went unnoticed. The exterior might be disappointing but the rest inside is actually quite promising. Judging the competition nowadays, people invest more in what they want to be perceived rather than what they truly offer. For example, the inept and terrible Tokyo Connection comes next. For now, Three To Five, please hang on like those little tomatoes (it’s a song title, sorry) and show them that you’ll hit them quick and hard even before they knew it. Make them promise that they won’t just come for Rasa’s ice cream and cakes but they’ll come again for you.

Three to Five Afternoon Tea Cafe

Halal-friendly

Address: Jl. Ciliwung no. 15, Bandung, Indonesia

RSVP: 022 – 723 4297

Atmosphere: Half baked spacious cafe lacking in warmth and passion however promising.

Ambiance: Quiet and music feels like a distant echo.

Service: Adequate.

Opening Hours: 7 am – 10 pm (weekday), 9 am to 11 pm (weekend), afternoon tea time 3 pm – 5 pm.

Pricing: Minimum order for two people tea set at IDR 75K, appetizers at around IDR 20K, main course at around IDR 40K.

Twitter: @3to5cafe

Restaurant Review: Le Gran Cafe

Gran Mahakam Hotel is a beautifully designed hotel located conveniently in-between the classy neighborhood of Southern Jakarta and the hustle bustle of Central Jakarta’s business districts. But instead of starring as another modernist heralds, Gran Mahakam rather sees itself as the envoy of classic European architecture from baroque influence with all its ornamental details.

Its international restaurant, Le Gran Café, has a dashing look of mixture between classical and modern, mostly from the West but with a little bit of Oriental touch as well. The use of Onyx stones as the decorations for the wall lamps create the elegance. Next, the blending between wooden parquet and marble flooring, yet also some Asian touch of colored bamboo in the ceilings of the buffet again create a warm atmosphere and the homey kind of feeling.

Without doubt the venue itself is very decent and comfortable, but how about the food? It turns out that Le Gran Café offers a wide array of delightful choices from Japanese, Western, Peranakan, and Indonesian.

Nasi Bali

For example, the sumptuous dish of Nasi Bali is already a complete and excellent choice. The steamed rice, shaped triangle, is accompanied with beef empal (thinly cut beef steamed with various ingredients making it sweet yet tender and then fried), ayam masereh (spicy shredded chicken), vegetables urap (various vegetables topped with urap or grated coconut grounds dressing), telur pindang (egg boiled with herbal water), beef satay, rempeyek kacang (soy bean crackers) and sambal.

I must remark one thing among all these goodness and that credit goes for the beef satay. The beef satay is clearly standing out among the crowd and definitely deserves standing ovation! The meat itself was already made mild, succulent, and to add the spiciness, they put some chili on top of it. What’s driven the beef satay to be that insanely delicious was definitely the secret recipe which I have no doubt that some people who don’t fancy eating satay will be most definitely leave that all behind and embrace the new life after tasting Le Gran Mahakam’s version.

Chocolate Melted

Hey, we even haven’t reached the buffet and the desserts!

For Japanese, there’s always the sushi and sashimi counter alongside the Western salads with colorful vegetables and dressings. Quite unusual also to see fish grills available from dory, gindara and snapper with julienned vegetables. Side-by-side with the fish is the roast lamb carving and its barbeque sauce. Not only that, the envoy from Singapore would be the steam boat and some peranakan influenced dish such as the tasty and spicy roast duck with black pepper sauce. Not forgetting also that the homemade pasta station is always there for you to pick. I admit that their aglio olio pasta is probably one of the best I’ve ever tasted and it doesn’t need an Italian to do the trick. Just make it more meaty, cheesy, or spicier according to your liking. Simply, add life into it!

So if you’re done with the mains, it’s time for the dessert! The best would be the Chocolate Melted with homemade ice cream, preferably vanilla ice cream. The chocolate melted is a warm dessert made from a cake with chocolate filling, melting out of it when you sliced through and with some almonds for topping. The superb taste of the sinful chocolate combined lethally with the righteous vanilla ice cream. Yet the good news is that it’s available every day from breakfast to dinner due to its popularity.

