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

Sunrise Restaurant - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

I have never heard of 'Gili' until a few months back when I was planning my trip. Gili is situated close to Lombok and I traveled with a chartered 10 minute ride speed boat trip from the local Lombok dock to Gili Air. To those that haven't hear of this island, check out this link http://www.gili-paradise.com. Basically there area 3 Gili islands; Trawangan, Meno & Air. FW and I chosed Gili Air as he has a friend that owns an establishment called 'Omah Gili'. Just for your information, Gili Air is nothing that I had seen or been before. Extremely quite and very laid back. Beautiful serene beach that is famous for snorkeling and diving. But if you are looking for parties, booze and weed for breakfast, then should definitely opt for Gili Trawangan!

My first lunch in Gili Air was at this Sunrise Restaurant (or should i say hut). I was famished and determined to have a good big solid lunch, turned out to be a good one! The cafes and restaurants in Gili Air were similar to one another. Wooden establishment on top of sandy beach with hay as the shelter. The weather there is 90% sunny and thus it make a lot of sense for the design.

Menu : Fettuccine Carbonara

Price : RP 50,000 ++
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> I am not sure whether the fact the meal was good or it was just me who was being hungry. I asked for extra spicy when I ordered the dish and damn it was spicy! The dish still look like a cream pasta but with extra cut chilies inside. Perfectly cooked pasta; al dente, and the viscosity of the cream was nailed. Thumbs up for the seasoning too. Very yummy and very much recommended.

 

Menu : Pelecing Ayam

Price : RP 45,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Pelecing Ayam is different from Ayam Taliwang, besides the taste of the chili sauce, the chicken in Pelecing Ayam is fried while the chicken in Ayam Taliwang is grilled. As for this, I love the way this piece of chicken is cooked, crispy but not overcooked. However, lack in spicy and chili. The kick is there but not to where I wanted it to take me. Instead of just chili, there is a combination of tomato and chili to make the chili base which thus made it slightly more sweet than spicy for my personal taste.

Sunrise Hotel & Restaurant

Gili Air Lombok - Indonesia

Phone : +62 (0)370 - 642370

Biba Beach Cafe - Gili Air (Lebaran'12)

Biba Beach Cafe might be the most well known restaurant in Gili Air. A few reasons I assume :

1. The only Italian eatery
2. Friendly Service
3. Bloody good food!

I might sound bias or hyperbolic on the 3rd point 'bloody good food' but it is! The owner is Italian himself, he and his wife now own the Biba establishment and resides there. There must be something right about the Gili Air island itself, so tempting that even Italian would wanna live in Gili Air itself. The Biba Beach Cafe sits directly in front of the beach and opens for lunch and dinner. However, if you want to try their famous Italian Pizza, you would have to be patient and wait till 7pm. But hey! It was worth waiting for :)

Menu : Kiss Pizza with Extra Anchovy
Price : RP 75,000
Score : 9.0 / 10

>> Thin crust pizza, generous amount of onions, mushrooms, anchovies (for the extra salty kick) with a spread bed of tomato bolognaise sauce at the bottom. Something was special about this pizza over here. It wasn't the generous topping but how it was cooked. It has that burn, smoked, wood fire grilled distinctive smell that just infused into the thin dough. Loveee it! A must try if you're there by any chance.

Menu : Bolognaise Lasagne
Price : RP 65,000
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Hmmmm...yumm!! Look, I'm not a fan of lasagne but this was good, really good. I love the bolognaise sauce spread across, inside and between all the pasta layers. The portion was alright, not to big thus suitable for an appetizer. The only issue for me was the pasta was slightly overcooked but definitely saved by the sauce :)

Menu : Tagliatelle Aglio Olio Pepperoncino
Price : RP 50,000
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> This dish was nearly a 8 pointer for me. The pasta was cooked well, the seasoning was perfect, the portion was generous too. But it was lacking the 'pepperoncino' taste. It was suppose to be strong with garlic and chili but sadly wasn't the case. Nevertheless, a satisfying dish on an average!

Menu : Salame Di Cioccolate
Price : RP 20,000
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> My first time trying on this new dessert. The name itself was difficult to pronounce and thus I'll just concentrate on the eating part :) To begin with, the look was interesting, close to the name itself 'salame' (an Italian meat sausage). This chilled chocolate dessert didn't 'wow' me but certainly a nice way to end the dinner.

