dr. B's Journal

A Tavola

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:14:00 +0000

A Tavola is an Italian restaurant located in Kemang Area. I remembered reading a review of this place, stating that this place serves authentic Italian cuisine with affordable price. So... Me and Asmet visited this place a while ago when we were confused of getting what to eat :)

The place is quite small. Mediterranean style decor but a bit rusty here and there. The place looks a bit dated and got that "kantin" feel. Personally, I don't like the place but that's what you get with that kind of price right?

The food:
1. La Voglia (Rp. 70.000)

Cheese platter served with foccacia, black olives and olive oil on a wooden cutting board. Presentation was good :) Love it. The cheese served are Bel Paese, Asiago and Fresh Mozzarella. Bel Paese is the round white one. Similar texture with brie but a bit harder. The Mozzarella is a not as chewy as I expected, maybe because of the "fresh" factor. The Asiago is quite salty but goes very well with the olive oil. Let me remind you that I am no cheese expert but I do LOVE cheese. For me, this platter is good but not great. Oh I forgot, hate the foccacia... Too dry!

2. Zuppa Ai Funghi (Rp. 18.000)

A plate of cream mushroom soup. Made of champignon and porcini mushroom, this soup is quite yummy. Not the best I ever had but not bad. The soup is not creamy enough for me but the texture is perfect. The bread is crunchy, love it :) I can't stop wondering why they put shredded cheddar on top of the soup.. Cheddar makes every dish tastes cheap!

3. Ravioli Con Funghi (Rp. 38.000)

This dish made me confused. The ravioli texture is okay but tastes a bit sweet. I dunno what they use to make that orange ravioli but that certainly not goes well with the creamy sauce. The sauce is a do-it-yourself cream sauce, I can cook better cream sauce than that. The shredded cheese on top, total turn off. The mushroom bits helped a bit but I didn't enjoy that ravioli as much as I expected.

4. Fettuccine Alla Norcina (Rp. 50.000)

Fettuccine is not al dente. Again with the cream sauce... Disappointed. The fresh chopped tomato is confusing. They serve the fettuccine with a nice italian sausage but it can't help the confusing pasta, too bad.

For me, no good. Yeah it's cheap but that is not an excuse for some weirdness in my pasta. As a place that serves cheese platter, I expect more. Authentic? Hmm... In some ways yeah but in many ways, I don't think so. Good value for money but doesn't entertain the palate much.

Rating: 6/10
Location: Kemang, South Jakarta

Chef's Table by Din Tai Fung

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Hellooo patients! :) Wadduppp

Just yesterday, I went to Emporium Pluit Mal with Mami en Ai Foing.. Since work has been crazy this last couple of weeks, I decided to atone my sins from ignoring my family for a while. Mami wanted to try this recently opened Chef's Table restaurant. Hmm.. One thing that got me interested is the tagline "by Din Tai Fung" also known as the world's best xiao long bao. So.... Let the story begins...

Hmm... Tempat nya sih biasa banget. Dibilang mewah kaga, dibilang jelek juga kaga. Yang jelas PANAS! Ga ngerti deh ya, apa AC nya rusak ato gimana tapi yang jelas menurut gw tempatnya agak panas. Mereka bahkan menaruh 2 buah Oxone bladeless fan (yang gw kaga ngerti ngaruh ato engga) tepat di belakang mami en ie ie. Decor nya standar chinese food restaurant dengan tableware yang juga standard. Mungkin ini versi ekonomis dari Din Tai Fung kali ya... Semacam Imperial Chef nya The Duck King gitu...

Perlu gw tambahkan disini, service sangat buruk!!!!!! Tragedi pertama terjadi ketika dia menawarkan kalau ada promo dengan BRI kalo ga salah. Nah berhubung kita ga punya, si Ai Foing nanya, kalo kartu laen ada promo ga? Si waiter nya dengan gelagapan bengong, trus dia sibuk nanya dulu ga tau kemana, kemudian balik lagi buat ngasi tau kalo tidak ada promo dengan credit card laen. Is it hard to memorize what promo u have in the place?

Tragedi lain yang terjadi adalah mengenai sup. Jadi Ai Foing pengen makan semacem sup ayam gitu, nah dia tanya "ini sup nya pake ayam kampung bukan?" Trus si waiternya bingung. Lalu dia bilang bukan. Karena dia ragu2, ngacir lah dia dan kembali dengan membawa kabar kalau mereka pake ayam kampung. Is it sooo hard for Chef's Table/Din Tai Fung to train their waiter's knowledge about their own menu? Isn't that why u pay them for? FYI patients,menu nya tuh minim dibanding resto chinese laen yang uda kaya buku pelajaran menu nya.. I didn't blame the waiters secara mereka juga gw yakin kaga perna makan tu makanan di dalem menu tp masa ga dikasi tau sih...

The food:
1. Xiao Long Bao Kepiting dan Babi (Rp. 46.000/4 pcs)

Komentar dulu soal menu nya... Masa English nya jadi Crab Meat and Pork Dumpling... Cape dehhh, makanya gw tulis indo nya aja, biar kaga membingungkan. Untuk soal rasa, this is the best Xiao Long Bao in Jakarta. I've tried more than 10 version of Xiao Long Bao in Jakarta and not a single one can beat Din Tai Fung's. Denger denger sih dapet 1 Michelin Star ya tapi gw lupa Din Tai Fung yang dimana... Kunci kelezatannya menurut gw terletak di kulit nya. Kulitnya itu mulus, kaga gampang pecah lembut en kekenyalannya perfect. Ditambah lagi isi daging nya yang mantap dengan kaldu yang gurih. Yummylicious!!!!

2. Pink Diamond (Seafood) and Emerald Green (Salad) Xiao Long Bao ( Rp. 38.000/4 pcs)

Ini adalah produk baru dalam dunia per Xiao Long Bao an. Lucu ga sih warna warni gitu kan jadi nya. Hmm... Gw ga nyoba yang emerald green... Tapi yang pink diamond sih not bad lah.. Seafood nya berasa banget kaldu udang dan kepiting. Tinggal cocol dikit ke kecap asin en cuka item, tambahin jahe, nom nom nom :)

3. Jiao Ze Sayuran dan Babi (Rp. 28.000/pcs)

Ini kuo tie tapi di steam dengan isi sayuran yang gw asumsikan kucai dan daging babi cincang. For me, the skin is perfect but the filling is a bit bland. Dip in soy sauce if u want to get a decent taste. Filling nya emank padet banget tapi sayang terlalu banyak sayur sehingga daging nya kurang berasa ya.

4. Mie Saus Cha Jiang (Rp. 43.000)

Cha Jiang Mien ini kan salah satu menu favorit di Cina sono ya tapi gw emank kaga gitu demen sih... Gw lebi demen mie yang kuah ada wantan nya ato ga mie hongkong gitu. Berhubung ini yang di rekomen sama waiternya, gw pilih yang ini. Porsinya kecillll (ato perut gw yang kegedean?) Dibandingkan dengan di tempat laen, menurut gw di sini rasanya lumayan enak. Tapi sayang mie nya kelembekan (sesuatu yang tidak berubah dari ketika pertama kali gw makan Din Tai Fung bertahun-tahun yang lalu di Arcadia Senayan) Kalo uda diaduk-aduk, rasanya jd mirip spaghetti bolognese gitu hehe

5. Udon Udang Saus Spesial (Rp. 60.000)

According to Ai Foing, this one sucks. Hmm menurut gw seh ga sampe sucks lah... Emank agak kemanisan dan ga ada pedes2nya ni udon tapi yang agak mengecewakan adalah udangnya. Kecil bener ya... Lebi gede udang di kwetiaw medan di sepanjang jalan Muara Karang. Oya, porsinya juga kecillll, buset deh..

6. Tahu Telur Asin (Rp. 55.000)

Okay... Yummylicious!!! Tahu telur goreng yang langsung pecah di mulut dan diselimuti dengan telur asin yang passss banget. Duh... Melts in your mouth deh pokoknya. Mantep abisss

7. Mango Fantasy (Rp. 58.000/L)

Yummylicious!!!! I'm a sucker for dessert and this one is just irresistable.... Shaved iced yang dibentuk kaya menara, dikasi Mango Ice Cream Haagen Dasz, dilumuri mango sauce and evaporated milk kemudian banyak banget mango cubesnya... Gw sampe brain freeze makan ni dessert and I can't stop wanting more and more :)

The food is good. Ada kekurangan sedikit di sana sini but overall gw cukup puas bahkan sangat puas dengan Xiao Long Bao nya... Yang sangat menyebalkan adalahhhh service nya! Seperti sudah gw tulis di atas, uda 2 tragedi. Nah ini berikutnya..

Setelah makan, Ai Foing mau bungkus buat ngasi Kung Kung dirumah. Beberapa saat kemudian, datang waiter berbaju item putih yang ngebawain pesenan kita.. buat dine in! Si Ai uda bengong nih, tp tu waiter sebelum sampe meja kita uda diberentiin sama temennya yang nyuru dia balik. Jadi tu makanan blm sampe meja kita. Gw uda bingung kan, kok begini sih, jelas2 kita uda ngabisin dessert terus dia masi mau nganterin main course? Logika nya aja deh...

Ehhhh beberapa saat kemudian, tiba2 datanglah satu orang waiter lagi buat nganterin pesenan kita yang lagi lagi buat dine in!!!!!!!!!! Gw kesel banget kan, gw uda ngomel2, boro2 ada yang ngomong maaf pak, yang ada waiternya langsung kabur. Terus, disono ada supervisor mereka 2 orang, cewe. Ngeliatin kita terus dan gw yang lagi ngomel. You know what, mereka cuma diem aja sok sibuk nuang teh! Gw blg sama waiternya, panggil manajer kamu, 2 kali en tidak ada yang nongol. Satu orang malah bilang dengen gelagapan, manajernya ga ada! Gila ga sih tu restoran???!!!!! Service macam apa itu????

Pas gw keluar, ada seorang bapak2 dengan baju bebas yang berdiri mengucapkan terima kasih. Langsung aja gw ngomong "bapak manajernya?" trus dia bilang "iya pak" uda aja gw ngomong dengan suara kenceng "bagaimana sih take away bisa dateng sebagai dine in setelah saya makan dessert! Bagaimana sih kitchen kamu?!! Apa bedanya makan disini sama pecel lele di depan?!!!" Dia cuma bisa "o iya, maaf pak, maaf pak" Uda aja gw tinggal langsung.