Mahakam Lotus

Alternatively, you can always choose the unique Lotus Mahakam for a cold dessert. Experience the content of a huge carved ice with wondrous fillings such as lotus seeds, longans, lychee, baby corns, and olives all soaked in the lychee-fragrant and sweetened water.

Ultimately, it’s one helluva trip and a joyful ride all day long. My next stop here would be probably for Ramadhan Iftar. They have the already famous very vast array of Iftar openers. So next would be my turn again to see what they really offer me for Ramadhan. As for you, better not wait any longer. Book your seats and get on that rollercoaster ride of joy!

LE GRAN CAFÉ

Jl. Mahakam I No. 6, Blok M, Jakarta 12130

legrancafe@granmahakam.com

RSVP: 021 – 720 9966

Opening Hours: 6 AM to 11 PM (weekend 24 hours)

Delivery Availability: Dine in only.

Halal Meter: Halal, no pork dishes at all.

Vegetarian Friendly: Plenty of choices since it’s an international buffet and since it’s a hotel, just ask about it and they’ll be gladly to assist your vegetarian needs.

-As seen in Aquila Asia May-Jun 2011 Edition (unedited)-

-Photos courtesy of Le Gran Mahakam and Aquila Asia Magazine-

Restaurant Review: Hummingbird Eatery & Guest House

Hummingbird is the latest and a very fine addition to the already enriched modern culinary of Bandung. Jakarta may boast its high-profile or international franchise brands, but Bandung with its budding cafe with their ability to manipulate or sometimes notoriously imitating but often they can offer the better quality and fiercely competitive in price.

Located on an increasingly busy and popular Jl. Progo just nearby the ever-populated fashion outlets and Jonas Photo in Martadinata vicinity, Hummingbird can be easily recognized from its white ‘bird nest’ that covers the outdoor seats. But trust me that you wouldn’t wanna be seated there on a bright sunny day.

So what’s it like inside? Well, first of all Hummingbird preserves the stature of the old colonial house it resides in but revamping the interiors only with modern style minimalist concept that relies heavily on woodwork, let alone the colonial era tiles.

The name Hummingbird itself is not just for show but you will see that they paint the details about the bird all over the walls inside. This reminds me of my cousin who cares so much about biology and he can definitely take pictures about the nature! Aside from that, the place itself is very neatly decorated and quite comfortable though most of the times are full of patrons. Well, be sure to reserve first unless you wanna get ‘grilled’ outside. I imagine though that the lighting would be very nice once the day gets dark.

As for the menu, it reminds me a lot about Kitchenette and definitely about the pancake fever lately caused by either Pancious or Nanny’s Pavillon. Luckily, Hummingbird stays off the pancake but instead follows Kitchenette to the realm of crepes and galette.

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen. Allow me to introduce the new culture of modern dining, imported from France and the only herald in Bandung so far is Hummingbird! The remodeled diner a la casual and rustic French and Italian is the very heart of Hummingbird. But of course they also serve steaks and Asian course.

The usual soup and salad section is available as a good opener. Influenced heavily with potato, leek, mushroom, pumpkin, or just plain chicken and corn. Whilst the salad section also plays around with greens, chicken, and ham but also adopting Asian touch such as a bit of wasabi dressing or marinated beef with lemongrass. It’s best to just set your course from the beginning if you happen to rely on the Asian style opener, then it’s best for you to continue it with the so-called Grazing menu such as the Vietnamese Spring Rolls or Indonesian Beef Risoles and even the fried calamari with togarashi. If you want a good Western fix, then there’s always the fries, chips, and the escargot.

Potato Croquetas

Instead I picked their most recommended Potato Croquetas. It’s basically croquettes filled with beef ham and cheese served with dipping sauce. Each croquettes is served upon a Chinese spoon and there were 5 of them. Be careful because it’s hot and it’s best to just put a bit surgery and let the smokes come out then you’ll see the intriguing yet tempting melted cheese coming out of it! So quickly take the croquettes to the cold and tangy oriental sauce. Dip it. And there you go, a very inviting and appetizing opener! Don’t ruin it with the chili sauce because it’s already impeccable!

