Potato Head Garage

So much buzz about this place was generated before the beginning of Ramadan season, and I finally brought myself there last Sunday for a  late lunch. I've seen the pictures posted by my friends all over Facebook and Instagram. It looked pretty in the pictures and the real life was a photo copy of those pictures ^_^. 

The decor was very modern, sleek with a touch of opulence. Dominated with a lot of white color and beautiful chandeliers hanging from the sky high attic ceiling. The place resembles an old badminton court or a warehouse and thus spaciously opened without pillars blocking your view. I must say it's a good venue for events and parties. Firstly because of the location, then the layout and lastly you'll end up with pretty pretty pictures ^_^ And oh I forgot to mention, this eatery has a definite connection with the 'Potato Head' in Pacific Place Shopping Mall; across the street.

Menu : Wholemeal & White Bread with Butter
Price : Rp 0.- (complementary, free)
Score : 2.0 / 10

>> Sad, sad, sad.. The bread are free but they need to remember that this is the first dish that customers consume. The bread are not only tough, it's cold and completely tasteless. What's so difficult with warming the bread, simply just place them in an oven for 2 minutes, and the butter is not good at all. I really think that this complementary bread is desperate for garlic butter or even a simple supermarket bought salted butter will be very much welcomed.

Menu : Wood Fire Grilled Beef Salad
Price : Appetizer ; Set Menu
(Rp 350,000 ++ : Appetizer, Main Course and Dessert)
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Very very refreshing and the perfect way to open up your taste buds after that bad complementary bread on top. The salad were crisp and fresh, while the beef was cooked well. The seasonings were right in all sorts of way. The amount of salt, sugar and the tangy taste from the chili and lemon were balanced harmoniously !

Menu : Wagyu Strip Loin 200gr
Price : Main Course ; Set Menu
(Rp 350,000 ++ : Appetizer, Main Course and Dessert)
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Beautifully cooked. Asked for a medium and that's what you'll get. The steak is place on top of a hot stone, thus helps in maintaining the temperature of the meat at all time. Comes the choice of sauce and butter that is served separately are quite a selection. I would recommend the 'Bearnaise Sauce' with 'Cafe De Paris Butter' it is subtle thus you'll still taste the sweetness of the beef itself. Assorted seasonal vegetables with a dollop of mashed potato are served separately.

Menu : Valhorna Flour-less Chocolate Cake
Price : Dessert ; Set Menu
(Rp 350,000 ++ : Appetizer, Main Course and Dessert)
Score : 8. 0 / 10

>> YUMM ! (In capital letters). Carb-less chocolate cake!! LOVE the idea of a flour-less cake, thus gave that 'less guilty & more pleasure' feeling. A good real dense chocolate cake and the Valhorna cocoa powder really made the difference. The coffee ice cream on the side is lovely too. Not too overly sweet when have together with the cake. Saw the passion fruit smear in the picture beside? That is super super sour which balance off the sugar level, it cuts through the sweetness of the cake and the ice cream. Overall a dessert that I'll order again and again !!

Menu : Blue Swimmer Crab Cake
Price : To Be Advised
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> Perfectly crumbed crab cake! When I tore apart the crab cake, I can really see the amount of crab meat was generous. A well balanced mixture of starch and crab, shallow fried and served with home made green curry sauce at the bottom. At first, I thought the green curry was going to overthrow the crab cake with it's pungent smell and dense herb taste but in fact, it was complementing the dish! They manage to keep it subtle and yet you can still taste the essence of the curry. A lovely dish!

Menu : Wood Fired Organic Baby Chicken
Price : Rp 130,000 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> The sauce they used were delicious!! Mustard and curry oil is the bomb! Tangy and yet slightly sourish too. But I have to compliment the baby chicken the most! Beautifully cooked with crispy skin part, yet still juicy and served in the right temperature. Just like the above steak served on a hot stone, this baby chicken was served on top of a grill stone. Thus the temperature is being maintained along during our course. But if I may give a little advise, is to provide a side dish to this menu. The baby chicken is indeed a baby. Small in portion and I will be still hungry if I were to only order this. A baked potato or a generous amount of greens and mash potato will definitely be welcome.

