Le Jardin - Moovina

Jakarta and it's unstoppable growing number of hangout places! Le Jardin is the new addition tenant at Plaza Indonesia and in fact under the same management with "Ocha & Bella"; the restaurant that is situated at the Morrissey Hotel (JL. KH. Wahid Hasyim No 70, Menteng). In general 'Le Jardin' which literally means 'The Garden' has the same feel with their principal 'Ocha & Bella', dark warm lightings, indoor plants and flower pots, spacious layouts and rather similar 'food genre'. They serve Italian, western and continental food, the ever popular pasta & pizza, sandwiches, steak and other grilled meat. Well, I must be honest that I'm impressed with the place's ambiance but not so much with their quality of food. Before I was there to first hand try the food, a couple of my friends told me about their 'negative' reviews and thus below are my very own thoughts without being pre brain washed.

Menu : Diable

Price : RP 70,000 ++

Score : 5.5 / 10

>> This thin crusted pizza consist of fresh tomato, mozzarella, Italian spicy salami on a bed of tomato sauced dough. I like the texture of the thin crusted pizza and the slightly burnt edges that gave a slight smoke taste on the taste buds. The spicy salami were good but too little scattered around. However all of that were forgivable except for the fact that their mozzarella smelled strong and thus overpowered the entire dish. I couldn't get pass the cheese strong smell of it's dairy property and thus didn't settle too well with my  preference.

Menu : Jambon Cru Et Fromage De Chevre

Price : RP 75,000 ++
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> This difficult to pronounce titled menu is actually a simple dish. A sandwich with rocket salad, warm goat cheese, parma ham, sun dried tomato with deep fried potato matchsticks on the side. I love the 'matchstick fries'!! Extremely crispy, well seasoned, not too oily nor soggy and definitely a good alternative to the normal french fries or mash potato that other restaurants usually provide. The sandwich itself was mediocre. The portion was alright, the ingredients inside wasn't plenty and could benefit with an extra slab of mayonnaise or other sauce to make it more moist. I wasn't a big fan of the bread either, might be better if it was toasted.

Bottom line, I'll come back for the place itself, have coffee or enjoy their wide range of alcoholic beverages but not so much on meals. Do try it and see it for yourself.

Le Jardin ; Moovina

Plaza Indonesia, 4th Floor.

Kuppa

I had Kuppa exactly at 6pm in Plaza Indonesia. The parking was crazily super insanely crazy and I was expecting all restaurants in the mall to be full due to the Muslims breaking their fasting 'schedule', but amazingly Kuppa was half empty. I'm not sure where did all those people who parked their cars went but definitely not Kuppa.

Menu : Pineapple Fried Rice

Price : Rp 59,500++

Score : 6.0 / 10

>> Service was fast!! 6 minutes upon ordering, boom!! Pineapple fried rice is in front of me. It comes in a half sliced pineapple fruit presentation and I sincerely hope they're not going to re use the fruit for the next customer --___--. I would say it taste a little bit odd. I'm sure what was the cause, whether it's the super sweet raisins, or the nearly raw (very very crunchy) capsicum and carrots. The rice itself was pretty okay but the "accessories" just didn't settle quite right in my mouth. Just an okay dish, you might not ever try this dish and not missed a thing. Have Kuppa's tom yum fried rice instead of this one, much much better in all ways !!

Menu : Tom Yum Oxtail Soup
Price : RP 67,500 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Tom Yum Lovers out there!!! Hoollaaa!!! You gotta try this!! Piping hot, so watch out for the tongue cause you're going to finsih every single spoon you can get from this bowl. The oxtail itself was okay, not brilliant but just okay. The soup was otherwise!! It was damn good, seasonings and herbs were all in harmony. Perfect balance of chili, lemongrass, coriander and lime. What I call a good tom yum soup is the fact you can taste the 'kick' upon sipping the first spoon. Have it with a simple bowl of plain white rice and you'll be guaranteed to a revisit. If you're willing to share, this dish is enough for two person to enjoy.

Kuppa

Plaza Indonesia 3rd Floor

(Next to The Soup or Taichan)

Chandara

I decided on a Thai night of feasting and chose the Chandara in Plaza Senayan initially. Due to booking numbers and space issue, I cancelled on that branch and switched to their second branch that just opened in Plaza Indonesia. I had so much food ordered that I couldn't keep track of everything. Unfortunately I had several dishes slipped away, not having them taken picture or tasted. So a revisit is confirmed.

