De Pluit

De Pluit is your normal around your neighborhood kind of restaurant. They serves a good variety of Chinese food, with a slight fusion mixture of Indonesian. Ambiance was reasonable, with air conditioning and sofa seats all over the 2 storey building. I wouldn't say this is a brilliant place and that you must try this, but it's decent for late night snack or a quick bite..

The pricing of the the menu were all reasonably priced with a decent portion. The additional free wi-fi service was a bonus point. But is it enough for me to go back for a second trip? Hmm ... read my reviews below and see how it goes ...

Menu : Siu May (Left)   /   Hakkau (Right)
Price : Rp 11,000 ++ per portion
Score : Siu May 5.0 / 10   &    Hakkau 5.25 / 10

>> Well, a disappointment but didn't expect much from the very beginning. It's a pass and thus edible and not a total junk. But it's for sure wasn't freshly made on the spot. It is most likely pre bought in frozen form. Whenever anyone order, they'll just steam it up quickly and served. The texture that gives a feeling of 'frozen food' is there upon the first bite. But then again, you can't complain too much for Rp 11,00 per portion.

Menu : Char Siu Panggang
Price : Rp 38,000 ++
Score : 5.8  /  10

>> This was not too bad, a 5.8 coming from a stingy person that doesn't give away points for food too easily. The portion was alright, standard for the pricing. I like the sauce that the roast pork is nestling on. Rather too oily but the taste was okay as a matter of fact. If I may complain, the thickness of the Char Siu was too thinly sliced. A little less slices but more thick cuts would be better for me.  Thus I won't recommend it to anyone.

Menu : Nasi Goreng Ikan Asin

Price : Rp 28,000 ++
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> Portion was a surprise for me. A good portion for a fried rice with a tag of Rp 28,000. Wasn't humongous but a good filling to my big tummy indeed. The taste of the seasoning wasn't half bad either. When eating with Char Siu (Above) and Babi Kuluyuk (Below), I should've eaten with white rice instead. Because the salted fish in this rice made it over salty. But as a single dish on it's own, was okay.

Menu : Babi Kuluyuk

Price : Rp 40,000 ++

Score : 6.5 / 10

>> When translated to English it simply means 'Sweet and Sour Pork' and the taste mirror the title of the dish. Sweet from the tomato paste, sour from the pineapple juice. This might be better dishes among the others in the menu. Size of the portion was enough for 2 to 3 person and reasonable priced too. Taste was somehow alright, a decent 6.25 from me. 

Coming down to the conclusion of will I come back for a second trip .... .... ..... ?

Maybe not ... I'd rather spend my money on Bakmi Pejagalan (Review post date : 22 May 2013). Hahahaha !

De Pluit 

Jl. Pluit Karang Blok Z6 Selatan No 13. Jakarta Utara 14450

Phone : 021 - 66672348

Bakmi Pejagalan

This is the noodle stall that I mention on my post dated (16 May 2013), my favorite noodle of all time! And I personally feel this is the best among the tens and tens of people selling noodles in the crowded area of Pluit & Muara Karang. This place is situated just next to Fong Tu or if you don't know the location in Pluit, get to 'Kwetiau Singapore' and ask around with the guards in that area. It's almost impossible if they don't know it.

The place is decent, with air - con and quite spacious for a noodle stall. It's 'better looking' than your food stall in the Muara Karang area. But never mind the ambiance when you're dining in this area, the food talks and your taste buds don't lie !

Menu : Bakmi Pejagalan, Babi Jamur, Sui Kiauw
Price : Rp 34,500
Score : 9.0 / 10

>> I wanted to dance upon my first slurp. It is that delicious and yes! This is by far the best tasting noodle in Pluir & Muara Karang area. So many things to brag about this and I'm not paid to say all these ;

- Size of noodle : Thin, slightly curled and Perfect
- Pork : Seasoning is Perfect
- Size : Fulfilling to the stomach and Perfect
- Dumplings : Seasoning is Perfect, Thickness of the dumpling skin were Perfect too
- Overall taste : almost too good !!