Biba Beach Cafe

Gili Air, Lombok Indonesia

Phone : +6281917274648

Email : biba@bibabeach.com

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

Mad For Garlic

Where did you guys ate on last Saturday? I was touring Grand Indonesia with FW and couldn't make up our mind what to have for dinner and then a sudden outburst of 'lets have garlic aja lahhh' with a positive response coming from me landed us both here! It's been quite a while since my last visit here, might be around 10 to 12 months ago I supposed. 

A typical family restaurant I must say, with tables of kids running around and their babysitters trying to feed them while the mom and dad sit at the side eating their food. One aspect of the interior that gave an impression was actually the 'raw garlic chandelier'. Very cheesy but unique at the same time. The drop lamp is basically a  hanging round light with raw garlic cloves decorated all around. If vampires are really afraid of garlic then this eatery must definitely be clean 'vampire swept clean'.

Menu : Garlic Snowing Pizza
Price : RP 115,000 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Mad for Garlic special sweet pizza topped with shrimps and pineapple slices. 

Base on first glance, it seems to be unattractive, very one tone color no excitements coming from the usual pizza color. But I've never tasted a pizza like this one over here. It has a sweet cream sauce at the bottom, relatively mild to medium garlic smell, thin crust base (just how i like it), crunchy fried garlic generously thrown on top. Pretty unique and recommended to be try!!!

Menu : Garlicpeno Pasta

Price : RP 60,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> This is a pasta that is full of garlic and mexican pepper. It has 3 chilies written on the side of the menu, but I could barely taste the heat. I expect it to be similar with Aglio Olio but surprisingly very different, in a positive way. The pasta was well cooked and I love the bits and pieces of herbs, mexican pepper and chopped garlic at the bottom of the plate floating together with the olive oil. The crunchy fried garlic on top not only serves as a garnish but also an additional texture to the dish. A good alternative for those who like Non - Creamy pasta!

Mad For Garlic

Grand Indonesia West Mall Ground Floor 20A

Phone : 021 - 2358 1076

Nannini

                      









I had a lot of good Aglio Olios at Nannini in Plaza Indonesia but a virgin with their branch in Plaza Senayan. With that saying, their first branch was actually Plaza Senayan and the second was Plaza Indonesia. After a good twenty minutes debating on what to have, what not to have for dinner, where and where not to eat, FW and I landed ourselves here. I must say for a Thursday dinner crowd, their tables were around 90% seated but then again it's the Muslims' fasting season and when comes dinner time people swarm cafes and restaurants. The taste becomes secondary and instead to have their empty tummy filled is a primary thing! So beware of this season, crowded restaurants during peak hour may not equate to good tasting dish!

Menu : Caesar Salad with additional Salmon

Price : Rp 50,000 ++ (Additional salmon Rp 20,000++)

Score : 6.0 / 10

>> Okay, I have to admit that I screamed 'overpriceeee' for the small bowl of Caesar salad. I mean if you want to price your salad the same with your main course then please serve a main course size instead of an appetizer portion. Their portion is a fail for me but the taste is somehow satisfying. If only their portioning is correct...if only...

Menu : Roasted Chicken

Price : Rp 75,000 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> This time the portion is amazingly correct, I was disappointed with the salad's but I forgave them on this. Good size portion with steam vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side. I like the ginger garlic rub and herbs infused into the chicken. I must say it's a little bit dry on the 'breast' side but still chewable. The BBQ sauce served together was a good combination too. Tangy, sweet and sour BBQ sauce is exactly what a roasted chicken need. FW made a good choice of menu on this.

Menu : Fettucine Carbonara

Price : Rp 63,000 ++
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> From the first bite, I knew I should've stick with their Aglio Olio instead. First, let's talk about the portion; good size just enough for me. Second, seasoning; too bland for me, I added some extra salt, pepper and a ton lot of chili flakes on my plate. Third, the fillings; pretty generous and thus always a good thing. Fourth, pasta and sauce; a little bit too dry, a drizzle of olive oil at the end might be a good thing to do here. Fifth, presentation; I'm not a big fan of it. Overall, wasn't too bad, but definitely having Aglio Olio next time !