Sebagai sebuah restoran yang bisa gw kategorikan mahal, service disini PARAH BANGET!!!!

Rating: 5/10
Location: Emporium Pluit Mall, F5

Bakmi Wewe

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:04:00 +0000

Ga tau kenapa, belakangan ini ngidam bakmiiiiiiiii terusssss. Padahal kita ketahui bersama, makan mie itu kan musuh besar nya diet yeeee. Secara gw bercita-cita biar ga semakin melar, makan mie harusnya jadi pantangan donk... Tapi apa daya... I surrender to the temptation of noodle..

On one Sunday morning, gw en Asmet lagi di daerah Kota. Tiba-tiba aja gw keinget sama Bakmi Wewe. Gw tau nya ini dari postingan orang juga yang nulis kalo ini masuk salah satu mie favoritnya.

The food:
1. Bakso Goreng (Rp. 5.000)

Kualitas bakso gorengnya sih... lumayan saja. Not the best but definitely appetizing. Kadar kegaringannya pas, crunchy luarnya en agak alot dalemnya. Sebenernya sih paling mantep kalo bakso goreng itu panas tapi berhubung disini ga bisa dipanasin, ya mau diapain.

2. Bakmi Kriting

Lupa harganyaaaaaaaaaa :( Tapi ga mahal2 amat kok, less thank 20K per bowl, so it's quite affordable. Bakmi yang di Mie Wewe adalah jenis bakmi keriting. Buat patients yang doyannya mie keriting,this is recommended! One of the best I ever had in Jakarta. Rasanya gurih, porsinya cukup dengan daging yang engga pelit. Gw liat daging cha siu nya bikin sendiri jadi rasanya juga lebi enak daripada yang cha siu nya suka keras ga jelas karena uda lama. Gw sendiri kurang begitu demen sama mie keriting, gw lebi suka yang lurus gitu. Itu aja menurut gw mie nya lumayan yummy, karena bumbu nya berasa. Kadang mie keriting karena mengandalkan topping nya yang daging banget jadi suka ngelupain ngasi rasa yang mantep buat mie nya, padahal kan kalo makan kita makan mie en dagingnya ga bersamaan ya...

Gw lumayan suka ni mie :) Untuk mie keriting, Bakmi Wewe is definitely on my list!p

Rating: 7/10
Location: Ketapang Jakarta

Deltoro's BBQ Ribs and Steak

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 11:55:00 +0000

Deltoro's in Grand Indonesia has tickled my curiosity for a while. I've been passing through this ribs and steak for several times and this place always offers some sort of credit card discount. Finally, I gave in to my carnivorous desire and dragged Asmet with me to have a Flintstone session *grin*

The place is a generic mall resto. Wooden interior with several sofa cubicle and square tables. The decor is really standard, a bit disappointed considering they put a high price on their menu. The waiters are attentive and understand the menu so that's a plus from me.

The food:
1. Deltoro's US Pork Spare Rib (Rp. 200.000/Full Slab)

YUMMY!!!! The us ribs are sooo tender. I'm not a big fan of that pricey rib place so for me finding this affordable ribs with good quality is a blessing :) Only available in BBQ sauce despite the 3 options available in the menu, this is a must try. Humongous ribs in a huge plate that can satisfy my gigantic appetite, nicee :) The BBQ sauce has a tangy flavor layered with sweetness that seeps through the ribs. The bones the spare ribs is so tender, you can eat it if u want. The meat is marinated nicely, juicy and tender. The mashed potato is just okay, slightly above average :)

2. Balinese Original Local Pork Baby Back Ribs (Rp. 184.000/Full Slab)

Another giant piece of meat landed on our table and again satisfying. Although I prefer the spare ribs, this one is also yummy. The meat is not as tender as the US ribs but the traditional feel is a very interesting. Resembling those traditional ribs joined, the sweetness from sweet soy sauce dominates this dish. With hints of spiciness and the sambal available, all we need is a plate of hot rice to make this dish unforgetable.

A recommended place for u carnivores!

Rating: 7.5/10
Location: Grand Indonesia, Jakarta

Arang 22

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Annyeong haseo...!!!!!!

It's Korea timeeeeee :) Makanan Korea adalah salah satu favorit gw tapi emank agak jarang sih makan korea.. Yah.. Secara kalo makan korea minimal 150k, kan sakit ati tuh.. Jadinya jarangggggggggg banget makan korea. Masalah nya makan korea tuh seru!

Kali ini gw sama Asmet nyobain Arang 22! Penasaran sih uda lama banget pengen nyoba resto ini... Seperti layak nya restoran korea di daerah Kebayoran Baru, dari luar keliatan kaya rumah biasa gitu, palingan cuma rame sama tulisan-tulisan korea gitu. Dalem nya juga typikal, meja biasa en lesehan style dengan dekor serasa di rumah yang tidak terkesan mewah tapi meja nya gede en biasa nya dilengkapin tv (mungkin buat karoke kale ya)

The food:
1. The appetizers (complimentary)

Ada 11 macam appetizer yang disediain buat kita, gratis en bisa reffill!!! Yang gw suka tentu saja kimchi nya, yummy banget :) Terus... Kerang dara nya juga yummmmm!!!! Sayang sekali appetizer laennya sih biasa aja... Telur tim nya kaga enak en kentang-kentangan nya biasa banget..

2. Jab Che (Rp. 95.000)

Jab Che adalah soun goreng ala korea yang enak banget! Gw tau sih, sangat menggelikan kalo kita bayar segitu mahalnya buat sepiring soun goreng dengan topping seadanya tapi tetep aja, tidak menyesal sama sekali!!! Every korean place serves Jab Che and IMO Arang has the best Jab Che I ever had. Rasanya berani, asin en gurih. Porsi nya besar en tingkat kematangan soun nya passss. YUMMYLICIOUS!!!!

3. Gun Mandu (Rp. 59.000)

Gun Mandu itu sebenernya kuo tie ato ada yang bilang pangsit shanghai. Bentuk nya seperti suikiaw tapi kulitnya lebih tebel en di pan-fried atau deep fried. Hmm... Standar banget deh.. Tapi bole lah untuk variasi dari makanan korea yang cenderung pedes en garlicky itu. Apa mungkin si Arang 22 punya kurang enak, gw juga ga ngerti.. Tapi yang jelas, kalo untuk kuotie, gw milih versi chinesenya aja deh.

4. Daeji Kalbi (Rp. 85.000)
Let's move on to BBQ!!! Yang bikin bon makan membludak kalo makan korea adalah makanan BBQ nya.. Dilema sih, kalo mesen bangkrut, ga mesen ga mantep. Kmrn ini sebenernya mau mesen beef tapi berhubung harganya di atas 200k per porsi, kita makan pork aja yaaaa. Anyway, right decision! The pork was tender and grilled perfectly. Empuk en ga ada bau bau nya... Untuk makan BBQ gini, disediain pelengkap berupa selada, bawang putih en saus nya. Di tempat laen, untuk daun pembungkus BBQ nya ada sebuah daun yang cuma perna gw liat di resto korea, di Arang cuma pake lettuce doank. Hmm.... Ga tralu beda jau sih cuma berasanya ada yang kurang aja.

Buat yang bingung gimana makannya... Jadi kita ambil sehelai daun, taro daging yg sudah dicocolin ke saus nya lalu taro di atas daun. Tambahkan potongan bawang putih mentah en pelengkap lainnya. Lipet daunnya lalu makan!!!!

Rasanya... YUMMYY!!! It's something that u got to try urself. Bawang putihnya ngasi rasa pedes yang gimanaaa gitu, mantep dahh

Authentic korean cuisine worth a visit :)

Rating: 7.5/10
Location: Tulodong Bawah 1A, Kebayoran Baru. Jakarta

Playground

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Last week, in the middle of Plaza Indonesia, Me and Asmet stumbled upon this new place while wandering around trying to figure out what to eat. I've noticed for a while that there's a place called Playground under construction but I thought it was gonna be a real playground. Apparently it's a resto/cafe/bar/lounge, another one in Plaza Indonesia :)

The place is... Awesome! Despite people passing by the middle section, Playground's design successfully bring it's patron to another dimension. I forgot I was in Plaza Indonesia for a while. The sleek and posh design, the cool house music by the DJ and the fun attitude of the servers are just what I expected from a place called Playground.

The food:
1. Good Ol' American Fried Chicken (Rp.58.000)

Grrrr.. Thanks to the advice of our waiter, I picked the wrong dish. I expected the fried chicken resembles the one at Chili's.. Crispy and spicy. Instead I got this bland tasting fried chicken with rice and fries. The rice is great IF u served it with Japanese food, It's too soft to my liking :( The fries is just ok, could've done better. One thing I have to say, good presentation.

2. Katsutti (Rp. 65.000)

Our waiter said that this was THE recommended menu of Playground. Without any further explanation, Asmet ordered it expecting it to be good. It turned out.. Great!!! Yummyyyy. After this dish, I noticed that Playground serves fusion food!!! Katsutti is what you called hicken katsu tamago toji don in Sushi Tei or chicken katsu nabe in Katsusei. The difference is instead of rice, they served it with spaghetti in cream sauce. The combination of the flavor is stunning. I was amazed on how this super weird combo turned out to be yummy :) The creaminess of the pasta accentuates the saltiness of the katsu's sauce. Even though the portion is not that big, Asmet seeemed full, maybe coz the flavor is very intense.

3. Berry Go Round (Rp. 40.000)

It's a smoothies made of strawberry juice, blueberry jam, cranberry juice, fresh milk and mango syrup. The taste is refreshing but too bad the glass is so smallll

4. Iced Tea (Rp, 20.000)

Nothing special bout this but the presentation is oh so cool :)

5. Zabaglione (Rp. 35.000)

According to the description, it's a deconstructed mille feuille. Hmm... I can't say much except that the custard taste nice athough a bit too thin, the sliced pastry is tasteless and they put a lot of fresh strawberries. Very very nice presentation but not that yummy....

A great place to hang out on a Saturday night

Rating: 7/10
Location: Plaza Indonesia Extension F4, Jakarta

The Duel (Ebisu Curry VS Go! Curry)

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:53:00 +0000

Today we're gonna have a duel!!!!! *excited*

The theme is... Curry! First, please welcome, Ebisu Curry....!!!

