Cafe Aria

This post might be the last one before I go off for my Lebaran holiday which I'm super excited to have!! I'm desperate to get out of Jakarta -__-"....

Anyways, I had a quick catch up with my cousin and his friends on a Thursday night and made up our spot at Cafe Aria. If you guys are puzzled where is this, it's at 'Ratu Plaza', the old Tony Roma's building is now changed to Cafe Aria. There were a good buzz on that night, maybe due to 'buka bersama' and the interior of the place was very very different to the Tony Roma's. Cafe Aria's decor is simple, clean, leaning to modern minimalistic feel.

The restaurant is separated into a few sections. The smoking, the non smoking, private rooms (no doors, separated by partitions and full body length blinds, and a section where local designers' clothing are up for sale. The space is big enough to contain all that. One factor that is not to standard was their service, very slow and difficult just to get their attention. The waitresses seemed to be 'hiding' somewhere and after managing to get their attention, it takes a long time for them to cater our needs. Very frustrating if you are chasing for time.

Menu : Crispy Chicken Rucola Salad

Price : RP 46,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> I like this! If you like 'Rucola' leaf then you'll like this, if you don't then do not order. Rucola leaf has this distinct taste, spicy, peppery and yet fresh with a hint of citrus when chewed. The crispy chicken was ordinary but when combined with the rucola leaf, it give a good texture and bite. Love the citrus dressing, more of a vinaigrette than a cream base dressing. The portion was okay for a starter salad, rather pricey but bearing in mind that you need to import Rucola as I'm pretty sure they don't grow in Indonesia, I can agree with their price tag.

Menu : Duck Aglio Olio Pasta

Price : RP 58,000 ++

Score : 6.0 / 10

>> The pasta was too dry for my liking. Aglio Olio supposed to be shining and slightly oily covered and dressed with olive oil but this one need a good additional 3 seconds of olive oil. The chopped duck was generous, it's crispy and tasted alright in the seasoning department. However, I couldn't taste the Aglio Olio characteristic taste that it should have. Definitely not enough garlic, olive oil and chili.

Menu : Salmon Belachan on Spinach Bed

Price : RP 145,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Portion is a big issue here. For RP 145,000 this dish is overpriced. The salmon and the belachan sauce itself tasted good but not so much on the spinach bed. Too buttery and soggy for my liking. They should have provided baked potato with bacon and cheese, and fresh salad on the side. I'm pretty sure that won't cost too much for the owners. Personally, this won't fill my stomach, unless I finished the Duck Aglio Olio Pasta before this.

Cafe Aria

Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav 1, Gedung Bank Panin Pusat

Phone : 021 - 5793 1501 / 02