Mangia

Sunday, 15 December 2013

I enjoy this place!
This was my second time visiting Mangia. What I like about this place is the warmth of the place, its quirky design, how home-y the place and food feels.

Here's what we ordered that night:

Bakwan Jagung

Nasi Jeruk Sambal Dori

Mixed white rice, orange leaf, and herbs topped a fried dory fillet.

Rp. 39.000,-

The rice is so flavourful! The fish was alright

Swedish Meatballs

Beef meatballs and creamy mashed potato smothered in gravy, and a side of strawberry jam.

Rp. 55.000,- 

Yum, Yum, YUM!

This is for those who are craving for Ikea's meatballs. Tastes even better than ikea's.

Rates: 7.5/10

Price: $$

Location:

Mangia

Jl. Panglima Polim V No. 38

Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

T. (021) 72799674

Paul Bakery and Patisserie

Sunday, 15 December 2013

Went to Paul bakery and patisserie outside of Gallery Lafayette, Pacific Place

This bakery brand is a franchise from France, established in 1889. It's a well known brand and has more than 400 stores around the world. It's just opened few weeks ago here in Jakarta.

The design is reminiscent of a quaint cafe on the side of a Parisian street; large windows, chandeliers, comfortable seats - warm and cosy on a rainy day in Jakarta. The service, on the other hand, was something they might need to work on. Two friends of mine got there first, thinking they would secure seats seeing how hyped up this place was. Upon getting there, they were told to wait for almost an hour, which was quite the shocker seeing how many seats they had available. (Yes, some people might have reserved those empty tables, so maybe they just need to get the hang of their reservations/seatings dilemma). I approached them after a total of 10 minutes of waiting and guess what? We were able to pick any seats we wanted. Strange, no?

We ordered:

Tartelette Framboise

Rp. 55.000,-

This one was pretty good - fresh raspberries, crunchy pastry 

- overall a good combination of flavours

Macaroon and coffee

Rp. 65.000,-

Coffee was alright, and I've definitely tasted better macaroons.

Overall on the day I visited, it was quite disappointing. However, with that said I understand that we only tried two out of the vast collection of dishes they had. We didn't order much because we were saving our stomachs for dinner. I am hoping to try this place again and hoping to get a better overall experience. 

PS. They might need more staff at the actual bakery, or a counter system where people wait their turn. Tried ordering bread at the counter for take away (three times I approached the counter) and came home with nothing seeing I couldn't get the attention of any of their staff. That's how hectic it was.

Rates: 6.5/10

Price: $$$$ (expensive, but understandable because of its location)

PAUL Bakery and Patisserie Jakarta

Outdoor Area of Galeries Lafayette

Pacific Place

Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 52-53

Jakarta Selatan 

*Comments are based on my taste-buds. Experience may vary.

TURKUAZ, Authentic Turkish Kitchen

Sunday, 15 December 2013

Last Sunday, I went to Turkuaz with my girlfriend and two other friends. At first we were gonna try Entrada Resto&Bar but unfortunately it was closed, their operational days are Monday-Saturday. So we decided to try out Turkuaz. I heard from friends that the food there are really good and authentic. Turned out "really good" was an understatement. It was amazing.

Upon walking in, you can see, smell, and hear Turkey. The ambience is set up giving us an experience of modern Middle East; the colours, the music, the lighting & the decorations all compliment each other. The photos you'll see does not give the restaurant justice.

Enough about the interiors, let's review the food:

(this is the only photo of the food that I took on the day, I forgot to take photos of the other food as we were too hungry.. :p)

Zeytinyagli Hummus 

with extra virgin olive oil served with bread

Rp. 55.000,-     

The best hummus served in town (especially seeing how difficult it is to find hummus in this country)

The hummus compliments the soft puffy bread perfectly.

Icli Pilav

 Slow cooked rice with almonds, pine nuts, raisin and Turkish spices - 8/10

Rp. 28.000,-

(pictures taken from their website)

Iskender Kebab 

Shaved doner kebab, tomato sauce on bread with yoghurt and Sehriyeli Pilav

Rp. 130.000,-

One of the best kebab I've ever tried. I was expecting bread to wrap around the meat but regardless, the lamb was juicy, tender and flavourful; A must try dish in the restaurant. 

(Couldn't find the picture anywhere on the internet)

Kasarli Mantarli Kofte - Lamb and Chicken

Wood Oven baked mozzarella cheese and sautéed mushrooms in pastry

 Rp. 90.000 (chicken), Rp. 110.000 (beef), Rp. 135.000 (lamb)
We ordered two of this dish, the lamb and the chicken. Hands down, the lamb stands out alot more than the chicken (and their prices show it). I think if you are visiting a Turkish restaurant always order the lamb meat but, look out for your cholesterol intake as well.

Ezme Soslu Balik

Pan grilled fillets of marinated fish on sautéed vegetables with cheese

(Around) Rp. 130.000,- 

The fish was just alright. Covered with cheese and some vegetables underneath. It's pretty spiced up.

For the drinks, we ordered Turkish Tea and Apple Tea. The turkish tea was a bit plain, but the apple tea (vastly popular in Turkey) tasted really delightful, complimenting the dishes served.

Overall we all enjoyed our visit to Turkuaz. The only downside to this restaurant was the price, but I personally think that Turkuaz presented a solid experience from its ambience, service and food.