Ebisu Curry ini gw ketahui dari salah satu postingan fellow foodie blogger, actually gw lupa sih yg mana but thanks for the info :) Si Ebisu Curry yang terletak di Kamome Building Melawai (same one as Ramen 38) merupakan resto japanese curry yang authentic. Kalo gw ga salah liat di resto nya, ada foto Ebisu Curry yg di Jepang so I assume it's good.

Tempat nya sebelas dua belas ya sama si Ramen 38, kecil abis en sempit! Tapi gpp seh, dirasa rasain serasa makan di warung di Tokyo aja ya hehe.. Dekorasi minim abis dengan bangku en meja seadanya, ruangan nya agak panas dan kurang nyaman sih menurut gw tapi ya we come for the food right?

The food:
1. Original Curry Bi size with Pork Katsu (Rp. 71.000)

Jadi begini.... Kenapa nama menu nya aneh? Karena cara pemesanan curry nya agak unik. Pertama kita musti mulih mau saus curry jenis apa, ada yg halal en non halal. Kemudian pilih ukuran nya, e (small) bi (medium) atau su (large). Berikutnya kita pilig topping nya, toppingnya komplit dari pork katsu, pork fillet, ebi fry, yasai, ajitama dan sebagainya dengan harga yg berbeda beda :)

Curry sauce nya... Menurut gw sih biasa aja ya... It's good but not great. Tentu saja better dibandingin sama saus curry di japanese resto jadi jadian yang tersebar di berbagai mal ibu kota tapi kalo dicompare sama high end japanese resto laen menurut gw nothing special ya. Keunggulan nya adalah saus nya itu smooth banget dan kental sehingga pas banget dimakan sama nasi.

Kekurangan nya itu kok ga ada topping seperti wortel atau kentang gitu ya. I love big chunks of carrot in my japanese curry :( Nasi nya juga kurang ok, ga kaya japanese resto rice tapi kaya nasi dir rumah aja. Pork katsu yang daging nya sirloin itu juga kurang maksimal.. Agak sedikit overcooked trus rada alot gitu, tidak seempuk yang gw harapkan dari sebuah curry dish seharga 70 ribu sekian

2. Original Curry Bi Size with Buta Shabu (Rp. 64.000)

Okay... I got tricked by the menu! Di menu nya tertulis kalo topping buta shabu cocok untuk pencinta daging babi.... Hasilnya adalah beberapa slice daging babi tipis yang sangat amat ga nyambung sama curry nyaaaaa :( Bete banget deh... Mustinya nyoba pake ebi fry ato apa gitu ya.. Gara2 salah pilih topping, gw agak bete gitu tapi untung nya bisa ngembat pork katsu nya asmet hehehe Dia lagi ribut mau diet kecilin perut jd karena gw baik hati dengan sangat terpaksa gw nerima limpahan pork katsu punya dia *joged joged*

3. Caesar Salad (Rp. 15.000)

The best bargain for caesar salad ever! Porsi besar, fresh veggies and nice dressing. IMO, the best dish of the night. Sedikit beda sama caesar yg biasa, di sini dikasi telor rebus en potongan tomat juga. Rame banget ni caesar hehehe yummy :)

Untuk dessert nya kita dikasi blackberry jelly gratis! The jelly was yummyyy, a perfect ending for the heavily spiced dinner.

Rating: 6/10
Location: Kamome Building, Melawai, Jakarta

Now the opponent... Go! Curry...!!!!!!!

Gw tau Go! Curry dari blog nya fellow foodie jugaaaa, the one and only Jenz :) Thank you Queen of Foodie Blogger hehehe

Go! Curry adalah sebuah resto yang semua aspect nya tereak "casuallllll" Dari nama, decor dan pilihan menu nya keliatan banget kalo dia bermaksud jadi tempat hip en asik buat makan curry yang notabene makanan "repot".

Tempat nya sih kecil tapi rapih dan nicely decorated. Dengan gaya super minimalis dan cuma modal beberapa hiasan dinding, tempat ini lumayan pewe buat nongkrong nongkrong pas wiken baik sama temen-temen maupun keluarga

The food:
1. Hot Rogan Josh Curry with Cilantro Butter Rice and Australian Oxtail (Rp. 75.000)
Ni ga kalah serunya dari Ebisu Curry dalam pemesanan. Jadiii pertama kita pilih dulu curry nya, red, green, rogan josh, yellow and brown curry. Lalu tentukan tingkat kepedasan nya dari mild sampe insanely hot. Then... Pilih nasi nya en terakhir pilih topping nya. Topping nya komplit dari chicken, beef sampe seafood but unfortunately no pork :(

Yummy :) Pilihan rogan josh curry yang dicombine sama oxtail pas banget!! Harus diakui kalo dicompare sama curry di Indian resto sih masi jauh lah tapi disini curry nya surprisingly spicy dan pedesss. Saran gw, jangan songong! Pas mesen, si mbak nya uda bilangin kalo yg medium itu uda cukup pedes tapi karena kita pikir ah resto gini kan suka ga pedes tuh, uda aja pesen hot. Tau nya puedes banget hot nya, buset deh... Si oxtail nya ini juga daging nya banyakkkk dan empukkk. Too bad, nasi nya mengecewakan....Walaupun judulnya cilantro butter rice but I didn't taste cilantro nor butter, put some more please.

2. Medium Yellow Curry with Aromatic Yellow Rice and Zesty Cheese Chicken (Rp. 56.000)

Another spot on combination! Yummyyy :) The yellow curry is just beautiful... Thick bright yellow liquid with cream on top that made my palate went crazy. Again, nice spicy curry with yummy chicken (don't know where the zest nor the cheese go) and the not so good rice. Dear Go! Curry, please make better rice. The yellow rice comes with nuts on top, my suggestion, throw it away. It destroys the smoothness and creaminess of the curry.

3. Cheese Naan (Rp. 23.000)

Okay... Ni naan gede banget dan sangat amat mengenyangkan! Kalo naan nya dimakan buat appetizer menurut gw seh mantep ya, it's super cheesy! Tapi... Kalo makan buat temen nya curry menurut gw ga cocok. Terlalu tebel en terlalu banyak keju nya.

4. Strawberry Lassi (Rp. 28.000)

YUMMY!!! A perfect companion for the curry. It's thick, not too sweet and very very refreshing :)

Rating: 7/10
Location: Cilandak Town Square, Jakarta

Both places are a bit overpriced but Go! Curry obviously has better ambiance, more varieties and spicier curry.

So the winner is.. Go! Curry

De Luca

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:11:00 +0000

Back to Italian :)

As I said in my Pesto post earlier, Italian restaurant is flourishing in Jakata. De Luca is one of the latest addition. Opened head to head to Monolog ( I think they belong to the same group) it's one of Jakarta's it place right now. Located in Plaza Senayan, De Luca is one of the alternative for a place to eat (fiuhhhh, finally... I kinda hate going to PS coz it's eateries are pricey yet not yummy)

The decor is simple, subtle light brown wooden chairs and tables with wooden panels along it's walls. Decorated with some metal-covered yellow light bulbs, De Luca is a warm, welcoming and cozy place to chat and hang out with friends and families. Some of the tables are located at the street side, giving a bistro like feeling. +1

The food:
1. Ice Peach Tea (Rp. 30.000)

I like the peach tea here for some reasons. Firstly, it's not too sweet. The glass is quite big and they put slices of peach in it. Love it :)

2. Sparkling Mango (Rp. 30.000)

Same like the peach tea, it's not overly sweet. A balanced drink to quench your thirst after shopping all day long, a mango garnish would be nice though. The two mini cherries at the bottom of the glass are a treat!!! :D

3. Bread Basket (Complimentary/Rp. 10.000)

It's a complimentary but we asked for more, they charged is for the additional basket. The bread... is yummy :) The basket consists of baguettes, focaccia and bread sticks. All of the breads are warm, I think they heated it before serving it to us. The baguettes have crunchy texture in the outside and fluffy in the inside. The focaccia is thick and heavy but exceptionally yummy, my fave! The bread sticks are different than Pepenero's heavy sticks. It's light, crunchy and hollow. Asmet really liked it.

4. Spaghetti with wood-smoked salmon, mushroom and spinach in cream sauce (Rp. 78.000)

YUMMY!!!! The pasta is cooked perfectly!!!!!! I loveeee the texture of the pasta. It's like undercooked pasta but it's cooked. You still need to chew it instead of just sliding it into ur stomach like some lame pasta from a fast food joint. The cream sauce tastes a bit like Pasta de Waraku's. It's thick and covered the pasta completely. You won't find any liquid in your plate. It's very creamy but not 'that' creamy u feel bloated afterwards. The combination of the 3 toppings (IMO those 3 are my fave toppings for creamy pasta) are just right. Not too much salmon, strands of spinach here and there plus those yummy mushrooms... Yum Yum Yum :) This dish go straight to my top ten pasta in Jakarta hehehe

5. Linguine with minced beef an asparagus in pesto genovese (Rp. 68.000)

Pesto genovese is one of my fave pasta style (the others are cream and aglio olio) but it's not a common dish. Many Italian resto didn't serve this kind of pasta. My favorite pesto is Pizza Marzano's but this is a tough competitor. Just like the spaghetti, the linguine is cooked to perfection. I'm a bit confused with the size of the linguine, it's too wide to be linguine. I had linguine a lot and usually it's a bit thinner but I still love it hehe. The linguine is covered in green oily sauce with lots of minced beef and small cuts of asparagus. I think they need to put more asparagus and less beef. The flavor of the beef is quite strong and it's like the beef and pesto are battling in my mouth. Strangely, their battle is my pleasure :p Yummy!!! The minced beef gives a slight creaminess which is a good balancing act for the heavy herb-infused pasta. The asparagus serves as tiny crunchy surprises in every bite. Another yummy pasta for the day!! *grin*

I love this place! The decor, the ambience and most of all the food. The service is a bit disappointing. The girl that waited on us had a very sour face and stood impatiently while I was reading the menu.

dr. B: Yang enak apa ya mbak?

girl: Wagyu nya pak, enak lho pak

dr. B: Ga pengen makan wagyu mbak, yg laen apa?

girl: (diem) (ngelipet tangan) (nyender ke meja) (berdiri dengan bertumpu ke meja) (goyang-goyang ga jelas kaya cacing kepanasan)

beberapa saat kemudian...

girl: coba wagyu nya aja pak

dr. B: (jutek mode on) uda dibilang saya ga mau wagyu!