Not long after that, we were quickly served with the mains and that definitely ruined the goodness of an appetizer. Perhaps I should have told them to just bring it one by one but what to do anyway? It’s not a fine dining so just simply drop the attitude and just get along with the fun!

Lucifer Galette

I did that and my oh my, look at the dishes we had that day for lunch. For me, a galette dish called Lucifer and the fun came from the good beef patties with mustard plus the sunny side up egg with onion jam and a cherry tomato. This reminds me a lot with the one I had way earlier at Kitchenette but I felt more contented and it’s definitely way cheaper (almost half the price!). Aside from that, it was a good dish where they can elaborate the elements gracefully and with the hidden cheese, everything to me seemed like a dream come true. The savory beef patties combined with the honey mustard and the great onion jam with the brilliant sunny side up. That’s what I call a galette and I can rest easy, once again, with the price.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Next the two great pasta dishes. The first one would be the Mushroom Stroganoff. I’m not sure what to make of the name but the dish was just excellent. The fettuccine was gloriously sauced with cream and herb butter. This may be tricky because my previous experience at A Tavola, the cream sauce was just not good enough but here, it’s just different. It’s not that creamy but the taste was just surfaced and keeps on calling me to dig and dig and dig even though it’s my mom’s dish. Haha.. Moreover, the generous mushrooms and colorful paprika were just too indulging. I had a wonderful time enjoying the creamy fettucine with the fried and non-fried mushrooms plus the exotic and colorful paprika. It was just awesome.

Spicy Volcano Tuna

The second pasta dish was the Spicy Volcano Tuna and this is what I call spicy but indulging. At times, whenever I encountered a heavily spiced dishes, I’d just runaway and hide somewhere in the corner but not this one. The tuna fragrant was just too inviting to be missed and it melts good with this spicy aglio alio based spaghetti! The best thing about both dishes was that you wouldn’t wanna add parmesan or olive oil, let alone the misleading chili sauce because they were already good just the way they supposed to be!

In the end, close it with one of their pride, the Hummingbird Nectar. I got us the litchi fix and we were very satisfied with the balanced sweetness and freshness of it. We were left very satisfied in the end but more questions arose since I’m getting curious about their other dishes and especially their consistency. Surely they have made a formidable reputation with such great dishes but can they come up with future competitions? Consistency is the first key of success because if they can keep up with their style and deliciousness plus the fact that they compete seriously in terms of pricing, I believe in no time Hummingbird will lead the modern cuisine in Bandung. Hell, they’re the pride of Bandung today!

HUMMINGBIRD EATERY & GUEST HOUSE

Jl. Progo no. 14, Bandung – Indonesia

RSVP : 022- 421 25 82

Delivery Availability: Dine in only.

Website: http://hummingbird-eatery.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hummingbird-Eatery/184475778248799

Twitter: @hummingbird_eat

Halal Meter: Though not openly proclaimed halal as far as I know but they are using beef for their hams. That’s a good sign for a start.

Vegetarian Friendly: Yes, but limited only to soups, salads, sweet crepes and breakfast menu. Customization is to be questioned.

Ambience & Interior: A preserved old colonial house but with a warm touch of casual and modern interior of a chic eatery. The ‘bird nest’ covering the outdoor seats is the coolest part of the joint.

Service: Too busy to be of any help. Just remind them more and be patient though, they’d be very helpful in the end.

Pricing: Appetizers, Soups, and Salads IDR 17,500 – IDR 31,500; Crepes and Galette IDR 24,500 – IDR 32,500; Mains IDR 27,500 – 78,500; Breakfast Dishes IDR 17,500 – 35,500; Tea, Coffee, Juice, Beer and ‘Hummingbird Nectar’ IDR 10,000 – IDR 24,500.