I would say for a busy weekend dinner time, their service were surprisingly quick. I didn't expect food to flow out of the kitchen that fast and that everything tasted pretty awesome. I wouldn't the best of everything but on a scale of one to ten base on overall experience. A good solid 7.5. Rather pricey but a splurge every now and then is definitely a must. It makes the economy goes around.

Menu : Pomelo Salad

Price : RP 55,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> I usually have the normal Thai Mango Salad or Papaya Salad, but Chandara serves additional different selection. 'Jeruk Bali' or known as 'Pomelo' became the base of this dish. Just imagine shredded pomelo bits mixed together with lime, chili, small dried shrimp. I think what was missing was the balance of sweetness. This dish has potential if only the pomelo fruit was ripe and sweet enough.

Menu : Gai Takrai

Price : RP 40,000 ++
Score : 5.5 /10

>> This is basically a fried chicken. Good flavorings, but the issue here is the chicken was too dry. A good fried chicken should still able to maintain the moisture and juiciness of the meat. This is a small portion and thus omit on this one if you're super hungry.

Menu : Olive Fried Rice

Price : RP 60,000 ++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> Even though I can't taste any olive inside, I love this dish. Good portion, great seasoning, generous fillings, has a combination of texture; crunch from the nuts, well cooked rice. I like the kick of cut red and green chili, red onions and the sourness of the lime when you catch them by surprise while chewing. 

Menu : Thai Beef Basil
Price : RP 65,000 ++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> You all might think I'm bullshi*ing but I made quite a few times of this dish back during my Melbourne Uni days and I would say mine was better than this. Not that this tasted wrong in anyway, I gave this a 7 pointer but just that mine was simply better, hahahahahaha !!!!!

Menu : Chicken Green Curry
Price : RP 65,000 ++
Score : To Be Advised

>> I am truly sorry. I took a picture of this but then realised I didn't get a bite. None of my friend said this was bad and thus I assume, an average green curry dish. Next time, I'll pay more attention and write a revisit post.

Menu : Phad Thay
Price : RP 60,000 ++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> One of my favorite dish of the night. When this plate came, I pour the entirely small bowl of sweet and sour dipping and properly mixed it with the beansprout, chili and peanuts and gave a good squeeze of lime given at the side. I end up with a yummehhh phad thay! Good portion too ^_^ PS : Chandara serves a choice of Vermicelli Phad Thay or Rice Noodle Phad Thay.

Menu : Mad Ke Yao Pad La

Price : RP 45,000 ++
Score : 2.0 / 10

>> Okay, to begin with I don't like egg plant at all and this was specially ordered by FW. Well, I did put it into my mouth and gave a quick chew and swallow it with a gulp of tea. Bottom line, an egg plant will always taste and look like an egg plant regardless how the chef would cook it in any way. After this dish, I'm still not a fan in anyway and might not ever will. I don't like mushy texture, just yucky in all way when chewing inside my mouth.

Menu : Neua Yang

Price : RP 86,000 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> My favorite beef dish in almost all Thai restaurant. A good cut of tenderized beef, perfectly grilled to well done (not chewy at all), comes with a sour and slightly smokey dipping condiment. This is not spicy at all and thus those afraid of chili will love this as they can't eat much variety in a Thai restaurant. Almost all the dish under a Thai menu involves chili in one way or another.

Menu : Poh Piah Tod

Price : RP 30,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Minced chicken mixed with vegetables wrapped inside a spring roll paper skin, then deep fried to absolute crisp. Like the crispiness but rather lacking in flavor on its own. The sweet and sour Thai Sweet Chili Sauce was a savior to this,  a good combination. Take out the dipping and the score would dropped to a 5.0 / 10.

18 pax and the bill comes down to RP 2,850,000. Around RP 160,000 for one person and remembering the amount of food and the free flow of drinks, I personally think the price tag rather make sense :)

Chandara
Plaza Indonesia 1st Floor # E.18
Phone : 021 - 299 23775

First Love Patisserie - Blueberry Flavor

I had a dinner with my friends, celebrating my 27th birthday!! Or I should say nine days post my birthday date dinner. They brought me cake and guess what!! First Love Patisseries' Thousand Layer Cake in blueberry flavor! I never had their blueberry one, well I never had any other bakeries' blueberry ones. I did tried the original and oreo but blueberry was certainly new.