I know they're having a wagyu promotion (for that price, it's not promo yaaaaaaa) but that doesn't give them permission to shove that wagyu up my face. Thank God the food was great, less than that, this entry would've been filled with foul words here and there. Additional info, the service tax is 10% :(

Narsis time

Rating: 7.8/10
Location: Plaza Senayan, P1

Central

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:58:00 +0000

This is old skool :) Uda lamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa banget sejak trakir gw makan disini. Bukannya karena ga doyan tapi masalah lokasi nya aja sih.... Central sebener nya salah satu chinese food old skool yang kualitas makanannya di atas rata rata. Nah skrg si Central ini buka di Seasons City yang cukup deket dari ruma! Plus ada opening promo 20% pula, jadi mami napsu banget ngajak makan disini. Alhasil, a few days ago, gw mami en papi makan deh disini, si Yuu en Biebie lagi pergi ga tau kmana jadi cuma gw yang diajak :p

Decor nya standar chinese resto, meja bulet dengan ornamen chinese disana sini. Tempat nya kaga gede2 banget tp rapih, bersih en dinginnnn. Service nya cukup ok, ramah en niat bener ngelayanin nya. Oh ya, ice tea nya refill *yayyyyy*

The food:
1. Tom Yam Goong (Rp. 20.000/pax)

Agak aneh sih kok chinese resto ada tom yam goong... But anyway as long as its good, who cares? Mami sih yang ngidam, tiba2 pengen mesen ini, gw cuma nyicip doank. Tom yam goong nya surprisingly yummy. Asem asem pedes mantep gitu deh. Ada udang 2 biji yang ukuran nya lumayan gede en kata si mami enak. It's a bargain then :)

2. Cakar Ayam Tim Tausi (Rp. 11.000)

Isenk pengen nyoba dimsum nya jadi mesen kaki ayam. Hmm... It's good but not great. I prefer my kaki ayam a bit tender. Yang ini cukup empuk tapi kurang empuk menurut gw. Rasa nya kurang gurih, trus kurang lada. Don't get me wrong, this is a nice dish but it can do better.

3. Kuo Tie (Rp. 13.000)

Another dimsum. Me no likey! Daging nya gendut2 en padet..... Trus kurang rasa gitu, not good not goof.

4. Tahu Nenek Moyang (Rp. 40.000)

Yummy.... Sejenis sapo tahu tapi tahu nya bukan pake tahu jepang kemudian di atas nya tahu ada selapis rumput laut gitu. Dimasak dengan saos tiram style dish, pake brokoli and macem macem jamur. Love it :) Simple and comforting dish

5. Udang Goreng Gandum (Rp. 65.000)

YUMMY!! Udang yang cukup gede, digoreng kering tanpa tepung dengan kulitnya. Kemudian byk gandum (havermut) yang rasa nya gurih dan sedikit manis, ditaburi pula kemanggi goreng kering. Nice one Central :)

6. Babi Hong (Rp. 60.000)

Hmm ini agak confusing nih... Rasa yummy tekstur minus. Untuk rasa nya babi hong versi Central di atas rata, bahkan menurut gw lumayan enak. Sayang nya daging nya kering dan keras. Gw tau sih ini karena daging babi nya itu dipilih yang lemak nya dikit. Jadi tu babi hong daging banget (yang lebih sehat pastinya) tapi plis deh... Babi hong tanpa lemak ya kaya sayur tanpa garam. Harusnya tekstur nya babi hong yang lembut itu jadi dry banget...

I think this is one good chinese food alternative for people living around Jelambar, Angke and Pluit Area. Ga usa kena macet kaya mau ke restoran Angke atau bayar mahal stega mampus di Maystar, still u got quality chinese food to dine with your beloved family :)

Rating: 7/10
Location: Seasons City, The Glow Tower

Kuppa

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Uda lama banget gw pengen nyobain Thai resto yang namanya Kuppa ini. Kayanya ampir tiap kali gw ngelawatin Kuppa, gw penasaran gitu makanannya enak ga ya... Secara di PI cuma ada2 Thai resto dan gw selalu makan di King of Thai, jadi nya ampe sekarang blom perna nyoba. Nahhhh kmrn ini gara2 si Asmet ribut mau ke atm ngecek gaji, ngelewatin lah si Kuppa ini. Tiba2 ada tulisan disc 50% pake Mandiri, langsung napsu deh gw hahaha :p

Dari luar seh tampilan nya lumayan keren ya. Dark interior yang bikin ni resto posh banget gitu dahhhh. Gw bingung pas masuk, kok dari luar keren tp begitu di dalem memble gini. Menurut gw berantakan, decor nya ga jelas tema nya apa en keliatan worn out gitu. Not good

The food:
1. Tom Yum Goong (Rp. 68.500)

First impression, SAYUR ASEM!!! Sumpa ni rasa nya 90% sayur asem... Sejak kapan yang namanya Tom Yam Goong tuh rasa nya manis en banyak cabe mengambang di kuah nya, persis sayur asem. Udang nya medium size yang agak overcook 2 biji dengan jamur yang cukup banyak. Agak kecewa sih gw, kurang pedes en kurang seger layak nya Tom Yam Goong biasa nya.

2. Crispy Gurame Sweet and Sour Sauce (Rp. 62.500)

Begitu dateng gw uda ilfil berat, kok letoy gini nih si crispy nya. Kalo emank ga mampu bikin gurame goreng kering yang dagingnya bisa ngaceng gitu ya at least diakalin napa... Potong2 aja daging nya kecil kecil, kan keliatan nya lebi appetizing. Ini ga jelas banget, kaya ngasi ikan goreng stega mateng gitu. Dari soal rasa juga minus. Ga asem, ga pedes, ga seger jadi cuma manis doank. Trus di saos nya banyak bener bawang putih, aneh aja gitu saos nya bertaburan bawang putih cincang...

3. Chicken Pandan (Rp. 45.500)

Finally something good. Walopun begitu, chicken pandan nya juga kurang enak. Pertama, dia pake daging dada untuk semua chicken pandan nya. Tau donk karakteristik dada ayam yang kalo dimasak lama jadi batu itu? Kering en bikin nyangkut di gigi... Untungnya rasa nya cukup enak dan saus nya enak! I dipped that chicken a lot during the whole time I dined, simply because it's the only flavorful dish that night.

Servis nya jelek banget, agak kesel gw cuma karena laper ya sudah lah. Pertama muka nya jutek semua. Dari manager sampe waiter, semua nya jutek! Mau pake alesan puasa ato cape ato rame ato apa lah, pantang yang nama nya kerja di restoran pasang muka jutek! Bikin napsu makan ilang aja. Uda gitu, ordernya ketuker sama meja sebelah, grrrrr. Yang tamba parah, selama terjadi chaos akibat ketuker nya tu makanan, mereka tereak2an di tengah2 kita makan, nyebelin kan. Gw ga peduli deh salah siapa but bring me my food ASAP!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5/10
Location: Plaza Indonesia F3

Hakata Ikkousha

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 05:36:00 +0000

Hakata Ikkousha adalah sebuah resto ramen di Muara Karang yang dengan terang-terangan mengklaim kalau mereka menjual ramen autentik Jepang. Ga tau kebetulan ato engga tapi kayanya daera Muara Karang-Pluit lagi kena ramen invasion. Setelah Marutama dan Sanpachi buka, skrg giliran Ikkousha.

3 minggu yang lalu, gw, Asmet en Salim nyobain tempat ini. Kita dateng jem 11 pagi ennnn tempat nya uda ampir penuh. Pas uda jem 12, orang uda waiting list di depan. Dahsyat benerrrr!!! Emank sih, kayanya ni tempat lagi hits banget, secara rame abis dan ngantri mulu. Dan antrian nya bukan marketing strategy tapi emank karena kapasitas tempat nya cuma segitu (yang di dalem uda cukup sempit dimasukin kursi en meja) sementara peminatnya bejibun.

Dari luar seh sebenernya menurut gw kurang menarik, kaya resto biasa aja deh. Dalam bayangan gw, mungkin kaya begitu ya restoran biasa di Jepang (not the upscale one maksudnya). Dengan memajang kompor di depan, ada panci gede gede diatasnya, kita bisa ngeliat langsung kalo they do cook the broth, not using some magical instant soup. Interior dalem biasa banget deh, nothing fancy. Cuma meja en kursi kayu dengan exhaust di atas nya buat nyedot asep. Dalem nya ada open kitchen plus waiter yang jumlah nya puluhan. Banyak benerrr. Oya, ada chef en manager nya orang Jepang pula, so it is authentic :) servicenya top notch! Fast, efficient, good knowledge of menu and attentive. Kapan ya resto indo bisa kaya gitu... Buktinya cuma gara2 si Jepang ngasi instruksi bisa kok bagus kerjanya, brati no excuse buat resto laen yang jelek servicenya :)

The food:
1. Pork Ramen (Rp. 38.000)

YUMMYLICIOUS!!! IMHO, the best ramen in Jakarta. Gila mantep banget tu kuah nya... Kalo ga salah denger, broth nya itu dibuat dari ikan dan ayam kemudian dimasak 72 jam (lupa lupa inget gw) Kuah nya agak sedikit kental, sangat sangat meaty rasanya dan super gurih. Karena broth nya intense banget jadi agak berminyak.. Tapi karena bahan dasar nya ayam i think it's relatively less dangerous daripada pork atau beef based soup. Mie nya sendiri sih menurut gw biasa saja, nice consistency and cooked perfectly. Gw benci banget makan ramen yang mie nya lembek gitu tapi disini mie nya masi ngelawan dikit pas digigit. Untuk topping nya dikasi sliced pork yang empuk dan gurih, taburan daun bawang, wijen dannnn telur!!! Telur nya itu lho astaga.. Masaknya pas bangetttt!!! Just the way I like it :) Ga tau sih istilah nya apa tp gw ngomong nya 3/4 matang. Masi ada elemen kuning telur yang kental cair tapi sekilas uda agak keras gitu, enak banget. Laluuuu untuk menyempurnakan nya, mereka menyediakan fresh garlic dan garlic press nya. Setelah dikasi garlic, it's YUMMYFUCKINGLICIOUS!!! Ada a hint of garlic that gives extra kick and a nice aftertaste to the ramen :D

2. Pork Gyoza (Around 20k)

Now the gyoza... Yummy :) Gyoza nya sendiri berisi minced pork yang tidak terlalu padat sehingga pas digigit ga daging banget. Yang gw kurang suka adalah gyoza nya nempel semua... Untung aja pas dipisahin, kulitnya ga robek (sign of good quality gyoza) Rasanya balanced dan pas banget buat jadi appetizer.