Recommended Dishes: Spicy Beef Thai Salad, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Potato Croquetas, Hummingbird Crispy Chicken, Berrylline Crepes, Ruby’s Crepes, Rufous Galette, Lucifer Galette, Mom’s Chicken Curry, Honey Coated Beef Ribs, Oxtail ‘Masak Asam Pedas’, Hamburg Steak, Braised Osso Bucco, Rosemary Infused Roasted Chicken, Homemade Pastitso Pasta, Spicy Volcano Tuna Pasta, Mushroom Stroganoff Pasta, Cheesy Gnocchi, All ‘Hummingbird Nectars’.

Reservation: Recommended.

Operating Hours: Opens daily from 7 AM to 10.30 PM (11.30 PM on Saturday).

Payment Methods: All cards accepted.

QuikSkoop™: Java (Intercontinental Hotel, Jakarta)

Celebrating my department first anniversary, we booked seats two weeks prior for a dinner at Java Restaurant, Intercontinental Hotel Jakarta. For this Ramadhan, Java promotes 50% discount for all using ANZ credit card. A chance indeed!

Arriving early, we were given good positioned seats and the privilege to take the foods before the everybody else arrive. Iftar at Java with this promotion proved to be good business since you gotta book way earlier. My colleague checked the availability earlier that morning and to found out that it’s fully booked already. Best to do it at least a week prior. Though in normal times, I suppose you can just waltz in and sit.

Raw stuffs appetizers

Plenty of seemingly good openers from Indonesian delicacies to international style appetizers. I love picking the raw stuffs like sushi, shrimps, sashimi, and variety of mussels. Salad bar was also available also with other unique Indonesian food like Cirebonese tahu gejrot (small fried soybean curds mixed with black sauce made from mixtures of bird-eye chilis, shallots, garlic, and soy sauce) and satay made of lambs, beef, and chicken.

The opener was delightfully nice except for the certain bamboo mussels and bul bul mussels which were a bit strange and cannot be digested easily. The freshness level was still under C’s Seafood and Steak Restaurant in Grand Hyatt Jakarta of course but slightly better than Rosso at Shangri La Jakarta.

A bit of shame goes to the main dishes. While the big and intimidating steamed garoupa fish was delectably great but the rest was just disappointing. The dory, cheese sausages, chicken cordon bleu, and beef tongue were definitely ruled out from five star hotel standard. While the beef kalio (sauteed beef with certain Padangnese style cooking taste a bit spicy with a hint of curry and certain sweetness in it), beef meatballs, and of course, again the garoupa fish were the stars of the warm Iftar that night.

Additional Indonesian stalls such as the batagor and soto mie dishes were also available. The batagor or baso tahu was similar like dim sum actually. It comprises of steamed siomay, soybean curds filled with fish, and many others. Add the ground nut sauce with Indonesian sweet soybean ketchup for better taste. While the sotomie was actually noodles, meat, and vegetables with curry soup.

The dessert was also not highly commended. I didn’t taste the Indonesian desserts but the other cakes like classic tiramisu and vanilla pannacotta were not convincing at all. Try to compare it with Rosso’s divine pannacotta and you’ll see the difference.

The problem within massive buffet prepared for breakfast to dinner at five stars hotels like this sometimes only boasts the hygienic level (which we don’t know actually) and/or the service and especially the unique foods. The service is also sometimes not that good. The unique foods sometimes also turn out to be a disaster while the standard foods are most of the times less tasty than those in hawkers or even your home dishes.

I can sometimes understand the hardships they experienced inside the kitchen but it is also important to respect the patrons expectations, especially expectations for a five star hotel dishes. They’re paying a fortune and it’s your duty to comply to their expectations. But not failing miserably like this, Java. Sorry to say, it’s not good enough for me.

