Lin Artisan Ice Cream

I don't normally talk about dessert in particular. Well yes as apart of a complete dinner or lunch, but not a review on itself. But I wanna mention about this particular place ; 'Lin'. Food gastronomy is a common term in the States, Europe or even Singapore but Jakarta is always two steps behind. Finally, someone actually introduced liquid nitrogen ice cream to here! It's situated in Kemang which was exactly the right place to introduce this product. I supposed that the target market that visits Kemang somehow are a bunch of more open minded people. Liquid Nitrogen and ice cream? Hell yeah !!

If you love ice cream, then there is nothing like making your own. But the problem is, it is too long to freeze and some things just don't like to freeze. So now, there's a process using liquid nitrogen to freeze everything up in an instant. As you all know Nitrogen is 78% of the volume of the atmosphere and the boiling point of -185 Degree Celsius (wikipedia). In plain simple English, it is cold.

Well that's the chemistry lesson. Next is the 'cooking' part. Choose your flavor from the menu Lin provide (quite a variety of them) and their 'scientist' will mix all the sugar, milk, cream, fruit, chocolate, liquor (if you like) into the mixing bowl. When the sugar has dissolved into the solution, the liquid nitrogen would be poured into the mixing bowl slowly until completely frozen. The damage time would only cost 10 minutes!

Rum & Raisin With Alcohol  :  RP 69,000  ( Score : 6.75 / 10 )

Strawberry & Cheese  :  RP 39,000  ( Score 8.0 / 10 )

And so, how does liquid nitrogen ice cream actually taste?? Well, I must say it was your average ice cream with a twist. Meaning there is this sensation at the end of your tongue. It's a feeling that 'sting' but not in a painful or awful way, but more to a 'numb' feeling. I suppose it was due to the nature of liquid nitrogen itself, it is an insanely cold solution to begin with and thus able to cut so much time in the process of 'freezing'. It's little bit like having a dry ice swirl on you tongue for a little while, pretty much the same numbing sensation. As for the portion, it's big. More than enough for one person. If you're not much of a share food person, you'll still be able to finish one by yourself.

I had the strawberry and cheese and liked it. I can taste the freshness of the strawberry fruit bits and the cheese was subtle. It didn't overthrow the entire dessert. As for the sugar level, it was the right amount. As for the rum & raisin with alcohol, I thought it was slightly plain. I can't taste much of the alcohol but well obviously it must have evaporated during the 'freezing' process. But the rum and raisin flavor didn't came up to my senses either. But on a whole, it still taste pretty good.

Bottom line, I love the idea of having fresh ingredient ice cream without too much food additives to prolong their shelf life. This idea is encouraging fresh eating in a way. The product Lin made not only broadens the Jakartan's community by introducing cooking with chemistry but most importantly made a good tasting ice cream with that process. And thus a conclusion that yes I'll come back again to the parlor.

Lin Artisan Ice Cream
Jl. Taman Kemang 1 No 6. Jakarta Selatan (Below Umbra, Across Parc 19)
Phone : +62 21 71794393

Spanky's Ribs

A friend recommended this 'Ribs' restaurant, saying it's better than all those Outback, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe and even Tony Roma's ribs !! And of course being a food enthusiast myself, I wanted to taste it for myself. Spanky's Ribs is situated in the Kemang area, Jakarta Selatan. Not too difficult to locate, it's around 200 meters after Mc'Donald. Hence, just keep on staring onto your right after you drove past Mc'Donald. It's in fact the new tenant of 'Nu China' if you're familiar with the area. Nevertheless, the restaurant was rather quite, only a few tables were occupied (bearing in mind it was 8pm on a Saturday night), but then again, it was raining so I guess couldn't judge too much from the crowd. Ambiance was alright, it was decent although it gave a feeling of a 'diner' instead of a steak or ribs' house. I'm not going to judge too much on the decor but instead 'yap' away on the food ......

Menu : Pile 'O' Onion Rings
Price : Rp 49,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> What can ever go wrong with fried onion rings? Almost nothing right. But to make it spectacularly good...hmmm that's another story. The one served here was alright, a 6.5 over 10 from me. The onions were crispy all good and the additional home made 'sambal mayonnaise' was a great combination. The way it was served was similar to the one in Tony Roma's too. Piled on top another with all the wonderful bits of burnt parts distributed over. Well, a good starter but didn't blew me away.