3. Tamago (Around 20k)

Another yummy dish!!!! Gw lupa sih namanya apa soalnya bon nya ilang tapi basically it's japanese omelette. Japanese style omelette kan biasanya itu telor goreng tipis dengan rasa cenderung manis yang diroll kemudian dipotong, disajikan pake japanese mayo and ketchup. Nah Ikkousha beda, dia ngasi abon ikan kaya yang biasa jadi topping okonomiyaki di dalem nya kemudian disajikan panas2. Damn... It's like a party in my mouth. Telur nya kan pasti agak creamy gitu sedangkan abonnya tuh asin asin gimanaaa gitu. Trus dicocol pake mayo yang sedikit asam, wah mantap!!!

We were really satisfied with the food here!!! Ini merupakan contoh nyata dimana makanan berkualitas tidak berati harus disajikan di restoran upscale yang mahal gila dengan dekorasi super keren. Restaurant sells food and Ikkousha is doing it marvelously.

Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Muara Karang Raya

Old Town

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:43:00 +0000

Uda lamaaaaaaaaa banget gw ga ke Emporium Pluit. Trakir kali ksini mungkin 1-2 bulan yang lalu dan ksini cuma buat ngopi di Starbucks. Padahal denger2 kan skrg banyak banget tuh resto resto baru yang buka disini. Nahhhh, minggu lalu gw sama Asmet ke Empo buat nonton Fast Five. Pas masuk lewat pintu belakang, ehhh ngeliat si Old Town ini. Katanya nyokap sih kwetiaw goreng nya enak. Uda gitu, di depan nya ada promo buat buka yang murah meriah berat. Gw uda napsu aja nih :D Eehhh tau nya pas kita makan, belom jem nya tu promo buka puasa ( -__________- " )

Dari luar seh just another kopi tiam style resto lah. Decor agak jadul dengan wooden chair dan foto2 jadul di dinding. Kelebihan nya dibanding tempat sejenis adalah cukup spacious. Biasanya kopi tiam style place gitu kan sempit banget, mau duduk susa, pesen makanan banyak dikit meja nya jadi sempit en yang paling nyebelin tuh rame bangettttt en berisik. Nah si Old Town ini cukup luas dengan smoking area yang terpisah cukup jauh dari non smoking dan suasanya cukup nyaman. Pas kita dateng itu blm jem makan malam (sekitar jem 5) dan uda lumayan rame sih.Waiter nya cukup attentive padahal baru trainee dan menguasai menu. +1 buat Old Town. I really hate it when a waiter doesn't understand about the menu they serve!

The food
1. Supreme Rendang Chicken Rice (Rp. 39.000)

Yummy!!!! Simply one of the best nasi lemak ever! Nasi disediakan dengan porsi cukup besar sehingga cukup untuk menemani makan lauk nya yang macem2 itu dan nasi nya wangi :) Kemudian ayam rendang nya... Hmmm untuk ayam nya sih biasa aja, enak tp yah ada gitu rendang yang ga enak? Lalu teri kacang nya... Yummm... Teri nya asin en garing! Trus disajikan terpisah dengan kacang nya. Sangat membantu buat orang yang ga suka kacang tapi doyan teri kaya Asmet. Trus ada juga stegah telor rebus. Misteri Ilahi sih kenapa ni telor cuma dipotong doank trus ditaro di piring, knapa juga ga dikasi apa gitu, sambel kek, bumbu apa kek ato apa lahhh. Ini telor nya bener2 cuma direbus. Yah mungkin kalo dikasi macem2 jadi over powering banget. Lalu bintang dari piring ini adalah sambal sotong nya!!!!

2. Sambal Sotong (Rp. 9.000)

Untuk pertama kali nya gw memakan makanan yang bernama sambal sotong ini. YUMMY!!!! I got to say, this sambal sotong is probably one of the best nonya cuisine I ever had in my life. Let's start with the sambal. Seperti biasa nya, uda ketebak donk kalo sambel ini dari cabe. Nahhh pedesnya ini agak aneh, pas dimakan pertama kali, yang dominan adalah rasa terasi nya. Kemudian ada pedes2 cabe yang tingkatnya medium lah. Tapiiii beberapa saat kemudian, tingkat kepedasannya naik jadi hot! This is one spicy dish!!!! Dimakan sama nasi uduk ato digadoin sama nikmat nya. Sotong nya sendiri empukk banget en masuk banget sama sambel nya. What a beautiful ensemble :D

3. Supreme Prawn Meehon-Mee (Rp. 35.000)

Ribet bener ye namanya. Bilang aja mie udang gituuuuu. Rasanya sih agak standard mie udang dan gw emank ga doyan makan mie udang. Yang agak unik adalah selaen pake mie, dia juga ngasi bihun. Jadi teksturnya kan ada crunchy nya dari bihun, it's something different aja. Kalo ngomongin soal mie udang sih ini tergolong yang enak, terasi nya berasa, bumbu nya juga berani . Well balanced banget. Kualitas udang nya juga bagus dengan tingkat kematangan yang pas. Sering banget menu kuah dengan udang tuh jd kacau karena udang nya over cooked tapi yang ini sih pas mantep.

4. Kaya and Butter Toast Double (Rp. 15.000)

For u guys that worship Yakun's toast, U guys really shud try other places. There are lots of places that serves toast much better than Yakun including this one. Menurut gw, toast nya Yummy!!! Roti nya roti gandum, tipis dan crunchy. Yang membuat roti ini stand out adalah perbedaan sensasi ketika makannya. Biasanya, dalam sebuah butter kaya toast, roti dioles pake kaya jam uda gitu ditaro butter berbentuk segi empat di tengah nya. Hasil nya ketika digigit, kita akan ngerasa lapisan roti, butter, kaya lalu roti lagi. Tapiiiiiiiii, disini beda! Dia menaruh butter nya dalam bentuk persegi panjang di 2 tempat berbeda di atas kayanya. Gampang nya, kalo roti laen itu kaos dengan motif kotak di tengah sedangkan Old Town punya itu kaos garis garis. Jadi ketika digigit itu tiap gigitan sensasinya beda beda.

5.Old Town White Coffee Hot (Rp. 15.000)

Old Town is famous for it's coffee so although we were already full, we decided to try the coffee. Nothing much to say, the coffee taste the same as the one they sold in supermarkets. Slightly thicker and creamier than the sachet ones but nothing special. Since it's quite cheap for a cup of coffee, I won't complain much. U got what you pay for right?

6. Honey Lemon Juice Cold (Rp. 18.000)

Hmm... Compared to Lau Kopitiam's this one is pale in comparison. Tawar menurut gw, honey nya ga berasa, lemon nya juga nanggung. Kaya minum lemon jus keenceran gitu.

7. Old Town Enriched Chocolate Cold (Rp. 19.000)

Yumm... Chocolate never fails. Compared to Killiney's, Killiney's is better. But for those who prefer a lighter version of ice chocolate, this one is a must. Light choco taste but yummy creamy taste :)

Overall, this is a must try spot if u happen to be in Emporium. Quality food, affordable price and nice service.

Rating: 7.3/10
Location: Emporium Pluit Mal GF, Jakarta

Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:18:00 +0000

As a foodie, Italian food is one of my favorite. In my opinion, the yummyness of Italian food is unmatched by other western cuisine including french cuisine For me, French is too pretty and pretentious. For the last 2 years, Italian restaurant had been flourishing like mushrooms in the rainy season. We can find all sort of Italian food everywhere. Pesto is one of them. Located in the center of Jakarta, this place is swarmed by expatriates and people who works in Thamrin-Sudirman area.

I went there with Asmet a few months ago for lunch. The place is not that crowded but when we finished, it was full.I kinda like the place. It's simple with industrial touch here and there. It's kinda similar to Loewy actually. Service... Hmm... The guy waited us knows literally nothing about the menu. OMG! I asked bout the specialty and the answer is "ummm, ammmm" I ended of telling him to go and let me contemplate myself about what I'm gonna order.

The food:
1. Bread Basket (Complimentary)

One of the reason I like going to an authentic Italian restaurant is because the bread basket. I'm a huge fan of bread and usually those bread basket is a treat. Pesto's is quite disappointing. We got 3 kinds of bread. A soft roll, a sliced soft baguette and a cheese focaccia. The focaccia is yummy but the rest sucks. Is it that hard to serve freshly baked breadsticks?

2. Rustica (Rp. 59.000)

An Italian style pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarela, cooked ham and mushrooms. The pizza is very very runny. The topping fell of the pizza while I was trying to put it in my mouth, such a turn off. The taste is rather bland, the tomato sauce is a bit to sour for me, not enough mozzarella and the ham tastes like paper. The only good thing is they put quite a generous amount of mushrooms, otherwise that pizza is not worth paying for. The crust is not bad but I had better.

3. Saltimboca Alla Romana (Rp. 72.000)

According to the menu, it's escallops in parma ham, sage blackpepper sauce with spinach and potato gratin. Another disaster!! I don't understand this dish actually. The presentation is good but the sauce ruins everything. When I think of sage blackpepper sauce, I think of a juicy blackpepper sauce with a nice scent of sage. Instead, the pork and ham is drenched in some sort of reddish liquid resembling a thin tomato sauce with blackpepper on top. The spinach is just ok but the potato gratin is nice. A big plate of pork dish and the outstanding element is the potato gratin? *sigh*

4. Papardelle al Ragu (Rp. 69.000)

Finally!!!! There's something worth mentioning here. The papardelle has nice consistency. Blended very well with the tangy tomato sauce. The pork ribs are yummy!!! Tender and juicy, combined with the tomato sauce, it leaves a fresh yet carnivor-ish taste in my mouth. I dunno how to explain the sauce but it was very very yummy, love it.

One thing I hate in upscale places is the price of beverages. They don't sell local brand of mineral water here, instead they serve this Italian imported bottled water for Rp. 28.000. I don't mind paying high price for food but for 500 ml of water, Rp. 28.000 is outrageous. Serve a bottle of nestle for Rp. 10.000 has given your restaurant 600% profit, so why so greedy? The table next to us is an expatriate and he asked the waiter to serve Aqua and not this Lurisia brand. So it's not just me then :p

I don't think I'm coming back here anytime soon unless someone plans to treat me :D For the price they charge, there are lots of places in Jakarta that serves better Italian than that.