Somehow I can still fit in 2 big slices of it into my super tight tummy at the end of a huge dinner. Very very satisfying but yet guilty feeling crept in and fear strikes when I thought about my weighing scale at home, hahahaha...oh well...diet can always start tomorrow :p

Bottom line with regards to the blueberry flavor; I like it ! Original flavor is less sweet than this one but a good change to what may be perceived as 'boring' flavor. Regardless of any flavor, I should say that till date "First Love Patisserie" serves the best thousand layer cake!  

PS : I'm not paid to advertise nor free cakes were sponsored to me, but certainly welcome :)

First Love Patisserie

Plaza Indonesia Level 3 #E 01 - i

Phone : 021 - 3623 2828 (call / sms)

Mobile : 0818 08843 888

Blackberry Pin : 22687290

Kitchenette

Before I start this post, I'll have to inform you guys that my brain was scattered around and thus a lot of the basic details that I usually provide are missing. Forgive me for that :p

I was busy chatting, replying my work emails, eating, tasting and drinking (not forgetting I left the table early for a friend's birthday dinner). Therefore, do pardon me :p Other than that, please read and feed your eyes :)

Menu : Spaghetti Aglio Olio

Price : To be advised

Score : 3.0 / 10

>> The reason  why I gave this a score of 3 wasn't the fact that it taste bad but the fact this doesn't taste like Aglio Olio AT ALL. We, J-towners eats a lot of fusion food but this dish is 'fusionized' soooo much that it actually taste like a good 'mie goreng' instead of aglio olio. I kid you not ! 

Look at the picture and you'll realized that Aglio Olio doesn't have tomatoes in them. In here, there are some chunky ones. This taste sweet as if a good dollop of sweet soy (kecap manis) is added into. So, dear Kitchenette; please fix on this menu. I really think you serve relatively some good food for a shopping mall standard but if I wanted a bowl of Aglio Olio I'll never ever order it from you again. * Unless you write me an email informing me that you have switch recipe :) hahahaha

Menu : Beef Burger Steak with eggs on rice
Price : To be advise
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Yummmehh !!!! Reminds me of college food I had in Chinatown back in the old days when I was still in Melbourne. A piece of meat, additional fried egg resting on a mountain of steam rice with some funky gravy all around. This taste 'homey' but better in many level. To begin with, the rice portion is BIG and thus if a female is having it, either you literally have a big stomach (just like me hahaha) or you just get out of the female prison, if not then you better share with another friend rather than wasting it. This definitely taste fusion but correct in all the taste department :)

Menu : Marie - Lou

Price : RP 55,000 ++

Score : 7.0 / 10

>> This is basically a sweet crepe. Whole baked banana, a good dollop of nuttela, a little bit of whipped cream on the side, grated cheese & a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Lastly, drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce to finish off. This screams "CALORIIIIIEESSSS" in so many level, especially after having half Aglio Olio and half portion of the Beef steak on rice. But my mouth is just too itchy, it can't stop until I have dessert to wash my main course off. Nevertheless, satisfying and a happy tummy is a happy me !!!!

Kitchenette

Plaza Indonesia Extension 1st Floor

(Across Baron Bistro or Louis Vuitton)

Phone : 021 - 2992 3580

First Love Patisserie - Original Flavor

Thursday, 19th July 2012 was my birthday and to those who didn't know it, shame on you !!! hahaha, oh well anyways, I received a cake from my dear friend S.M. Sound weird enough, I was thinking about this particular cake during lunch time and when I got back from work, thaaa da!!! S.M sent it to me :'), very very lucky girl indeed. 

First love patisserie concentrates on making only one type of cake; 'Hokkaido Thousand Layer Cake'. They claimed to sent their chef to Japan and uses imported natural ingredients (they use natural vanilla beans which cost 20 times more than vanilla essence). Each thousand layer cakes are made fresh without preservatives and can be stored up to 3 days only. If you freeze it, it'll last up to 7 days and put it at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating it.

Menu : Original Thousand Layer Cake

Price : Rp 280,000 for 20cm or Rp 320,000 for 24cm

Score : 9.0 / 10

>> My favourite thousand layer cake. First Love Patisserie only sells whole cake, if you want to have it per slice, you'll have to visit Kitchenette (Plaza Indonesia) or Social House (Grand Indonesia). Besides original flavor, they have : Oreo, Green Tea and Coffee (Rp 295,000 for 20 cm & Rp 360,000 for 24 cm). Remember to order 2 days in advance to ensure availability. Emergency orders will subject to cake availability.