Overall, it's a promising venue and has the potential to last. I'd still come back and try out their other dishes. But a bigger portioning of the main course will definitely be helpful. Cheers!

Potato Head Garage
SCBD Lot 14 (Ex Bengkel Kafe)
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav 52 - 55 Lot 14 
Jakarta Selatan 12190
Phone : 021 - 57973330
Website : www.ptthead.com

Dessert Company

I didn't realise that Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) was lacking of a good dessert hang out place and when this eatery opened, I thought 'of course it make sense' After all, chocolates, strawberries, pancakes, milk and sugar can bring no harm. I very much welcomed this new addition, situated next to Bobbabits.

I like their concept of the store and I sincerely thought it was a good one. They serve mainly desserts, which covers the basic of what a bakery should sell. For example, cheesecake, chocolate lava cake, pana cotta, etc. They make their own ice cream and everything was claimed to be freshly made in the kitchen. Fresh equates to delicious in my brain. Next, they also pitch themselves into the 'bubble tea' society, but they made it more simple by explaining the variety of flavours and tea on the menu (rather than having a lot of things written on the board, hanging on the walls). They also provide a choice of snacks, nothing too major, but simpler menu like french fries, nachos, nuggets, etc.

Menu : DC Chocolate Lava Cake
Price : Rp 32,000 ++
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> What I'm about to say may sound strange to your ear but hear I go. This lava cake 'has toooo much' lava in the middle. I was actually surprise, due to the fact that there is too much choc oozing out, I couldn't have a taste of the sponge. There was thin layer of sponge and that's it. The overall taste gets too dense and heavy. I couldn't finish it. It was really chocolate overload.

Menu : Sticky Date Pudding

Price : Rp 30,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> This is so much better than the choc lava cake above. I like this a mile more. The date inside was not only generous but also the sponge cake was very much moist and gooey. I like this and all it was missing was an extra spoon of butterscotch sauce and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Turn on your favourite reality show, savor and relax !

Dessert Company (DC)

Pantai Indah Kapuk, besides Bobbabits.

Jeeva Klui - Lombok (Lebaran'12)

So here I am, slapped back from my 8 days Ramadhan holidays from Lombok, Gili Air & Bali. I'm actually desperate for another extra week to pamper myself but nevertheless, reality is cruel and thus face it -__- lll. I am going to write a series of post with '(Lebaran Holiday 2012) at the end of the title just to mark as a continuation of my 8 days food journey. It might be quite long but i'll try to be as concise as possible. So relax, put your feet up and start feasting your eyes!

Above are several pictures of the resort I stayed (Jeeva Klui) during my trip in Lombok. Jeeva is situated near to the city center and has a stretch of private beach (Part of Pantai Senggigi) connected directly to the resort. Certainly a breath taking view! The resort only has about 20 bungalow cottages and thus it felt very homey. There were a handful of European tourist but even with that, the place still seemed serene to me. A good recommendation for those looking to visit Lombok.

Jeeva Klui only has one restaurant, bearing in the mind the small scale resort that I classify them to be, it make a lot of sense! The partly outdoor resto sits directly in front of the resort pool and open for all breakfast, lunch & dinner till 11 pm.

Menu : Corn Fritters

Price : Complimentary (Free)

Score : 5 / 10

>> The sweet and sour condiment sauce at the bottom suits my taste but I think the fritter itself was rather cold and soggy. But at the end of the day, this was a complimentary dish so I'm not going to complain too much about it hahahaha!

Menu : Aromatic Beef Salad

Price : RP 65,000 ++

Score : To Be Advise

>> I must honestly say that I sort of forget what this taste like. But definitely and surely not horrible! If it was bad, it's impossible for me to forget the dish. On the other hand, it didn't leave an impression on me and thus it is logical to say this salad didn't blew me away :p

 

Menu : Tuna Sambal Bawang

Price : RP 85,000 ++

Score : 6.5 / 10

>> I was surprised by the size of the tuna fish. I am not sure how much does a kilo of tuna cost but man...Jeeva is generous with their portioning. I like everything about the dish, the salad was tasty, rice was perfectly steamed and cooked, the 'sambal bawang' (chili onion) makes the perfect condiments EXCEPT...the tuna was overcooked and thus slightly too tough for my liking. Nevertheless, it might be a one time mistake made by the chef. Thus if you are a tuna lover, you might wanna have a go at this.