Menu : Baby Back Pork Ribs
Price : Rp 315,000 ++ (Full Slab)
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> I sort of get it why my friend highly recommended this place. The pork ribs itself was a perfection! Very very succulent, the meat just slides off the bone. It didn't need too much effort in biting off the meat from the rib bone. On top of that, they managed to keep all the juices intact inside the baby back ribs. 

Whether it is better than Tony Romas? Hmm..I would say on the same caliber! But what was special about it was more on the sauces. We're given 2 choices of sauces that is served aside; Tangy Mango Chili, Spicy Alabama & Indonesian BBQ. The best one was the Tangy Mango Chili and that simple sauce might help hit the home run for this menu!

Menu : Chicken Wings
Price : Rp 45,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> For this menu, there is a choice of 'spicy buffalo' or 'honey bbq' and served with blue cheese on the side. We opted for the 'spicy buffalo' and another tasty dish. A 6.5 over 10 for me is like saying 'Well done, but a lot of other people can do just as good. Room of improvement!' hahahaha. The chicken wings were cooked well, crispy and moist on the inside. The spicy sauce were glazed evenly and the blue cheese were a good combination. Who thought of blue cheese with fried chicken right !!?? But again as I said, needed that extra kick somewhere.

Menu : Pulled Pork Quesadilla
Price : Rp 65,000 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Hmmm yumm! I love quesadilla and I mean who don't?? Warm, thin, crispy pita bread with pulled smoked pork in between. Have a good dollop of salsa and guacamole on top and pop it into your mouth. Hmmm...yumm!! The pita bread was well done and the guacamole was heavenly. It was obviously freshly made in the kitchen and couldn't stop asking for more. The salsa was alright, fresh but rather mediocre. And they could definitely improved more with the amount of fillings inside. The delicious taste of the guacamole overthrow the taste of the meat. But overall it is still a good dish for my taste.

Menu : Key Lime Pie
Price : Rp 42,000 ++
Score : 9.0 / 10

>> I was full as hell but was sooooo glad that I decided on the dessert. This is the best key lime pie I had ever taste in Indonesia. The sourness of the lime and the combination of the cream cheese with the perfect amount of sugar was heavenly! Well, I must say if you're not a fan of sour food then don't go for this one, have a chocolate cake instead but if you like it then, you'll love this! I finished every bit of the slice and licked my fork glistening clean. That was how good it was. Delish dessert !! Bravo !

Spanky's Ribs
Jl. Kemang Raya No 24 A, Jakarta Selatan 12730
Phone : 021 - 7182876

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

La Creperie

A new addition in Pantai Indah Kapuk! La Creperie is situated along the stretch of Ikkudo Ichi Ramen and in fact only a difference of only 2 or 3 stores from Ikkudo. Therefore, easy to locate. The concept of this restaurant is somehow fresh and unique amongst the densely populated store opened in the area. La Creperie basically sells crepes in both savory and sweet. 

The price ranges somewhat in the fifty thousand Rupiah and above (Rp 50K >). I personally don't mind forking sixty thousand for a plate of savory crepes but what concerns me is the fact that it's not tummy fulling. I need an additional sweet crepe to satisfy my mouth. I'm not sure whether I'm just a pig but I'm just a girl trying to speak out hahaha. Therefore bottom line; pretty well done concept in PIK area, sells only crepe base food both in savory and sweet, casually sailor theme decor and remind me of a slightly cheaper version of Kitchenette in Plaza Indonesia.

Menu : L' Eckmuhl
Price : Rp 53,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> This is a savoury crepe made with gluten free buckwheat flour. On top of this thin crepe, there's french camembert cheese, bacon, potatoes, onions and served with a small portion of fresh salad at the side. The fillings were moderately generous and well seasoned. What I love best about this dish is the fact that the crepe is not thick, nor taste of raw flour. It's thin and has a plain taste that goes well with any toppings you choose as your dish. Overall, it's didn't 'wow' me, but suitable as a light lunch or brunch.

