Capocaccia

Pacific Place is one mall that I seldom go, maybe once a month or at most twice. And maybe the Indonesian crowd are behaving largely like me (or the other way around) and thus explains the fact that this mall is not as busy as the others around that area. But noticing the amount of new eateries that are popping up there, I might visit there much more often. Just to name a few; Hard Rock Cafe, Potato Head, Goods Dept, upcoming Lafayette department store and of course 'Capocaccia' a new place that I had just went.

Capocaccia's menu features specialties from Italy, to be more specific; Milanese! Just a quick historical background: the first Capocaccia was opened in Monaco in 1995 followed in Florence (1996) and Geneva (2001). In 2008, the Florence chapter came to a close while a new Capocaccia restaurant was opened in Jakarta! Go figure why they chose Jakarta out of all countries, but hey, it's welcomed!

This place is suitable for any occasion, whether to dine out at the restaurant or stop by the bakery. You can treat yourself with home made pastries, have a relaxed business lunch or an informal meeting for coffee near the office.

Menu : Tomato Soup
Price : RP 35,000 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Whenever I gave a seven or above it's an obvious sign screaming 'Gooooddd Stufffff' and this surely deserve an eight! The consistency is perfect, not too viscous, not to watery. The seasoning hit a home run and pricing is definitely inexpensive for the taste! Garlic bread was well toasted and even though this standard bowl won't fill your tummy, you'll have a big grin across your face upon licking your empty bowl.

Menu : Onorina
Price : RP 75,000 ++
Score : 5.5 / 10

>> This is basically a simple sandwich stuffed with cold cut smoked salmon inside a lightly spread buttery baguette. I like smoke salmon and this sandwich is definitely has a generous fillings of it. But will I order it again? Maybe not. Don't get me wrong, it's tasty but I would prefer the Aglio Olio by a mile. And to think about it, this is suitable for those who wants a light snack as the portion is rather too small as a main course.

Menu : Aglio Olio
Price : Rp 85,000 ++
Score : 9.0 / 10

>> I thought I was in heaven for a two seconds when I had my first bite at this!!! Let's start the review! Portion is good, I was full when I had this, the amount is generous and this comes with a choice of beef, ham or chicken (included with price). Seasoning : picture perfect, the spicy of chili kicks your taste buds, amount of salt and the silkiness of the olive oil which covers the spaghetti swirling inside your mouth is heavenly good! Hear me people! Order this one and the tomato soup and you may ignore the rest of the menu. Do I sound hyperbolic? Try and let your tongue do the talking...

Menu : Alfredo
Price : RP 85,000 ++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> When you had the Aglio Olio, this definitely wasn't as good. But still good! The amount of portion, the seasoning, the generous fillings of choice beef, ham, chicken are all a thumbs up. But as a whole package, Aglio Olio triumph !! It's a matter of taste actually, to begin with, my favourite pasta is Aglio Olio and not tomato base nor cream base. Alfredo is an obvious tomato base and thus I could be biased. But it's still a seven pointer coming from a stingy marker :)

Menu : Desserts Selection
Top Left : Tiramisu  : Rp 69,000 ++  : Score 5.0 / 10
Top Right : Tartalino  : Rp 49,000 ++  : Score 6.0 / 10
Left : Panna Cotta  : RP 59,000 ++  : Score 8.0 / 10

>> Tiramisu : My least favourite and rather a disappointment. They used whipped cream instead of mascarpone cheese which might explain the consequences it had on my scoring. No rum nor coffee kick. Just plain and boring.

>> Tartalino : The chocolate ganache is alright, the short crust pastry was okay too. But it comes down to the ultimate question, will I order it again? Um...sadly no. For fifty thousand, I'd rather get a double scoop of haagen dasz ice cream.

>> Panna Cotta : This is definitely the best! The panna cotta jiggles to perfection. And the butterscotch sauce at the side oh lalaaaa !!! It makes me go gaga!! Simply goodness in a saucer! I'm not sure how much calories there is in such sauce but it made me forget about my waistline and just indulge. I will order this again for sure !!!!

Capocaccia
Pacific Place, Ground Floor #G - 51 B
Phone : 021 - 5793658

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