Menu : Ayam Taliwang

Price : RP 85,000 ++

Score : 7.0 / 10

>> Again! Thumbs up for the portioning :) Unlike the tuna, this time the chicken is well cooked. Slightly burnt grill on the outside but still tender and juicy on the inside. The only thing that I would like the chef (if possible) improve is on the sauce. Ayam Taliwang is suppose to be spicy and hot but the taste here lean more towards 'coconuty and peanuty' flavor if you can imagine what I'm trying to explain. It is like a satay sauce but with a stronger coconut flavor instead of peanut.

Menu : Trio Tomato Risotto

Price : RP 80,000 ++

Score : 9.0 / 10

>> This might be the best risotto I have ever tasted in Indonesia. I had a couple of good bowl of risotto back when I was in Melbourne, but in Indonesia?? Hell NONE! At Jeeva, the rice were all plump, soaked with all the goodness of the tomato gravy sauce. The risotto is far from overcooked, exactly right on point! The sunripe tomatoes were extremely sweet thus the name of the dish 'Trio Tomato Risotto'. After the 2 Indonesian dish on top, I understood that the resto cater to the European tourist that come to stay at Jeeva and thus adjusting the taste of the food to their tongue not the local Indonesians.

 

Menu : Penne Zucchini

Price : RP 80,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Another good pasta dish! Now I am more certain with the statement I made above; the fact the chef at Jeeva caters to the European tongue and taste. This is my first try on a Zucchini pasta dish. It has a cream sauce base, similar to "Carbonara" but not as thick. I am not a big fan of cream base pastas but this I certainly don't mind having :)

Menu : Chocolate Fondant 

Price : RP 55,000 ++

Score : 7.0 / 10

>> My meal wouldn't be complete if I haven't had dessert to sum everything up. I chose chocolate fondant and it was an average one. The technique behind was nailed; right temperature, soft texture, melted chocolate oozing out from the center upon cutting into but it lacks a little bit of sugar and a gigantic scoop of vanilla ice cream at the side (instead of whip cream). Nevertheless, not a disappointing menu!

Jeeva Klui Resort

Jln Raya Klui Beach No. 1 Lombok Indonesia

Phone : +62 (0) 370 693 035

Fax : +62 (0) 370 693 036

Union

Menu : Praline Chocolate Cake
Price : RP 50,000 ++

Score : 8.0 / 10

 

>> My first encounter with a super tasting praline chocolate cake was during my college days back in Melbourne. I have this love / hate relationship with "Laurent", not a human but a bakery in Little Collin Street in the heart of Melbourne City. I gained 10 kilos during my 1st year there (I swear I'm not being exaggerating, literally 10 freakin kilos) and I'd like to share 30% of the cause to 'Laurent'. Anyways enough of the stories, let's get down to this cake instead.

I must say Laurent's is much better but Union's isn't lousy at all. I gave an 8 pointer and it's not difficult to justify why. I got that strong chocolate punch from the very first spoon inside my mouth. I loooove the gooey, sweet, sticky and the crunchy bit at the bottom of the cake which adds up to my conclusion to the 'best praline chocolate cake eaten so far in Jakarta'. Have it with a glass of unsweetened latte to balance the sugar but for a sugarcoated teeth like mine, this was just nice! A good chocolate cake is personal to me, it's like knowing no matter how bad your day had been, there's always comfort here.

The thing about Union is that they seemed to rush you out of your seat, they have a time limit as in how long you're allowed to take the seat. They usually gives you 1.5 to 2 hours max and that is a slight bother to me. So next time you got a seat at Union, skip all of Union's super duper over rated 'Red Velvet Cake' (nothing compare to this) and opt for this classic praline choc cake instead.

Classics lives through time while trends might be temporary.