Rating: 5.5/10
Location: ANZ Square Building, Jakarta

The Duel (Roppan VS Magnum Cafe)

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sat, 28 May 2011 09:32:00 +0000

Hallooooo, back with me dr B :)
Untuk The Duel kali ini temanya ada dessert!!!! Kontestan nya adalah 2 dessert place yang lagi happening banget di Jakarta yaitu Magnum Cafe dan Roppan. Let The Duel begins...

Magnum Cafe

Magnum Cafe merupakan produk terbaru dari Ismaya. Walaupun restoran Ismaya itu selalu banjir pengunjung, gw termasuk salah satu yang tidak terlalau suka restoran-restoran Ismaya. Dari sekian banyak restoran nya Ismaya yang menurut gw enak paling cuma 1 2 gitu... BUT in terms of ambiance, Ismaya jagonya. That's why, tiap kali ada resto baru by Ismaya, gw pasti pengen nyoba. After all, dining is not always bout the food, it's all about the experience :)

Terletak di Grand Indonesia, Magnum Cafe merupakan salah satu go to spot disono. Antriannya selalu panjang menjijikan. Kenapa bisa ngantri ampe kaya gitu, gw sendiri juga ga ngerti. Sebenernya sih males banget ngantri tapi ya sudah lah, demi mencoba hehe

Tempat nya seh asik menurut gw. Nyaman, rapih, detail oriented dan yang paling penting adalah punya WOW factor. This is what Ismaya do best after all. Tamu nya semua dianggap sebagai bangsawan disana, dipanggil nya bukan pake "Pak" atau "Bu" tapi pake "My Lord". Emank sih ga penting tapi it's something different right? Nice service though, attentive and fast. Suasana resto nya kaya di ruang makan kerajaan lengkap dengan hiasan ala kerajaan , patung kuda, bahkan singgasana yang bole dipake buat foto dengan minimal pembelanjann Rp. 150.000. Semua menu yang disajikan memiliki nama ala kerajaan pula, agak mabok sih bacanya tapi seru juga hahaha

The food:
1. Summer Tango (Rp. 29.000)

YUMMY!!! Basically ini mango smoothies with choco chip. Jadi ini jus mangga tapi dikasi magnum vanilla. It's sweet with a hint of sour, ada terasa choco chip yang uda di blender jadi alus alus gitu dan rasa mangga nya jd agak creamy. Love it :D

2. Waffle de Regalia Queen Size (Rp. 45.000)

Sebagai orang yang sangat sangat menyukai dessert, ice cream, roti including waffle, makanan ini merupakan sebuah penghinaan terhadap waffle!!!!!!!! OMG, this is the worst waffle ever deh. Mana ada waffle kenyellll, gw uda kaya makan mochi aje. Parah banget... Gw tau sih ini tempat jualan es krim tp ya mbok dicari toh resep waffle yang layak... Gw ampe bingung, ini bos bos ismaya nyobain dulu ga sih menu nya sebelum di launch ke publik? Sama waffle nya A&W aja masi kalah jauh deh, kacau abis. Ditambah lagi strawberry nya yang asam dan tidak juicy, strawberry sauce nya yang kaya sirup beli jadi en kemudian Magnum nya yang cuma asal ditaro aja di atas nya. It looks amazing but tastes like ****. Very disappointing!!!!

Gw cukup kecewa seh dengan kualitas waffle nya... Gw tau kadang gw suka bawel kalo soal dessert tapi kalo ini sih bukan gw yang bawel, emank kualitas nya aja buruk. Kalo Pancious gw kasi 8 untuk waffle nya, ini gw kasi 3 deh.... Walopun tempat nya menyenangkan buat nongkrong2 tp kalo kualitas makanannya kaya gini seh engga deh makasih. Gw mau nyoba menu laen nya jadi males...

Rating: 5.5/10
Location: Grand Indonesia F5, Jakarta

Roppan

Pertama kali gw ngeliat Roppan tuh di Pejaten Village kalo ga sala. Dari luar reklame nya catchy banget. Very anime and kawaii hehe Secara dari namanya aja uda roti, gw uda napsu nih. I'm Aris and I'm a bread addict :p Tapiiii gw makannya bukan di Pejaten, gw makan ini di Gandaria City :)

The place is nice! Dibagi 2 area, area take away en area dine in. Di tempat take away itu bisa milih2 bermacam2 roti panggang yang sangat sangat sangat menarik. Kemudian decor nya didominasi light brown wooden furniture with a touch red. Very eye catching and cozy.

The food:
1. Matcha Honey Toast with Matcha and Ogura Ice Cream (Rp.27.273)

Gw pesen salah satu menu spesial nya... This kind of toast is not common. The best one is by En Dining and their's was really really good. Toast nya sendiri menurut gw enak! Garing tp ga kering... Kemudian kulit luar nya roti yang berbentuk kotak itu juga garing. Sebenernya gw malah lebi suka makan kulitnya hehe Sayang sekali isi nya yang menurut gw kurang maksimal. Alasannya? Simpel... Pelit bener eskrimnya!!!! Kayanya pake scoop yang gedean juga masi untung gede deh -_- Rasa eskrim nya dicampur honey en roti nya seh pas ya. Ogura ice cream nya kurang ok, ato mungkin terlalu dikit kali ya. Karena rasa ogura ga se mencolok rasa matcha jadi kalo dimakan sama rotinya jd kurang berasa gitu.

Overall I like this place... Of course the menu could do some improvements but this is not a high end eatery. Harganya terjangkau, tempat nya bagus dan kualitas makanannya cukup lumayan. Buat tempat nongkrong-nongkrong gitu pas banget :)

Partner in Crime, Asmet :)

Rating: 6.5/10
Location: Gandaria City, Jakarta

So... It's time for the verdict... The winner is... Roppan!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I said, dining is about the experience. Magnum Cafe maybe an eight in terms of ambiance but Roppan is a well rounded place with affordable price :)

Dimana-mana Makanan

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 22 May 2011 05:49:00 +0000

Chicken Noodle by dr. B

Mie Kadut Pertama (Hayam Wuruk, Jakarta)

Yummy!!! Clean taste, not too oily. Perfect noodle texture, super pricey....

Nasi Galung (Muara Karang, Jakarta)

A plate of rice with cabbage, stir fried bee-hon, potatoes and salted fish. Yummy :) Spicy and refreshing without that "eneg" flavor like in Nasi Padang.

The rendang is also good, tender and juicy. Yummyyyy

Katsusei

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:15:00 +0000

Hellllloooooooooooooo patients!!!!! It's been a while :)

I've been sooo busy the last couple of months.Moved to Depok, stayed in Jogjakarta and finishing my med study :) Things are better now, at least not as hectic as it used to be. I apologized patients for the lack of yummy updates but rest assured there will be lots and lots yummy food ahead :D

For the first review, dr. B gives u.... Katsusei!

I believe many of u had heard bout this place before... Located in Grand Indonesia, next to Toranomon, it's a place that specializes in Katsu food a.k.a Japanese fried food. Just like many many many Jakartans my age, we were raised basically on KFC and Hoka Hoka Bento. Both of them are on the top 3 of my favorite fast food chain. I remembered how I used to LOVE chicken katsu by HokBen (not anymore though, moved on to spring roll!! :p)

When I browsed the menu for the first time in front of the restaurant a couple of years ago, I was shocked! Damn... This place is like PRICEY. So I decided, no Katsusei for me unless they give 50% discount. Finally, God answered my prayer and give 50% discount using Mandiri Card (the one I borrowed from my dear Uncle Apau hehehe)

The outer part of the restaurant radiates a calming, mysterious yet posh charm that lures every passerby. Once you enter the restaurant, you'll see a very neat seating placements, divided by glass wall decorated by ceramic bowls. The decor is your garden variety minimalist and dark ambiance. For me, it's just ok. Nothing special here. The ceramic bowl on glass wall is... tacky. The open kitchen is too close to the dining area and they kinda miss the japanese details on the table.

After u order , u will be given some pots of dressing. There are two types of dressings I remembered, the sour one (imagine italian dressing japanese style) and the savoury one (thousand island with japanese touch). Besides the dressing, they also give a big pot of sauce for the katsu. I dunno the name but they sure taste yummy! U will also be given a bowl of tare (sesame seed) to be mixed with the katsu sauce. U are supposed to ground the sesame seed according to ur liking. Cute huh? I love that part for sure hehehehe

Move on to the main course....

1. Shrimp and Pork Sirloin Katsu Set (Rp. 195.000)

Two giant Shrimp Katsu and a big chunk of pork sirloin katsu. The presentation, Love it! Served on a tray filled with japanese rice, some sort of japanese pickles, japanese salad, and miso soup. The rice, perfect! Pour the dressing and just finish it!!! The cabbage was fresh and crisp. I prefer the savoury/salty dressing but I suggest u mix it and find ur perfect dressing. Now the soup... The waiter offered two soups. The first one being miso soup and the other is a different miso style soup but with pork bits and carrots. I tried both of them and loved them both. The miso is yummy, a bit salty but I do love salty food. The pork soup is heaven. Period. YUMMY!!!!!! The soup was brothy, meaty and sweet. Love, love, love it.

Next the katsu. After the first bite, I made my judgement. The best katsu I ever had in my life. The prawn katsu consists of two prawns each. The prawns were fresh and sweet, I didn't get any rash (I'm allergic to non fresh prawns) so I think it's very good. The pork sirloin... Just melted in my mouth. It was tender, it was juicy, fried to perfection. Yummylicious!! Dip it into the tare sauce and u'll have another salty kick to ur already awesome katsu. *drooling while writing this*

2. Chicken Katsu Nabe Set (Rp. 130.000)

I opted for chicken to try how the chicken dish tastes like. The katsu nabe set is served on a tray, similar to the katsu set. The nabe was placed on a hot plate so it maintained it's hotness. The chicken katsu is drenched is some brown liquid and topped with egg. Oh geez.... It's an oyako-don but minus the don. Another cooked to perfection chicken katsu. I love how the sauce didn't take the excitement away from the chicken. After all, it's a chicken dish, not an egg + sauce dish. The portion is big enough for two girls I think, especially since it's quite salty so u need rice to eat it with. Yummy :)

We were given some sort of japanese tea after the meal to wash the oil. Well the taste is... tea. But it actually wash the oil at my throat :)

Love the food here!! Definitely wanna go back.... Too bad it's really really overpriced. I know it's a high-end restaurant but come on... 130k for a chicken dish... It's too expensive...Aside from the high price and the tacky decor, I have nothing to complain. The food is yummyyyyy :)

Meet Asmet, he's the one that order extra rice to finish those katsu hehe

Rating: 8/10

Location: Grand Indonesia, Jakarta

Shabuya (Sukiyaki)

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:24:00 +0000

Hey patients!!! How u doin :) Today dr. B is gonna bring u to one of my fave place in Central Park, Shabuya

I have posted a review bout their shabu-shabu menu a few months ago and I love it. Now I got the chance to try their sukiyaki menu, thanks to Goorme and Shabuya :D I'm gonna cut this short and go straight babbling bout the food, ok patients?