Notice how each factor ends with a 'perfect' and that is the reason that this earns a nine pointer. There's just something special with the dumplings and the seasoning of the noodle. It wasn't too oily at all. The oil merely glisten and cover lightly across every strand of noodle. Curious? Do try and witness it for yourself!

Menu : Bakso Goreng
Price : Rp 6, 500 / Piece
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> Arrrghhh !!!! Goodness gracious! It's goooodddd!! What I love about this is the fact, the sliced the pork meat ball and then fry it again. Usually, the fried the entire meat ball and then sliced it thus leaving the inside of the meat slightly gooey and chewy. This is definitely different and much much better in all aspect. The price was reasonable too. RP 6,500 per piece and you get half the amount from the picture on the left (Photo show 2 pieces).

Will I come back over and over and over again to this eatery? It's a definite yes and you should be doing the same thing too!


Bakmi Pejagalan
Pluit Barat 1 No 7 Jakarta Utara 14450
Phone : 021 - 6602677

Bakmi Khek

Bakmi Khek when translated to English means 'Hakka Noodle'. I'm a Hakka and it just feels right whenever I ate this. It might be the silent brain washing, taste adjuster that my parents and grandparents had instilled in my taste buds. But Hakka food just has a soft spot in my tummy. Remembering my childhood, my grandmother always cooks Hakka dishes and I thought Hakka was only the type of variety in Chinese dishes. When I grow up, I became more 'smarter' of course, but Hakka cuisine still is my old time favorite dish.

Menu : Bakmi Khek Special

Price : Rp 22,000 (Small Portion)

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> The difference between Special and Regular is the amount of meat. Regular is a choice of pork of chicken, while you get both meat the pork and chicken in the special. And the price of a large portion is an additional Rp 10,000 on top of the small one.

They hand made all of the noodles and the claimed to used a secret sauce that has been in their family since 1969, brought down generations to generations. How true? I don't know. But I'm sure of the fact that this food stall had been 'forever' in Muara Karang; since I was a child and with regards to the taste. It's goooood! The texture has that springy feeling and the amount of the sauce isn't over salty. The additional meat gives it an additional kick to the entire dish.

Menu : Sui Kiaw

Price : Rp 20,000 (5 pcs)

Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Thickness of the skin is good. Not too thick at all. What was a slight let down for me was the seasoning of the broth and the fillings.

The soup was a slight bland, maybe this was a purpose as eaters usually adds their own special mix of sauces and condiments such as soy sauce, chili and pepper.  Not a big deal though.

The amount of the fillings were generous. They used pork and vegetables as usual. A good size and was quite filling to the tummy if you had 10 pieces of this. But again a small issue with the seasoning. A little more sprinkle of salt might made of the big changes to this dish. But overall a solid meal and you should definitely pay here a visit!

I will be doing a post on another Noodle stall in Pluit area which I think is better and deserves a 9 out of 10. Curious? Stay tune and hooked on noodles ^_^

Bakmi Khek

Muara Karang B7 Utara No 115 (Pusat)

Phone : 021 - 6680048 / 6604328

Cabang Kelapa Gading                            Cabang Taman Palem Lestari

Boulevard raya Blok WB No 2                 Taman Palem Lestari AA2 No 3 Cengkareng Jkt Barat

Phone : 021 - 97960704 / 4508906        Phone : 021 - 80739935

Tabona

From the head sign it's pretty obvious about the menu that Tabona has to offer. The menu only consist of 'Rice & Thin Vermicelli with Chicken & Beef Curry'. Their menu is very simple, straight to point, no mucking around with fancy menu books, nor fancy menu titles. But their cooking were serious! They're really good with their house name curry. I got to the place on a Sunday at slightly off peak lunch hours; somewhere around 2 pm and the crowd was still buzzing in and out. A very very simple establishment, nothing glamorous, your typical food stalls in Pluit area that serves good Medan food.

Menu : Rice with Beef Curry
Price : RP 33,000
Score : 8.5 / 10

>>  I brought FW to this place and he claimed that this might be one of the best food Muara Karang & Pluit has to offer. As I had mentioned before, this place only serves gooooood curry. The consistency wasn't too thick, thus even with the coconut milk and all the pungent spices and herbs inside the broth, you won't feel sick after having this. I have to mention the smart move taken by the owner to serve the rice is a smaller portion than usual. This actually helps in leaving your tummy less bloated after all the magical broth you had just consumed.