LOCATION:

Intercontinental Hotel Jakarta Midplaza, 3rd Floor. Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 10-11, Jakarta

Restaurant Review: Kitchenette Restaurant & Crêperie

Kitchenette is the newest envoy, the latest messenger to the open field from Ismaya Group. The most recent one accompanied with Mr. Curry. For several times I had been passing this new establishment and they seemed to gain reputation very swiftly and was indeed not short of customers. Not to  mention also the fact that it’s located in Plaza Indonesia, a prominent mall in Central Jakarta. So if you don’t like crowds or waiting up in queue for too long for your seats, assume brunch time or early dinner time as the best time for taking a breath.

Though fate decided that I should come for early dinner but for Friday night! Famished, me and my colleagues had to queue though it’s still 5.30 PM. Meanwhile, I took a tour around the place and observe it a bit. Deriving from kitchen, Kitchenette means a small kitchen. You can see the small kitchen in the middle of the place, very transparent and seem small indeed but definitely a very decent place to work and serve dishes efficiently. Kitchenette is an open place with no walls to the outer world. Feels like European style cafe just across the street of Paris or Vienna, but you wouldn’t build something fancy like this in Jakarta because it’s too humid and hot. Except in Bandung or Bali perhaps where the air is still fresh and open door cafe like this can be very comfortable.

As for the design, Kitchenette is modern and has a warm atmosphere of uptown people, not always too classy but you can find socialites here. With a relaxing, not too dominating jazz or lounge ambient which keeps you from external disturbance but in a level where you can still hear you partner’s voice.

The waiting time was not that long anyway though I saw earlier that they serve plastic cups alongside a pile of lemons which I warrant that they made lemonades out of those but they didn’t offer us at all. I thought that perhaps they do that when the queue line is out of hand or when people coming for lunch or dinner rush, then they’ll definitely use lemonades to soothe them for a while.

So, we were seated at last. You might think that Kitchenette is a bit too small for such hustle and bustle but when I was seated, it’s actually a bit spacious. Afterwards, the waiter immediately handed us the menus and after we browsed it for awhile, he’s back again ready for everything and very patient indeed. We hadn’t yet concluded what we wanted for that night and keep asking the guy for the details of the dishes but he proved himself worthy and knowledgeable about it. He also gave us suggestions as a waiter should do of course. But he’s not without his flaws though. I had been interested more in galette and there’s actually discounted appetizers such as soup or salad to accompany it. I had asked him whether this kind of combination can also be done for other dishes besides galette. He said none beside galette, but from what I saw later actually, it can be combined and it’s on the menu for God sake.

Well, at any rate, galette for tonight would be good since it has been Kitchenette’s signature menu and specialty alongside the crêpe. Each of Ismaya Group restaurants has its own character. For instance, Mr. Curry definitely specializes in curry, Puro in Italian, Pasta de Waraku in fusion pasta, Social House for tapas and wine, and Kitchenette here for the crêperies. Two types available here, galette for the savory and crêpes for the sweet. Both of them were originated from France. That’s pretty obvious right? Galette is a thin, crispy pancake made out of wheat, usually garnished with savory ingredients such as cheese, meat, egg, etc. Whilst crêpe as we have known commonly, usually filled with sweet things like ice cream, melted chocolate, sometimes added with cheese, and can also be filled with savory ingredients. But here, in Kitchenette, both of them are differentiated.

Antoine Ego Galette

Tabouleh Couscous

The galettes are uniquely titled with French guy names and the crêpes with American country ladies names. Mine’s Antoine Ego galette (IDR 65,000) that consists of ham (pork or turkey), mozzarella cheese, and mushroom caviar with truffle oil. I took the appetizer package and picked Tabouleh Couscous (IDR 25,000 – only if combined). I’ve always wanted to taste couscous, a traditional Middle Eastern/North Africa dish made out of wheat and with certain method of cooking, you’ll see it more like grated parmesan cheese. For the combination menu, the meaty salads are excluded but the rest are available. The rest of my friends picked Arnaud galette (IDR 69,000) and this one consists of two mini beef hamburg, fried egg, Dijon mustard, Swiss cheese, and caramelized grilled onions. Then there’s also Pan fried John Dory fish fillet over sauteed garlic spinaches with Mediterranean sauce (IDR 59,000), The Maid’s nasi goreng with spicy seafood, fried egg, and chicken satay (IDR 49,000), and a more conservative friend of mine a.k.a on-a-diet friend picked a salad Iceberg wedge with roasted pears, walnuts, and Gorgonzola dressing (IDR 37,000, added with regular chicken IDR 10K and large chicken IDR 20K).