Union

Plaza Senaya Ground Floor 

(Entrance from Sogo Department Store)

Roppan

It has been 30 hectic days since my last post. I have been bombarded with work as the tax report submission deadline is due on 30th April. My company have yet to finish it --___-- and yes my 'panic button' is definitely blinking BRIGHT RED ! Nevertheless I steal somet lunch hour today and update this blog of mine. I missed writing, I missed sharing, I missed posting...aahhh love and passion for food :)

There is a new mall just opened recently; "Gandaria City", it's situated slightly off the central of Jakarta but the selection of food is just marvelous! I had a go of snacking at this cute cafe called "ROPPAN" it sounds Japanese and yes the food served is definitely Japan inspired. Here are some variants I tried on my first trip here, enjoy!

Menu : Motto Choco

Price : Rp 11,000++

Score : 7.5  / 10

>> This dish is actually relatively very very simple. Chocolate spread with chocolate shavings on top of slightly toasted white bread. But the strong and well balanced chocolate spread is to die for! Not to mention, the soft bread that just melts in you mouth...hmm...yum!!

Menu : Ike Banana

Price : Rp 11,000 ++

Score : 6.5 / 10

>> I liked Motto Choco slightly more than this because it is rather more simple with nothing standing out. I love the generous grated cheese though, to die for!

Menu : Godzilla Burger

Price : Rp 18,000++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> I love this, good stuff! The home made beef patties is well harmonies with their home made mayo and the melted cheese oozes on your tongue. A great company to have while enjoying their "lychee beer".

Menu : Roppan Udon

Price : Rp 33,000 ++
Score : 5.0 / 10

>> Their 'udon' is a let down, in compare to their bread stuffs. I can't forgive restaurants that serves bland food or under seasoned. I think it is the most basic skill anyone should have before entering the kitchen. The cook might have forgotten to taste before plating because this sure taste salt-less.

ROPPAN

GANDARIA CITY GROUND FLOOR

021 - 2900 7942

Fat Witch Brownies

David bought me a brownies cookbook last week and I was extremely inspired by it. The author of the book was "Patrica Helding" who lived in New York City. She baked brownies for her love of passion and started to experiment with all sorts of different brands of chocolate chips, butter, flour, etc. She is very particular with her measurements and experimented batch after batch until she found her ultimate precise recipe. She first sells the brownies to her friends, colleagues and friends. Until finally, people praise and encourage her enough that she found the confidence to open her brownies store called 'Fat Witch Brownies'. For 12 years she kept her recipe an absolute secret until she wrote this book, that she let spreads her brownies recipe with the world.

I always wanted to open a cake store or a bakery but has no culinary or pastry background what so ever. Patricia has none too but her passion drove her, and actually to begin with; brownies is a simple desert yet decadently delicious. In her book, she gives advices as to pair the assortments of her brownies with different ice creams, sauces and accessories.

I felt encouraged and inspired by her book in many different ways. Maybe it was her narration, maybe it was her personal experiences, maybe it was her own personal recipe but above all I understood that her passion and confidence reigns above all culinary degrees that other pastry chefs have. Lastly but not least, I've decided that I should one day open a brownies store and called it "Big Bite Brownies" (what do you think of the name?). It may come true 5 years or even 10 years from now but I'll always have it in my mind. Watch it coming guys!

Sweet Tooth

If you get to know me better and take notice of my way of eating, you'll know that I am a sugar junkie! I loveeee sweet treats, I need sugary stuff to finish my every meal. Even if it is just a piece of chewing gum, a glass of strawberry smoothie or an elaborate plate of desert I desperately need anything sweet at the end of my meal. If I didn't have any, I'll feel something is odd, something is not right, something is not yet complete. In short, I have a very sweet tooth and so I'll dedicate this post for sugar lovers out there.

Where : Canteen (EX, Plaza Indonesia Extension)

Menu: Chocolate Fondant with Caramel & Vanilla Ice Cream
Price : Rp 35,000++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> Glorious chocolate!! Slightly bitter chocolate cake with melting sauce oozing from the inside eaten together with sweet vanilla ice cream is just wonderful! I reckon I had better ones but I definitely finished this plate by myself :p

Where : Canteen (EX, Plaza Indonesia Extension)

Menu : Creme Brulee

Price : Rp 35,000++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> The first scoop didn't taste that good but the more you dig into this, you can't stop. At least, I can't! I specially asked the waitress for a more burn caramel on top and that really increase the 'wow' taste factor.