Both the beef and the chicken meat was just as good. Not too tough, well cooked and it merely acts as an 'accessory' in comparison to the broth. The broth is the bomb !

Tabona 
Jl. Pluit Sakti Raya No. 65
Phone : 021 - 6691559 / 6621956

Guo Tie - San Tung

It's been a quiet April month for TryThisMenu, not so much reviews been posted on here. I've been really busy with work (due to all the Tax month thingy : SPT, PPh 29, bla bla bla) but that doesn't mean I've not been eating. To think about it, I've been eating just as much or not, more than usual. This May, there will be more reviews on 'Street Food'. It will be a compilation of road side food ('Kaki Lima') and more simple 'local food'. You know, your well known food stalls in Muara Karang & Pluit area. Begin reading and get ready to salivate !!

Menu : Guo Tie San Tung
Price : Rp 3.500 Per Piece
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Who don't know the well known name 'San Tung'. The very first branch is in Central, Kota area in Jakarta. This brand is very much a big part of my childhood memory and it never fails to bring a smile whenever I came back and pop some in my mouth. 

Thickness of skin is neither too thin, nor too thick. The amount of pork fillings with vegetables was just perfect. The pork meat wasn't over oily at all. With additional condiments such as ; garlic, chili, soy sauce and sesame oil, you'll soon be having at least 20 pieces all to yourself. I had this beauties in the Muara Karang branch, even though it's still good, I definitely think the one in Kota branch is way better !

Menu : Tahu Kecap

Price : Rp 10,000  per piece

Score : 6.0 / 10

>> A simple dish that usually goes together with Guo Tie dishes. They usually sells this as 'Sek Ba'. A big pot that includes Pig's organ such as intestines, blood cubes, trotter, etc, cooked together with hard boil eggs and tofu in a heavy dense soy sauce mixture.

It taste a little bit sweet with a hint of 'herbal' sense. Difficult to explain but has that Chinese herbs smell that is quite soothing to the palate. This dish is common among Chinese tables and even though I had better than San Tung had to offer, it's not bad at all. Mountains of Guo Tie with slices of Tahu Kecap is definitely the 'must eat' menu over here!!

 

Guo Tie San Tung

Cabang Muara Karang ; 

- Along the stretch of eateries across Eaten Restaurant. 

Pyong Yang Restaurant

 

This rare gem is pretty interesting! I've heard about a North Korean Restaurant in Jakarta but didn't actually know exactly where it was. As a matter of fact, when I googled it up it's just a 5 minutes drive from Gandaria City Mall. Upon reaching the restaurant, you'll be greeted by pearl white skin beauties! I was actually fixated looking at the waitresses. They're all native North Koreans, well in fact in fact; the waitresses, along with the cooks, came down here all the way from Pyongyang around four years ago, around the time this restaurant was first opened. They had been students in a hospitality academy in their country, one of them told us.

I wouldn't praise too much about the decor, just pretty much standard but the ladies were an attraction! Beware of language barrier, makes it difficult to communicate or asking questions. The menu had pictures for every title thus making it easier for the local Indonesians to understand.

One of the biggest attractions of Pyong yang Restaurant is the fact that the servers are all stunning North Korean ladies in their traditional custom dress, Hanbok with impeccable service and extremely attentive towards the preparation and serving of the food. I must admit that those ladies are multi talented, wearing their traditional costumes and flocking around the place serving customers. Every Friday and on the weekends at 8 pm sharp there is also a group song performance by the North Korean ladies that makes Pyong Yang surely a astoundingly enjoyable dining experience. 

Menu : Pyongyang Cold Noodle 

Price : Rp 55,000 ++

Score : 5.5 / 10

>> This cold noodle is definitely different from the normal cold soba noodle you had in your favourite Japanese restaurant. Even though I didn't quite like this, my friend loves it! The texture, the flavor and even the viscosity is unique! A distinctive delicacy of the city of Pyongyang is naengmyon (cold buckwheat noodle). Here it was served in rich, icy broth with a smattering of julienned vegetables and boiled egg. It tasted a bit vinegary but the coldness was perfectly refreshing, with its noodles supplying a smooth sensation to the mouth. 