My pick was indeed the best. The salad may be a bit strange but it actually isn’t. In Indonesian dishes notably fried rice or martabak, usually accompanied by pickles and the sourness was quite similar. The salad consists of diced shallots, cucumbers, capsicums, carrots, and covered with couscous. I added the olive oil as usual. I was fond of it but if you wanted a safer salad, pick the one you usually like or just the soup. My Antoine Ego galette was nice. The cheese, turkey ham, and the mushroom caviar fit perfectly together bringing on the tenderness and they melt wonderfully inside my mouth. You might want to add pepper, olive oil, or even chili sauce for more spirit but I prefer the original taste. A bit of pepper and olive oil might do but not the chili sauce. My friend’s Arnaud galette was okay too. More meaty and full of proteins, but it’s not actually that special. In terms of balance, mine’s better though you may see it not too inviting but still, it’s the best pick of the night.

Iceberg wedge with roasted pears, walnuts, and Gorgonzola dressing (added with chicken)

Arnaud Galette

The John Dory fish dish was served hot and worked well also for the evening. The fish cuts were bountiful and the sauce worked well with the fishes and spinaches. Nice pick too. I didn’t taste much on the salad and the fried rice but it’s just too ordinary indeed for the fried rice. As for the salad, the Gorgonzola dressing did the trick and the uniquely fried pears tasted good said my friend. Not to forget the drinks, I picked the Classic Lemonade too and served per glass for IDR 25,000. It’s sour but very fresh, I like it a lot but they price-tagged it too expensive. Seriously! I watched a movie called Lemon Tree and there’s plenty of lemons and lemonades giveaway for free and seemed tasty! It should have been cheaper nonetheless no matter how absurd I correlate it with the story. LOL

It was a pleasant night but not for my friends, they seemed to think that Kitchenette was overrated since the food was not that special and the fact that they’re still hungry! Haha.. As for me, it was a very fulfilling dishes, too expensive, and judging that you can get crêpes for a bargain price in food stalls on malls plus the fact that galette is originally a traditional, peasant dish way back in France and it’s too expensive. To be honest, I have to agree my friends too that the food was not that extraordinary though my galette was good. So Kitchenette, no matter how magical your place is so you can attract so much customers but heed my warnings, improve thyself and prove that thou are worthy enough for my next visit. Wassalam..

KITCHENETTE RESTAURANT & CRÊPERIE

Plaza Indonesia Lantai 1 Blok E Unit 16

Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 28 – 30, Central Jakarta, Indonesia

RSVP : 021 – 29923580

Website: http://www.ismayagroup.com/kitchenette
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/k1tchenette
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/k1tchenette

Dishes and Drinks: Salad, International dishes, Galette, Crêpe, Lemonade, variety of beverages

Recommended Dishes: Antoine Ego Galette

Reservation: Recommended

Operating Hours: TBA (assume normal operation hours)

Methods of Payment: Cash, Debit Cards, Credit Cards

THE JUDGMENT:

1. PRICE (4/10)

Price ranging from IDR 25,000 to IDR 125,000 for either appetizers and main dishes. Main dishes are pretty expensive.

For five people the total was IDR 525,525. Good number but it’s very pricey indeed.

2. INTERIOR (6/10)

Feels good for me though crowded all the time but I like Canteen better or a bit better than Social House here.

3. SERVICE (7/10)

Very knowledgeable but not without flaws. Happily assisted us in taking our photos and even offered his service for additional shot!

4. TASTE (6/10)

Pick your dish carefully, expect a bit ordinary taste, and definitely, half-full tummy in the end.

5. OVERALL (5.75/10)