Where :  Maystar (Emporium Pluit Mall, 4th Floor)

Menu : Coconut Pudding
Price : Rp 42,800 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Rather expensive but one of the best coconut pudding in town, even better their rival Duck King's. The sweetness and the tender pudding simply melts in your mouth! Heavenly! 

Where : Kiyadon (Several branches all over Jakarta)

Menu : Shiratama Zenzai
Price : Rp 35,000 ++
Score : 6 / 10

>> Even though I'm not a big fan of mochi but this warm mochi is very chewable and pleasant to eat. I love the strong vanilla infused ice cream, I must say it is more fragrant than usual and the asuki beans were sooo yummy, definitely the star of the dessert!

Where : Korean Supermarket or Korean Restaurant

Menu : Ice Cream Sandwich with Cheese Cake
Price : RP 15,000
Score : 7.0 / 10
>> I like this Korean ice cream very much. The sponge cake on the top and bottom is very soft and even though you eat it out straight from the freezer, the cake wasn't icy solid nor difficult to bite through. The ice cream is smooth, no ice crystals and most importantly I can definitely taste the cheese cake flavor.

Where : Pluit Village 4th Floor

Menu : Chocolate and Cheese Doriyaki
Price : RP 7,000 / each
Score : 2.0 / 10
>> I bought this at Pluit Village 4th floor from a doriyaki stand that I forgot to note down the name (but definitely won't ever go back for the 2nd time). It taste bad -___-! The dough was cold and chewy, the filling was spare and so little that I cannot taste the cheese inside. I only had one bite and gave the rest away to my driver.

Where : Any Supermarket

Menu : Ultra Jaya Assorted Flavored Drinks
Price: Sari Asem (Rp 3,500), Sari Kacang Ijo (Rp 2,800)

& Susu Coklat (Rp 4,000)
Score : Average of 6.75 / 10

>> Every time I hit the supermarket, I'll pass by the drinks section and pile on these 3 flavored drinks. Compared to all of the other competitors' brands, Ultra Jaya has better taste, better consistency and from the taste I'm assuming they're only using pure sugar instead of artificial sweeteners.

Where : Food Hall Supermarket

Menu : Mrs Fields Triple Chocolate Cookies
Price : Rp 51,000 / pack (8 pieces inside)
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Overprice for sure but I feel it is worth it to splurge on great tasting food. The cookies were wrapped individually for freshness. You can taste the moist, chewy and gooey chocolate in all of the cookies every time you bite into it. I love having this in front of the TV watching my favorite drama.

Yummy Sydney Part 4

Alright this is the fourth part of the mini series, hahaha and yes I know it's getting a little bit too long? I'll try to speed this one up alright!

LINDT CAFE

Glorious sweet treats! I love this cafe! Melbourne doesn't have this cafe and thus when I was in Sydney, I made sure I pop myself here. I had 70% dark chocolate ice cream and a piece of hazelnut cake. Both were really really yummy. I wanted to eat more but the timing was not right. It was close to dinner time and have to save some room for my tummy.

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN (KFC)

KFC wicked wings brings back a great deal of memories in my Melbourne days. My friends and I ate a lot of wicked wings back then, we can order something like 100 piece to share among 6 - 8 people at any one time. KFC in Jakarta doesn't offer this menu and thus when I was in Sydney I grabbed the opportunity to have 10 piece of wicked wings!!!

KOREE BBQ

I lost track of how many times I ate Korean in Sydney but this serves one of the best Ramen I had ever eaten. I love the Ramen Soup a lot !!! I'm not too sure about the Beef Galbi, because I felt the meat was too chewy and salty.

STREET FOOD

Snacks, snacks, snacks! I love to snack big time and so here some of the food I ate during my 'free time' hahaha! Let me tell you, I think I gained some weight upon my last day in Sydney!