The food:
First the appetizers... I LOVE them all. This time I got 3 kinds of korean appetizers. Forgive me for not knowing the name, at the time I totally forgot to ask for the names and went straight to take a bite hehe

This one is caramelized sweet potato with sesame seeds.Yummy :) Love the smooth sweetness and the fragrant sesame. A perfect appetizer to tingle your tastebuds

This kimchi is good... Well, not the best Kimchi I ever had but not bad. I don't like the messy appearance tho.. Usually kimchi is like a pile of mustard (sawi putih) cuts in small pieces, this one is like mashed mustard.

Now... This one is like japanese beef burger.Yummy!!! I think they should be careful with this dish, people might think this place sells beef burger. I like the consistency, the salty/sweet sauce, the fragrant meat. Love love love it! :)

Now move on to the main course. In shabu-shabu, we were given a plain soup to cook our meat and then dip them in ponzu (the sauce). In the ponzu, we can add daikon (raddish), finely chopped garlic, chopped scallion and chopped chili. In Sukiyaki, the soup/broth given has taste. It's a light brown water with a hint of sweetness. I like how the sweetness of the soup doesn't overpower the meat so we can enjoy the goodness of the meat. We can add those condiments above but I don't think it's gonna suit the sukiyaki soup... At first, the soup was just ok but after u cook the meat, the sukiyaki soup becomes brothy and taste really really good!!! Yum...

The meat served was angus beef, thinly sliced and served on a big plate. I don't really understand about beef grading and stuff but one thing I do know is Shabuya's meat was great. The manager told me that customers can ask about what kind of meat the prefer. We can ask if we want out meat lean or with marbling. I prefer the one with lots of fat but afraid of getting high cholesterol hehehe

Besides beef, Shabuya also offers seafood. I don't recommend seafood with sukiyaki based soup but well, depends on how u like it. I personally don't like seafood in Sukiyaki, prefer it with ponzu :)

They give a bowl of veggies, mushrooms and udon to accompany our meat. The veggies go well with the sukiyaki soup but the udon is not. Tastes weird.. I like my udon salty not sweet :(

For Rp. 125.000/pax all u can eat, it's a bargain!! High quality meat, great service and nice ambiance, this is a must visit spot :)

Rating: 8/10

Location: Central Park, Jakarta

Life As We Know It

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 02:16:00 +0000

Life As We Know It merupakan romantic comedy terakhir yang masuk ke Indonesia. I watched this a few weeks ago but forgot to review bout it :p At first, I heard bad review bout this from a friend, saying that although funny and nice at the beginning but the movie is getting boring in the end. As an avid rom-com/Heigl fans, I decided to watch it :p

Cerita nya tentang Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) seorang pemilik bakery cantik tp sedikit neurotik yang ga laku laku. Nahh dikenalin lah dia sama Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel), seorang playboy slengean. Secara mereka berdua bertolak belakang, gagal lah mereka berkencan... Tapi perjalanan nasib berkata lain, mereka terpaksa mengasuh anak teman mereka BERSAMA. Trus apa jadinya tu anak?????

Kedua pemeran utamanya seh ga usa diragukan lagi... Katherine Heigl is now the reigning queen of romantic comedy!! I love her, love love her. She's pretty, she's funny and she is the strongest contender to be the next Sandra Bullock. Josh Duhamel sebenernya punya segala potensi jadi rom-com star tapi kok gw ga tralu demen ya. Kayanya dia lebi cocok jadi aktor serius daripada rom-com gitu... Yah disini seh dia jauh lebih baik daripada di When in Rome tapi tetep aja, kurang bisa ngimbangin Heigl menurut gw.

Dari segi cerita, walopun agak cliche (neurotic pretty chic meets handsome bad boy) tapi karena dikasi twist ada baby jadi nya lebi fresh. One thing I like about it is the movie is not how Holly and Messer fall in love but about how they become a family. Si baby nya disini bukan tempelan doank, jadi bagian penting dari ceritanya. Untuk hal-hal lainnya seh seperti layaknya rom-com, sweet and romantic in several scenes, boring and cliche in more scenes.

It's a good movie but not great. A nice date movie or to hang out with friends :)

Like a bowl of vanilla sundae, you already know how it tastes (sweet and comforting but boring) yet u still crave for it :)

Rating:7/10

Radja Ketjil

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 02:04:00 +0000

Radja Ketjil merupakan sebuat chain resto masakan peranakan yang dimiliki oleh Tika Panggabean. At first, gw pikir cuma just another celeb-owned resto yang rasa nya gitu gitu aja tapi belakangan gw denger, this place serves more than just decent peranakan cuisine. Yah dicoba lah ya hehe

The place looks ok... Ambiance peranakan jadul nya sudah dicoba untuk dibangun walopun menurut gw masi kurang kuat dibandingkan tempat lain yang mengusung tema serupa. Tapi yah... not bad lah buat sebuah resto di mall yang ga tralu merhatiin decor tempat nya.

The food:
1. Tahu Hujin Tje Lie Rina(Rp. 33.500)

Menurut waiternya ini adalah salah satu menu andalah dari Radja Ketjil. Seporsi tahu yang dibuat sendiri oleh Radja Ketjil yang di permukaannya tertutup suatu lapisan kehijauan (i assume it's seaweed/veggie) dan disiram dengan ayam dan jamur saus tiram gitu. Rasanya seh lumayan yah.. Cuma kok kayanya ga nendang gitu. Enak tapi cenderung bland, ga bikin pengen ngabisin tuh tahu nya.

2. Ayam Kung Pau (Rp.27.500)

Seporsi ayam kungpau dengan rasa yang standard, tidak ada sesuatu yang outstanding. Just ok and edible food.

I can't say it's disappointing but it's not great too. The food compared to the reigning chinese-food-with-cheap -small-portion resto, Tawan is nothing. Tawan is wayyyy better than this. Tapi ya secara bukanya di daera selatan semua dimana menurut gw menemukan chinese food yang enak seperti nyari jarum di jerami, this one is enough kale ya

Rating: 6/10
Location: PIM 2, Restaurant Row, Jakarta

Seafood 212 Wiro Sableng

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:20:00 +0000

Sebagai salah satu tujuan wisata kuliner di Jakarta, kawasan Gading tidak pernag kehabisan stok tempat makan yang enak dan bikin ngilerrr. Based on several recommendations, a few weeks ago, gw nyoba Seafood 212 Ikan Bakar Wiro Sableng. Nahhh seru ga seh tu nama hahaha gw berharap abis makan ni seafood, kalo megang kapak bisa kluar sinar laser laser gitu *kebanyakan ntn sinetron*

Anyway.... Gw pikir tadinya ini tempat tuh kaki lima gitu, ehhh kaga tau nya bentuknya ruko gitu. Damnnn.... Ya sudah la ya, masa gw mo pulang lagi. Akirnya makan juga disono :) Tempatnya seh rada menyedihkan ya, kurang bersih en bangkunya ga pewe! Tapi untungnya ber-AC jadi nyaman makannya.

The food:
1. Ikan Kue Bakar (Rp. 45.000/5 ons)

Yummy :) Gw suka deh bakarannya.... Kering gitu jadi nya ga eneg. Kan suka tuh ikan kalo dibakar lembek2 ga jelas, nah kalo ini tuh kering en bumbunya ngeresap. Kemudian walopun kering, ikannya ga garing! Yah... enak deh, tingkat kematangannya pas :)

2. Cumi Goreng Tepung (Rp. 35.000)

Seporsi cumi goreng tepung yang lumayan garing tapi sedikit kurang asin menurut gw. Disajikan dengan sambel terasi yang enak... A good sambel is very important, kekurangannya si cumi goreng tepung bisa tertutupi sama sambelnya yang enak itu!!!! Oya, porsinya lumayan besar tapi harganya emank ga murah2 banget seh...

3. Udang Telor Asin (Rp. 55.000)

Now... This dish is a bit weird.. Pertama dateng gw ampe bengong kok bentuknya kaya begini... Jadi udangnya itu digoreng tepung kemudian ada telur orak arik dan bawang bombai. Rasanya cenderung asin manis dengan sedikit berkuah. Well, it's actually yummy but weird!! Udangnya lumayan besar, yah seporsi dapet lah 7-8 ekor.. Gw ga kaya makan seafood tapi kaya makan chinese food gitu, what a unique dish :)

4. Toge Ikan Asin (Rp. 15.000)

Seporsi toge dengan remahan ikan asin diatasnya. Togenya kurang pedes dan ikan asin nya kurang asin... Well it's not bad but not something great.

Overall, it's a nice seafood place with affordable price. All the food I had were above average with ikan bakar as my fave, recommended :)

Rating: 7.5/10
Location: Jl. Boulevard Raya Blok QA No. 2, Jakarta

Toranomon

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 03:29:00 +0000

Toranomon is a yakiniku place in Grand Indonesia. Located in the same lot as Katsusei, I think they belong to the same group. I once browsed the menu and amazed by the price, didn't have the nerve to try :p Then... Came along Ratu Lebah!!! She celebrated her bday there so the food was on her, yippeeeeee thanks hon :)

The place itself offers privacy. U wouldn't think u are still in a mall... Too bad the decor is nothing special. Just some tatami room and sofas with standard wooden decoration. They provide a beautiful Japanese-garden-like smoking room, it was kinda cool.