There is a promotion for BNI credit card holders, a good cut of 25% from the food only. The total bill came down to Rp 240,818 for two person, around Rp 120,000 per person.

Nannini

Plaza Senayan, 3rd Level No 317 A

Phone : 021 - 572 5411

Porter House

I did talk about the transformation that Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) had become in a short period of time. And so... the next time you're making your way down to the stretch of cafes that PIK has to offer and confuse on picking which one to check out, you might remember this post. 

Porter House is one of the busiest cafe that you'll notice. Three units of shop houses (Ruko) were combined to become a two level restaurant / cafe / hang-out place. They offer an indoor and outdoor separate place, both smoking and non-smoking areas, private rooms are available too on the second level.

Even though parking might be a slight hassle, I'm guaranteed a table every time I'm there to visit. Availability is a very important thing to me, I'm definitely a kind of person that wouldn't want to queue for an hour just to get a seat, unless the world is ending tomorrow and I must eat my last meal at a specific place, hahahaha ...

Menu : Hungarian Beef Goulash

Price : Rp 28,000 ++

Score : 7.0 / 10

>> A warm hearty and a rather good size bowl of soup. The fillings inside were generous; diced beef, bell peppers, capsicum and all the typical ingredients you expect to find in a goulash were there. I like the balance of flavor, a good kick of tomatoes to the tongue. This soup reminds me of a cross between a marinara and a bolognaise sauce. Good stuff!

Menu : Scallop de Horenzo

Price : Rp 25,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> When the dish arrived on the table, I was slightly disappointed on the size of the scallop. I expect it to be like the ones served on Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, but when I was reminded on the price tag that this rather perceived as 'expensive' seafood is a mere Rp 25,000 (for 3 pc), I shouldn't complain much. The well cooked scallop were place on a bed of buttery spinach with melted cheese and cream glazed on top.

Menu : Escargot Bourguignon

Price : Rp 55,000++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> This time, I was surprised by the amount of escargot they serve on the tin plate. I usually find restaurants serving it on a much smaller quantity and charging with a much higher price tag. I love the generous amount of garlic, buttery, olive oil sauce served on the bottom layer. They definitely should serve this with more slices of toast. One of my favourites on the menu!

Menu : Spaghetti Aglio Olio

Price : Rp 45,000++

Score : 5.0 / 10

>> If you're hungry then you shouldn't order this dish. The size was a let down! It couldn't satisfy me, let alone if you're an adult male. You probably end up ordering two main courses. For the taste, I'd say I had better ones. This was a little bland, I couldn't find the typical strong garlic and spicy taste that Aglio Olio need to offer. But don't get me wrong, it didn't taste bad or disgusting; still fit for human consumption as long you are not picky about your pasta.

Menu : Penne Carbonara

Price : Rp 47,000++

Score : 8.5 / 10

>> A very big difference in terms of taste with the 'Aglio Olio'. I'm not a big fan of creamy pastas, but the next time I'm at Port'er House, I'll order this again. This is not the typical tasting Carbonara that I've ever tasted anywhere else. A generous hand of bacon over a rather 'garlic' tasting cream sauce. I'm forgetting about Aglio Olio and changing to this instead!

Menu : Beef Mignoettes ala Pizziola

Price : Rp 55,000++

Score : 6.0 / 10

>> Size is again an issue here. The beef was very well cooked, perfectly medium just how I usually like mine. However, the fact that it is only a 3 slice beef medallion dish couldn't satisfy my hungry tummy made it a slight let down. They served it with two types of salad; a potato salad and a spinach salad on each ends. A super small portion of penne were placed on the bottom of the beef and a beef reduction glaze was poured over tying the dish together.

Menu : Oreo Thousand Layer Cake

Price : Rp 30,000++

Score : 7.0 / 10

>> I know the fact that Port'er House get their 'thousand layer cake' for a local vendor in PIK. They have two flavours; original vanilla and oreo. To be honest, I like both and doesn't mind which one to have. Be quick to order it early because they usually ran out of it before they close.

Note : First Love Patisserie in Plaza Indonesia is better than this by a mile! 

Porter House

Rukan Crown Golf Blok B No 38 Pantai Indah Kapuk
Phone : 021 - 44632017
Mon - Thu : 11 am - 12 am
Fri - Sun : 11am - 2 am