Rates: 9/10 

Price: $$$$ (ended up paying almost Rp.1,000,000.- for 4 people: 2 guys & 2 girls)

Location:
Turkuaz – Authentic Turkish Kitchen
Jalan Gunawarman No. 32
Jakarta Selatan
+62 21 7279 5846
+62 21 7279 5853

White Hunter

Saturday, 14 December 2013

My second blog about another exceptional restaurant in Jakarta.

Last saturday, it was raining really hard, and the only good places in Jakarta when it's raining like crazy are malls. So my girlfriend and I decided to go to Gandaria City and eat at white hunter.

Interior:

Here's what we ordered:

White Hunter Ribs Jumbo

with hunter sauce + wedges and mashed potato

Rp. 295.000,-

It was my third visit to White Hunter, we always order the White Hunter Ribs with hunter sauce. I'd say this is the best ribs in Jakarta. I've tried the ribs in Carnivore Restaurant@PIK and Tony Romas@PX and Senayan, and several other places, but this is definitely on top of  the list of any ribs I've ever tried in Jakarta. The jumbo size was too big for me and my girlfriend, I'd say it would be best to be eaten for 3 people.

Wild Honey Pesto

Spaghetti with honey basil leave, matsunoni, parmesan cheese, fresh garlic, prawn and olive oil

Rp. 55.000,- (if i'm not mistaken)

(pic above taken from their website, I forgot to take a picture of the food because I was too hungry and already ate half of it when I realized that I haven't taken a picture of the pasta)

It's just an average pasta, nothing special in this pasta. But if you're hungry it might be delicious. :p

Rates: 8/10 (must go if you're craving good ribs)

Price: $$$$ (prices above are before tax and service)

Location: 

Jalan Sultan Iskandar Muda No.30, Jakarta Selatan

Kota Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta 12240, Indonesia
Ph: +6221 29053018

*Comments are based on my taste-buds. Experience may vary.

Enmaru Altitude

Saturday, 7 December 2013

This would be my very first post as a newbie in the world of blogs and such.

Last Saturday I went to Enmaru for the 2nd time with my parents and girlfriend. I got there first with my girlfriend to reserve a table because I thought I might have to queue in order to get one. Turned out it was a rather quiet night. So, with no queue or waiting list, I naturally picked one that was closest to the window. (Good views for the win).

Interiors:

Hungry, waiting for the parents, we ordered our first entree:

Maguro Cream Cheese Wasabi Ae

Chopped Tuna Mixed with Cream Cheese and Wasabi Dressing

Rp. 58.000,-

You can feel the freshness of the tuna, but the impression from the first skewer wasn't there.

After my parents arrived we decided to order more food.
Here are the dishes we got that night:

Toro Shake

Salmon Belly

Rp. 90.000,-
I always order salmon belly whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant. This one was quite fresh, however not as fresh as the one we got the first time I visited Enmaru. I guess maybe I wasn't lucky enough this time.

Enmaru Roll

Rp. 198.000,-

The roll was pretty good considering the number of sushi rolls in one plate. For me, it was alright. My girlfriend on the other hand, thought it was a great collection of sushi rolls, "fresh seafood and ingredients, right consistency of sauces, right balance of flavours, none of the 'let's add chilli sauce to make it more indonesian' that other Japanese restaurants tend to do". Her words not mine. 

Wagyu Tongue Kushiyaki

Rp. 98.000,-

The gyutan is delish. The thickness, the size, the flavor, it's just right. Marinated for certain period of time, plus with the charcoal given to re-heat the tongue, you can eat it at the right temperature... it's just the way I want it. It's close to perfect. 

Cod Fish Takekawa Mushi

Rp. 158.000,-

This one is pretty good, but the last time I had dinner here I ordered the Cod Fish Sikyomiso Yaki which tasted a lot better than this one. If you're visiting this place, I'd suggest you order the Cod Fish Sikyomiso Yaki.

Gyokai Yadokari Yaki

Chef's Signature Menu: a mixed of shrimp, scallop, crab meat, shimeji mushroom and onion baked with cheese and topped with breadcrumbs.

Rp. 98.000,-
This one was my mom's favorite. It's cheesy and luscious. Good presentation and delicious.

Foie Gras Chawanmushi

Rp. 78.000,-

Forgot to take a picture of this one. Nothing special with the presentation really, just a normal chawanmushi put in a small bowl with two pieces of foie gras on top. But seriously, this one is one of the best chawanmushi I've ever tried in my life. The taste of the foie gras in this one is really flavorful. The size was pretty small, but trust me it's worth the price.

The fish that the waitress showed to us, we didn't end up ordering it though.

Here's an advice when you're ordering the food at this place, never ask for the recommendation from the waitress. Both times I had dinner here, two different waitresses recommended the most expensive dishes on the menu, rather than what was good or highly favourited by other customers.

Overall, it was a great dinner and definitely would come back here again for a third round.

Until then, see ya.

Rates: 8.5/10 (I've had better Japanese food)

Price: $$$$ (prices above are before tax and service)

Location:
ALTITUDE
The Plaza, 46th floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Kavling 28 – 30
Jakarta 10350
Ph: (62-21) 2992 2448
Fax: (62-22) 2992 2447
E-mail: info@altitude.co.id


*Comments are based on my taste-buds. Experience may vary.