To be honest, I'm more of a ramen girl than a cold buckwheat noodle. It didn't settle too well with my taste buds but definitely do try this when you're here. It's one of the 'must try' dishes.

Menu : Meat Dumpling Soup

Price : Rp 68,000 ++

Score : 6.5 / 10

>> Dumplings! I loove dumplings! Well I had better ones than this but it's a 6.5 pointer from me. It's pretty good actually, the skin was quite thin, the fillings were full and the seasonings were balanced. 

The broth was good, i love the calm warm feeling that I tasted. It wasn't overpowered with spices or anything. Plain good brewed pork soup! Delicious and worth your try!

Menu : Roast Pork

Price : Rp 150,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Yummmmmm !! I likee this and thus you gotta love this too !! Sliced grilled pork with soy sauce poured on top. The meat had a good thickness, thus with the hot sauce, the meat didn't overcooked or get soggy. It maintained the texture and the flavour was definitely gooood.

I wasn't sure what kind of sauce they use, black sauce for sure is used and of course the traditional garlic, onions, pepper. But nothing similar with those dishes I tasted in South Korean restaurants in Indonesia. When you come here, you gotta have this!!

Pyong yang Restaurant

Jl. Gandaria 1 No 58, Kebayoran Baru Jakarta Selatan 

Phone : 021 - 72800889

Fook Yew

Fook Yew !! Yes I said it and I wanna repeat myself again 'Fook Yew!!'...sounds vulgar? Different spelling, same pronunciation but isn't that is one good attention grabbing marketing gimmick ?! Fook Yew is another restaurant created by the Ismaya Group people. Love the concept, it gave a very unique and a rather new type of fusion food. It's a cross between Shanghai and Java I suppose. Besides the very catchy name, I like the interior of the place; red represents the Prosperity color and the every other details that the place offer just builds on it. A solid concept from the menu, to the posters, napkins and even the modernized traditional song they play! Attention to detail is what I'm amazed.

Menu : Shanghai Pan Fried Bun (Chicken & Chili Crab)
Price : Rp 29,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> The appearance was drooling for me and the texture of the skin covering the meat inside was thin and crispy at the bottom. Not too dry, not too doughy. Just the right thickness to bit and chew on. The portion of the filling was good too. Not to stingy and each was made in equal size. But the small issue was at the texture of the meat, too soft and thus giving a false feeling of 'uncooked'. But other than that, the seasonings and everything else was delicious!

Menu : Ni Chang Sweet & Sour Crispy Chicken

Price : Rp 52,000 ++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> The outer layer of crispy texture was perfection to me! Wasn't soggy nor too hard but the crunchiness was almost to good. But with that comes the issue of being the chicken meat was mallet too thinly. FW lovess this and has no issue with the thin chicken meat but I'd love it to be a little bit thicker. Thus instead of the crunchy fried outer layer, I can enjoy the plumpness of the chicken meat. But worth the order? I'd give a green light :)

Menu : Spicy Beef Fried Rice

Price : Rp 45,000 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Goodness!! I could feel the spiciness kicking dancing around my taste buds and love that sensation. I'm a big fan of chili and glad the chef was daring with the chili seeds! Hahaha...well I can't say too much with the portion, too little for my fat tummy and the fillings of the beef was almost invisible. But I would order this again I think. The seasoning of the dish was just right on my taste buds.

Menu : Deep Fried Beancurd with Uncle Zheng Sauce

Price : Rp 36,000 ++
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> My favourite dish of the day! The texture of the deep fried bean curd was just tooo yummy. It was crispy and still soft on the inside. I wonder what kind of flour they use to coat the bean curd skin. The sauce of the side was very complementing. It has a Vietnamese feel to it, very sweet and sour like. (Very sour actually). I recommend for you guys to dip the bean curd in the bowl of sauce instead of just pouring everything and mixing it together with the bean curd. First you loose the crispiness and then next it becomes too sour. Trust me! However bottom line, a must try menu !

Fook Yew

Gandaria City Mall Ground Floor

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