The food:
1. Utage Big Plate (Rp. 1.375.000)

A big plate full meat!!!! The beef used is wagyu but unfortunately I don't know what grade. According to the waiter, this set uses the highest grade of wagyu compared to the other set. The set include a big cut of sirloin, tenderloin, gyu tan and some other cuts that I don't know (some Japanese/English name I can't remember). The meat was super tender, it melts in my mouth :) Sooo good... The marbling of the meat is so beautiful (and dangerous, hello cholesterol)

There are two types of sauce used for grilling, the sweet one and the salty one. I prefer the sweet one... But even though the meat has been dipped in the grilling sauce, we still have to dip it in the other sauce given, otherwise the meat is gonna be a bit tasteless. There are two types of sauce to dip the meat before we eat it. The first one is rather sour and salty, the other one is nutty and salty. I don't know the name... :( I prefer the sour salty one since the nutty is too powerful, it covers the original taste of the beef

2. Ohgi Big Plate (Rp. 575.000)

This set rank third in term of price. BUT, this set has chicken in it. The chicken was standard... Just like Hanamasa's chicken.. I think for 575K, they really need to put more chicken. Chicken is like super cheap rite? The sauces are the same as the Utage.

3. Gyu Tan (Rp. 135.000)

The tongue was thinly sliced and then grilled. I love tongue!! But... This one is just ok, maybe I prefer it as steak not sliced like this.

4. Tiramisu (Rp. 35.000)

It was yummy...The presentation was cute and very appetizing. The tiramisu was big, creamy and sweet, just the way I like it :) The sponge cake is soaked in rum and it was perfect... I haven't taste a tiramisu this good for a while haha

5. Mango Pudding (Rp. 35.000)

The mango pudding was just ok, a bit too jelly. A pudding especially mango has to be thicker than jelly, also it should have a deeper taste than jelly. Toranamon's is a mango jelly not mango puding.

Despite the high quality of beef, Toranomon didn't serve that high level of food. It goes below my expectation. The sauces need improvement... They should accentuate the beef, Toranamon miss a note on that one.

ps: Special thanks to Ratu Lebah for treating us, wish u and your baby the best hon :)

Ibu Duit - Ratu Lebah

Arip - Ibu Duit - Ratu Lebah - dr. B

Rating: 7.8/10
Grand Indonesia, Jakarta

Ryou Zen

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 01:52:00 +0000

Ryou Zen adalah salah satu resto di outdoor area nya Pluit Village. Secara jarang bener japanese resto di sini, gw sebenernya uda niat nyoba. Apalagi si Ryou Zen ini sering banget ngasi promosi diskon 50% buat semua makanannya, menggiurkan banget kan! Nahhhh yang bikin males adalah kabar miring mengenai kualitas makanan disini... Gara2 kmrn ade gw su Yuu dipanas2in temennnya, katanya enak dan murah, dia maksa2 mo makan disono, ya sudah lah gw coba juga

Tempatnya standar bgt, kaya platinum dengan sentuhan modern minimalis. Yah.... Gitu deh, what do u expect dari resto kaya gini, Kita bisa makan di luar resto nya, di outdoor area yang setau gw kadang suka ada live music gitu. Well maybe itu salah satu daya tariknya kali ya...

The food:
1. Premium Beef Teppanyaki (Rp. 59.500)

Dagingnya keras kaya batu ampe kaga gw abisin, bisa ancur tu mulut lama-lama ngunyah daging karet itu. Seafood nya lumayan lah, edible.... Nasi putihnya adalah bagian terbaik dari satu set teppanyaki ini. Oya, chawan mushi nya overcooked!! *ngelus dada*

2. Sushi Rolls

Salmon Maki (Rp. 26.500)

California Roll (Rp. 34.500)

Dragon Roll (Rp. 48.500)

Flaming Salmon (Rp. 48.500)

Rainbow Roll (Rp. 37.500)

Tuna Nigiri (Rp. 15.000)

Intinya, sushi nya kaga enak!!! Nasi nya terlalu asem en keras. Ikannya kurang fresh... Untuk fusion rolls, sausnya pelit.. Harganya murah untuk yang fusion roll tapi buat yg nigiri ato maki mahal yaaaa, males bgt

Rating: 5/10
Location: Pluit Village, Jakarta

R.E.D

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:36:00 +0000

Back with movie reviews :) Bukannya ga mau nulis movie reviews lagi nih tapi emank dr. B lagi sibuk bangettttt, jadi emank kaga nonton :( tapi minggu depan dr. B libur!!! yayyy, siap siap nonton semua film di bioskop hehehehe.

R.E.D bercerita tentang Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) seorang pensiunan CIA yang pengangguran. Setiap hari kerjaannya cuma nungguin cek pensiunnya kemudian menelpon Sarah (Mary Louise Parker) petugas di badan pensiun. Suatu hari, tiba-tiba dia mau dibunuh oleh sekelompok orang. Nah... Untuk mengetahuinya, dia pun menemui teman-temannya dulu, Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman) Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) dan Victoria (Hellen Mirren). Bersama-sama mereka berusaha menemukan penyebab semua kekacauan itu.

Menurut dr. B this one is quite good. Finally, a real action movie. Bruce Willis emank ga ada matinya jadi aktor action ya, dengan dia nongol aja kayanya dijamin tu film bakal keren. Dengan jajaran cast laennya yang keren itu, R.E.D menjadi sebuah tontonan action yang bukan hanya seru tapi smart and classy. Bukan cuma tembak-tembakan, darah dan ledakan tapi ada witty comedy dan funny expressions dari masing-masing karakter, detail yang ga penting tapi ngasi nilai tambah ke film ini. Seru tapi santai gitu filmnya, enak bgt nontonnya

Soal adegan actionnya seh sebenernya biasa aja but that's what I like about it. Bukan sesuatu yang lebai dan hard to believe tapi some old school CIA stuff with current technology. Plot cerita nya juga standar, walaupun dikasi twist di belakang tapi agak ketebak sih.. Yah lagian film action gitu, ga penting juga kan ceritanya, yang penting seru!

It's recommended :) I like this movie.It's fun and entertaining, the core of top notch action flick

It's like a combo meal in KFC. U already know how it taste but U still enjoy every crunchy delicious bite of it :)

Rating: 7.5/10

Beautika

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Beautika is a legend in Jakarta. Kalo orang ngomong "suka makan manado nih" reply nya pasti "uda cobain beautika blom?" Nah.... Sebagai fans makanan Manado (yang bener tuh Manado ato Menado seh?) akirnya gw cobain juga ni resto :)

Resto nya seh biasa aja ya, dalemnya wooden decor kaya di villa buat maen ski gitu. Untungnya full AC (AC nya dingin buat ngebalance makanan nya yg pedes2 itu :p) Begitu sampe kita tinggal milih mau makan apa, ya kaya di kantin gitu deh. Nanti makanannya dipanasin en dianter ke meja kita. Pretty simple and perfect buat yg mau buru-buru.

The food:
1. Perkedel Jagung (Rp. 6.500)

Yuck... Kaga enak! Tebel en keras.... Biasanya resto manado selalu punya perkedel jagung yang rasanya mantep tp yang ini seh buruk. Apa mungkin karena ga baru digoreng ya jadi kaya gitu? Uda keras, rasanya juga kurang enak, ga manis ga asin, ga jelas maunya apa ni perkedel.

2. Ayam Woku (Rp. 32.500)

Hmm... Yah... It's ok lah.. Nothing special though. Ayamnya pake ayam negri gitu jadi berdaging tapi yah gitu deh. Bumbunya seh enak ya cuma kan dia bentuknya kering, jadi nya kurang meresap gitu. Unless dimakan sama taburan bumbunya yg seabrek itu, ayamnya cenderung tawar...

3. Cakalang Saos (Rp. 32.500)

YUMMY!!!!!!!! Wow... Now I know kenapa resto ini terkenal... Cakalang saosnya enak banget. Love it... Pedes parah bikin nagih gitu. This is the best Cakalang Saos I ever had :) Dagingnya ga tralu suwir banget, ada yang masi dalam 1 potong besar, sambel nya ga pelit, banyakkkk. Bayangin aja, pake dikit aja uda pedes, ini dikasi banyak. Gw ampe ga abis en akirnya bungkus :p

4. Panada (Rp. 5.500) dan Brudel Tape (Rp. 6.500)

Hmm... Panada itu kue manado yang bentuknya seperti pastel, teksturnya kaya kue bantal en isinya ikan (kayanya tuna/cakalang deh) I had better seh... Cuma si Beautika punya Panadanya gede en isinya banyak. Brudel Tape nya std banget, kurang berasa tapenya menurut gw. Too spongy pula jadinya kurang mantep.

Hmm.. Dengan harga yang masi reasonable (kecuali nasi yg Rp. 7.000/porsi) dr. B seh tertarik buat balik lagi. Mungkin perlu nyoba menu laen nya seperti Marlin Rica atau Cumi apaaa gitu yg item item gitu. Hmm... Emank seh untuk kualitas rasa biasa aja, cuma si Cakalang Saos doank yang enak tapi mengingat begitu masyhurnya resto ini, mungkin dr. B musti coba menu laennya.

Less but not least, waiternya yg di depan pas milih makan, JUTEK!!!!! Grrrr.... Kalo ga laper uda pengen gw tinggal aja tadinya.. Tapi service yg di dalem pas makan ok lah :) dr. B minta refill es teh ampe 3x dilayanin dengan penuh senyum hehe

Rating: 7/10
Location: Jl. Hang Lekir No. 1, Jakarta

Miramar (repost)

noreply@blogger.com (Aris Munandar) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 11:43:00 +0000

Today i'm gonna make a quick and short post about Miramar. I've posted a review about this place a few months ago but since I took some pics while I had lunch there with my folks, I'll write the review 'bout the dishes there :)

The food:
1. Kuah Ikan Gurame dan Talas

Yummy!! Very fragrant soup with fried gurame and yam, topped with fried chopped garlic. Warm and comforting, the garlic pull the flavor of the fish broth and the yam soften it. a very satisfying dish :)

2. Gulai Cumi

4 small squid cooked gulai style. The gulai is smooth with a hint of sweetness. Yummy :) Love the soft squid combined with the sweet gulai...

3. Hotplate tahu special

Fried silk tofu on a hotplate with a thin omelette at based, covered with chicken and mushroom gravy. I like the tofu and the gravy. Both of them complement each other, producing a balanced and yummy taste. Too bad I didn't think thoroughly when I ordered the gulai above since the gulai destroyed the simple taste of the tofu.

Will be back here for more quality Indonesian/Medan food :)