First Love Patisserie

Plaza Indonesia Level 3 #E 01 - i

Phone : 021 - 3623 2828 (call / sms)

Mobile : 0818 08843 888

Blackberry Pin : 22687290

Kihana

Last Saturday, I went out to Plaza Indonesia (again haha :p) and had Japanese for dinner.  I'll never thought of 'Kihana' if weren't for my friends who brought up the suggestion. We nearly didn't have our food there because they were 10 of us and the only big table to fit all us has a minimum charge of Rp 2 million (dua juta). I thought to myself the restaurant's rule was quite stupid; the place wasn't packed at all and yet put a minimal charge for that 'special table'. Anyways in the end we stayed and split into 2 tables. Luckily, the food was not shitty (not crazily good either) and the service was alright. Thus, I forgave 'that rule'.

Menu  : Tom and Jerry
Price : Rp 73,000++
Score : 7.5 / 10

» Tom and Jerry is definitely the recommended sushi dish by the restaurant and didn't let me down! Even though the fillings were pretty much standard; Unagi eel, cucumber, seaweed, salmon roe, I felt the spicy mayonnaise generously sauced on top really brought the dish alive!

Menu  : D.I.G Roll
Price : Rp 73,000++
Score : 6.0 / 10

» The fillings were standard, the sauce was standard mayonnaise, the garnishes were standard! Basically just a standard tasting sushi roll. This didn't taste awful but even though the presentation was very similar to 'Tom & Jerry', the taste surely lost when compared.

Menu : Gindara Teriyaki
Price : Rp 100,000++
Score : 5.8 / 10

» The fish was slightly too mushy for me. I'm not sure whether it's because of the fish itself or it wasn't well cooked. The teriyaki sauce was okay, wasn't digusting but didn't blew me either. Nevertheless, for the quite pricey price tag, I felt the portion was slightly too small and didn't even include in the steam rice.

Menu : Gindara Teriyaki
Price : Rp 100,000++
Score : 5.8 / 10

» The fish was slightly too mushy for me. I'm not sure whether it's because of the fish itself or it wasn't well cooked. The teriyaki sauce was okay, wasn't disgusting but didn't blew me either. Nevertheless, for the quite pricey price tag, I felt the portion was slightly too small and didn't even include in the steam rice.

Below are some dishes that my friend ordered but I didn't get a chance to taste it. The price was not noted by me either. I'm sorry for the lack of info. Nevertheless, you still get to 'feed your eyes'. Enjoy !!

Beef Teriyaki

Yellow Tail Sashimi

Tori Katsu Curry Don

KIHANA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
PLAZA INDONESIA GROUND FLOOR MAIN LOBBY (ACROSS STARBUCKS)

Bakerz'in

While waiting to catch a movie at EX Plaza Indonesia, we decided to have an afternoon snack. We wanted to just shop around but couldn't resist to have food coming down the throat (bearing in mind that we're gonna have a dinner buffet at Shangrila Hotel "SATOO".) However, admitting that I have zero tolerance towards hunger, we sat down and ate lightly at Bakerz'in. It has been quite a while since my last visit here and was pleased to find they have 'Christmas Meal'!!

Menu : Mushroom Soup
Price : Rp 30,000++
Score : 6.5 / 10

» A creamy blend of shitake, button and abalone mushrooms! I usually have mushroom soup that were so watery, more like 'juice' like. Bakerz'in offers sometime different, there are chunks of small diced and minced mushrooms. I can smell the garlic buttery taste too, however I think if the chef would have put more garlic and butter into this; it'll definitely scored more points !

Menu : Frutilicious
Price : Rp 55,000++
Score : 5.5 / 10

» I chose this 'Christmas Desert' they offered in the menu; raspberry, mango passion and lychee sorbet on top of peach mojinto jelly garnished with seasonal fresh fruits and assorted mini macaroons! The raspberry sorbet is very good, not so much credit for mango and the lychee though. The mojinto jelly was pretty okay but didn't won me over. I love the macaroons though, I rarely eat macaroons and actually surprised me that it tasted quite good! But the presentation of this christmas desert VERY much aced it ! Sooo beautiful isn't it?

I was so tempted of their main dishes, if I wasn't going to have a buffet dinner later at night, I'll definitely order some food! In addition, I wanted to bring home their menu, very colorful, a lot of pictures, nicely printed and love the fact they have explanations to every dish (thus, you don't need to ask the waiter what is in the food). Even though, their pricing was slightly expensive, I like this place because they have ever changing desert (so you won't get bored), they have limited time festive food, rarely full house (no queue hooray!!) and also comfy sofa seats.

BAKERZ'IN

Address : Plaza Indonesia, Basement Floor

Phone : 021 - 314 1979