Menu : La Piano
Price : Rp 48,000 ++
Score : 6.75 / 10

>> This crepe is also made with gluten free buckwheat flour; basically an exact base with L' Eckmuhl. But instead the fillings are; smoked salmon, spinach, cream and top with half cooked egg that oozes when pierced with your fork. Again, it didn't 'wow' me as previous but well done in terms of overall specifications. *Sounds like a engine or a machine, hahahaha*. What gave this an extra 0.25 point above L' Eckmuhl is the smoked salmon itself. Pretty generous and combines harmoniously with the egg, spinach and cream. Keep it up ^_^ v.

Menu : La' Defi
Price : Rp 38,000 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> My favorite among the 3 crepe that I ordered. On top of the thinly grilled crepe, there's sauteed caramelized banana, homemade salted caramel with chocolate ice cream. The salted caramel is the star of the dish, not only it is yummy, it's balanced with the sugar and the salt level. It ties up the dish together and will definitely have this again the next time I'm here. Yumm!!

La Creperie
Pantai Indah Kapuk 
(Next to Ikkudo Ichi Ramen)

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.

The Belly Clan

It's my good friend BABY SHOWER!! And with that, we all agreed to have it at one of the newest addition eatery in J-Town. The place is called 'The Belly Clan' and I simply love the name. It has a good rhyme, easy to remember, associated to good fatty food (which I love) and somehow the 'clan' makes it an exclusive feel if you get to eat there. Nevertheless, 'The Belly Clan' was made by a group of young ex Melbourne students (wooohoooo...they're my friends!!) who went out on faith and passion in joining the vicious restaurant industry here in Central Jakarta. Look guys, I knew I mentioned they're my friends but I'm still gonna stay true to my tongue and blog it in my honest opinion. Therefore, don't worry, I'm not gonna be biased as I'm pretty sure you'll agree with me when you read and then try on the dishes.

Menu : Ox Tongue with Garlic Rice
Price : RP 65,000 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> To be honest, I was surprised by the portion, it was rather too small even for a female stomach. But as you dig into it, you'll enjoy the dish so much that it's all forgiven. This sweeps me back to Melbourne days where I used to gorge down bowls and bowls of 'Gyu Tan Don'. The ox tongue here were sliced thinly and cooked to perfection, with additional garlic butter rice on the bottom made this dish from a seven pointer to an eight! This is not only fragrant but keeps wanting you order a second bowl of the exact menu !!

Menu : Spaghetti Thai Pesto with Prawns
Price : Rp 75,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> The portion was again an issue for me here. As for taste, I would say this dish was rather alright for me. The pasta were cooked al - dente, the prawns were perfect, the fried battered quail eggs were good too. What it was lacking was in the seasoning of the pesto sauce itself. I would love this better if the basil were more fragrant and has a touch more kick of salt would do more justice than hurt the palate. I definitely think this has a lot of potential. Worth a try though!

Menu : Bread & Butterscotch Pudding
Price : RP 35,000 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Dessert time !!! It was a recommendation and it was not a disappointment. The texture was spot on for me. The thing for bread and butter pudding is that if the bread were too soggy and mush, it'll be like eating baby food which is disgusting. If the bread wasn't soft enough, then it's not right either. The Belly Clan nail this dessert !!! Not only the balance of sugar was achieved, the custard content within the bread were consistent, wasn't to soggy or dry. The pecan and caramel sauce were a perfect compliment and the additional scoop of vanilla ice cream just highlight the dish even more. You must try this !!!!

The Belly Clan
Intiland Tower Lobby,
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav 32 Jakarta Pusat 10220
Phone : 021 - 5790 6000

Champs Patisserie

Menu : Champs' Strawberry Thousand Layer Cake
Price : RP 26,000
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> I was a little bit reluctant to buy this cake but end up buying just because I had this itch for having something to bring home for my mom. Anyways, they provided me with testers and bought 4 slices; strawberry, cheese, chocolate & oreo. I only got the chance to eat this one slice as my mom finishes the rest of the flavors.

A very pleasant surprise upon the first spoon. The stacked crepes wasn't as tall as 'First Love Patisserie's" but taste wise was pretty damn good. Maybe I was desperately irking for something sweet but I was aware of the aspect in the cake. 

- Sweetness level : checked

- Strawberry Taste : checked

- Thin Crepes : checked

- Smooth Butter Cream : checked

- Leaving Me Wanting For More : checked too !

Champs Patisserie

Emporium Pluit Mall 4th Floor (Booth Stand exactly across KFC)